The trio, all of whom are baby-boomers, already had resolved to open a steakhouse when they stumbled across some historical material from Embers. For nearly 40 years, the restaurant, which served the cognoscenti, the literati, the high-powered A and those who like to dine among them A had enjoyed a status equivalent to some of our contemporary South Beach establishments. Opened in 1948 by partners Radio Weiner and Sam Sterling (from the barbecue Sterlings of Cincinatti), Embers finally shut down in 1984, at which time Miami Beach was about as popular as red meat.
Ten years later the climate seems right in every way for a rekindling: Steak and potatoes are back in vogue, as of course is South Beach. And Miami is still home to people who, like the new owners, remember dining at Embers long ago. (Polisar and Schwartz are natives; Lewis's grandparents lived in South Florida.)
To cater to purists and nostalgia buffs, the partners hired consultants who'd worked at the original Embers. Because the actual site wasn't available (Paragon now occupies the space, at 245 22nd St., a block west of Collins Avenue), Lewis et al. had to settle for a newly renovated building on Meridian Avenue, just off Lincoln Road. The Sam Robin-designed interior (she does a lot of work for Gianni Versace), is something of a departure from the turn-of-the-century scarlet drapes and crystal chandeliers of the first Embers. It's a handsome departure, though, evoking a stately Chicagoan atmosphere, with charcoal oak floors, mahogany paneling, stunning alabaster chandeliers, and eighteen-foot-high ceilings. The only decorative items gleaned from the first Embers are to be found among the vintage photos -- some, but not all, shot at the restaurant -- of famished diners and celebs that grace the walls.
The menu, without question, is a throwback. The partners reproduced the restaurant's better-known menu items, including the French-style salad dressing. I haven't seen juice (orange or grapefruit) offered as an appetizer since I waitressed in a Jersey deli. Nor have I recently come across a simple hearts of lettuce and tomato salad smothered in blue cheese dressing.
As willing as I am to be embraced by nostalgia, though, it had better be good.
The starters we tried certainly were. Seasoned, chunky croutons homemade from day-old bread provided the perfect accent for a bowl of zesty potato-leek soup. One of two soups offered nightly (the other is a Tuscan white bean laced with garlic and basil), the pureed potato blend was a delightful start. A light fall of Parmesan A white on white A added another layering of flavor. The house salad is one of Embers's most popular orders: chopped romaine, crisp and fresh, sliced black olives, and croutons, tossed with the pleasantly tangy French dressing. The lettuce was sprinkled with chopped egg and parsley, a refreshing touch in this age of watch-your-fat-intake (and a welcome alternative to caesar salad, which is also available). Grated black pepper completed the spectrum of sweet-to-spicy flavors.
We skipped over the only two hot appetizers (sauteed portobello mushrooms and a "Venetian" white pizza made with roasted peppers and four cheeses), opting instead for the a la carte vegetable side dishes, my favorite part of just about any meal. Lighter choices such as spinach aglio e olio, French string beans, and a steamed melange were offered, but these prospects paled in comparison to creamed spinach and asparagus with mozzarella sauce. A huge mound of the spinach, served hot as lava, lacked salt but otherwise was an enticing creamy blend, far too large a quantity for even the hungriest pair of diners to consume. (When the kitchen says vegetable dishes serve two, they're not kidding.) Ditto for the asparagus, which arrived with the mild but runny cheese sauce in a metal pitcher on the side. The stalks of the vegetable had been peeled, a condition that unfortunately rendered the asparagus overcooked.
One may order a potato a la carte, but it's probably not necessary: All entrees besides pastas come with a choice of starches. The twice-baked "famous Embers potato," half a baked potato scooped out of its shell, blended with butter, repacked and baked again, was homestyle and lumpy, the outer skin crisp. In a town where exotic root vegetables are being prepared in increasingly unusual ways, this was a welcome take on the spud. That said, whether it deserves to be "famous" is debatable. And basmati rice, overcooked and sticky, may be more appropriately described as infamous.
