Audio By Carbonatix
Something about Miami allows other countries to gain footholds in this city. Many South American and Caribbean communities flourish here, all of which add to the city’s multicultural flavor. Brazil, in particular, is influential — all you need to do is walk on the beach, dodging barefoot soccer players and admiring those souls brave enough to wear tangas (thong bikinis) to note its contributions to American culture. Or stroll downtown, where Brazilian restaurants abound and hotels are monuments to South American tourism; it is not surprising that Miami’s chapter of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce is the largest in the nation.
It’s a shame, however, that Miami, so primed and ready for Brazilian visitors, will miss out on a special opportunity to greet them. Brazil’s national soccer team — which inspires a greater following than even feijoada, the black bean stew that is Brazil’s national dish — will most likely play its first round of the 1994 World Cup Soccer Tournament in Orlando. With the exception of a preliminary round that doesn’t include Brazil, Miami was passed up as a host for World Cup play, outraging residents who have been fans of Brazil’s team for years.
For those of us who find our thoughts have turned to things Brazilian but are unable to make the trip to Orlando (or Brazil itself, for that matter), there is some consolation. Inside the Four Ambassadors Towers in the Brickell Avenue business district, the new, virtually unknown Scala Grill specializes in rodizio, a Brazilian feast of meats, salads, and side dishes.
Rodizio is a meal meant to be enjoyed over a two-hour or longer period A about the length, you might say, of a world-class soccer game. Waiters, bearing skewers of marinated and spiced meats, present them tableside; diners grab the hot, juicy slices with tongs as the meat is sliced. Portions are unlimited — the idea is to eat slowly, and pretend not to notice the incredible amount of food you’re putting away. Diners who choose rodizio for dinner at Scala also make complimentary trips to the gourmet salad bar (the standout is the grilled summer squash topped with calamari and marinated mushrooms) and receive copious amounts of fried yuca and other side dishes.
By its nature, this buffetlike specialty is a heavy meal, highly spiced and often too salty. The meat is grilled slowly to ensure flavor and tenderness, but circling the dining room with any meal, presenting it at table after table, is bound to cool it. And there’s always the possibility of the meat drying out under heat lamps during slow hours. In short, it’s difficult to serve a rodizio that meets with every diner’s approval. But it’s not impossible. (Admittedly, we benefited from being the only diners there.) At Scala, the skewered meats were still sizzling when brought to the table. We started with chicken thighs, the skin of which had been rubbed with garlic. Grilled over charcoal, the skin was a crisp layer on the intensely flavored and moist dark meat. Portuguese pork sausages followed, firm and wonderful; the various beef selections — prime rib, beef ribs, and London broil — were all excellent. Though dusted with slightly different mixtures of spices, this rodizio featured variations on a theme: garlic. Of all the meats offered, I particularly admired the turkey breast wrapped with bacon, a dish that is all too frequently both salty and fatty, but not here.
Some interesting dressings accompanied this entree. We particularly enjoyed the traditional farofa. Farofas are prepared in a variety of ways but the main ingredient — toasted manioc (cassava) flour — remains consistent. The other ingredients depend upon the imagination of the chef. This particular farofa featured a rich blend of manioc, bacon, and eggs. Lumpy and with an unattractive beige color, the condiment nevertheless had a certain appeal. I never suspected the cassava had so many uses.
Nor did I suspect that Scala Grill would be so wonderfully Brazilian in its approach — I’ve been disappointed by other Miami restaurants that claimed this country as influence. Scala, however, has its roots in Rio, where a sister Scala Grill operates. And from the basket of hot cheese balls to the clove-filled carrot cake for dessert, many aspects of cosmopolitan Brazil were indeed represented. The staff was also as polite and attentive as you might wish. In fact, the waiters paid such attention to detail that our basket of warm rolls — small egg and pumpernickel twists — was replaced when a single droplet of water fell on the cloth covering.
Yes, some of this attention was motivated, no doubt, by their gratitude that anyone was actually patronizing the obscure restaurant. This outstanding service, as well as the freshness and warmth of the meats we received, may well have been due to an obvious factor: We were, of course, the only table there. In some respects, it could be seen as an advantage A every bit of our dinners was made-to-order. We certainly had no quibble with either quality or quantity. But we did feel somewhat conspicuous in our consumption.
At first we thought the dinner hour we had chosen — eight o’clock is considered unfashionably early in South American circles — kept this elegant room empty. Then, as a torrential rain slashed the hotel’s pool (which our table overlooked), we tried to blame it on the weather. But perhaps the problem was location. Brickell Avenue does not exactly teem with life after sunset. There’s no foot traffic outside; inside, the hotel seemed mostly empty, though this situation might improve once winter brings international customers, or once Scala implements its plans for an adjoining grand-scale nightclub, featuring dancers and singers in outrageous costumes. The restaurant, too, is handicapped by being so new and having only just begun advertising.
Still, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t succeed. Aside from the rodizio, which is the best Miami has to offer, Scala boasts an internationally experienced chef, Daniel Thäme. A native of France, he popularized French cuisine in Puerto Rico with his restaurant there. Known as Chef Daniel on the Spanish cooking show Cocina Crisco broadcast for six years throughout Latin America, Thäme presents an Island/Continental menu at Scala that highlights French, Caribbean, Italian, and Latin influences. The menu isn’t large — only eight entrees — but a pleasing range of fish and shellfish is available for those who aren’t fond of meat.
We tried two specialties, dubbed “chef’s creations.” The superb snapper Scala was a grilled fillet of red snapper served with sun-dried tomatoes and what the menu promised would be eggplant flan. Embraced by a dark, wine-scented sauce, the flaky snapper was combined with generous chunks of sun-dried tomatoes. Though the eggplant flan was, like fellow diners, mysteriously missing, the plate itself was alive with color from various vegetable garnishes. An enormous serving of lobster a la Thäme, a Florida lobster tail sauteed and baked in a puff pastry shell, was similarly decorated. The lobster, though not as sweet as its Maine cousin might have been, was lusciously accented by a wild mushroom sauce. The slightly musky mushrooms helped to balance the rich meat without overpowering its flavor.
As we devoured a strawberry mousse cake (along with the carrot cake) for dessert, another party was seated and plied with drinks and rolls; they seemed overwhelmed but pleased with the attention. There’s no question that Scala’s staff is skilled and eager for business. So if Orlando — where the Brazilian team is probably going to begin World Cup play — is out of your reach, you can enjoy your own round robin at Scala Grill. Good rodizio can comfort nearly anybody — even disappointed soccer fans.
