Miami's Five Best Floral Dishes to Try This Spring

Dishes adorned with edible flowers are more common than ever, and with spring in the air, the trend is only growing stronger. Delicate petals in colorful hues provide an immediate wow factor, but there’s more to love than just their good looks. Fight the instinctive urge to nudge them aside; these are far from a pesky and extraneous garnish. Given the right treatment, edible flowers can provide fragrant, elegant notes that stand up surprisingly well even to richer flavors. The savory and sweet floral plates at the following Miami restaurants fully showcase the potential of petals.
5. Coconut pancakes with lavender maple syrup at Matador Room
The coconut pancakes ($16) on Matador Room’s brunch menu are delightfully thick and fluffy, but what really makes this breakfast dish special is the floral syrup. The lavender’s presence is evident without becoming too assertive and complements the dark, oaky notes of the maple. Atop a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar, grapefruit segments cut the sweetness with a dose of bright acidity. More important, though, they’re the redeeming quality that makes this decadent dish acceptable for the first meal of the day. It’s just like eating fruit for brunch, right?
4. Zucchini blossoms at Le Zoo
The popular preparation of this flower – stuffed and deep-fried in tempura batter – has been done many times before. Yet as with most culinary ventures, Stephen Starr does it better. The humble handful of blossoms comes at a steep $18, but Le Zoo's version of the beloved appetizer is a elegant upgrade. They're stuffed with crabmeat, sealed in a crisp tempura batter, and served alongside créme fraîche for dipping. The crunchy, decadent bites are reminiscent of comforting American bar fare, elevated in Le Zoo's luxurious brasserie style. 

3. Tres leches with roselle sorbet at Vagabond
Beauty goes beyond the surface in Vagabond’s roselle sorbet. Think of roselle as hibiscus’s bolder, tangier counterpart. It’s no surprise Vagabond has embraced floral ingredients, which fit right in with the rest of the whimsical yet approachable menu. Served with a traditional tres leches cake ($10), the sorbet has an extraordinarily vibrant hue with a unique taste to match. The spoonful of bright-red sorbet is as visually striking as it is flavorful, imparting a sweet-and-sour flavor that balances the cake’s richness.
2. Gazpacho at Bachour Bakery + Bistro
Bachour Bakery + Bistro excels when it comes to aesthetics, and the creamy gazpacho ($9) is a prime example of the menu's stunning dishes. The soup's vibrant surface serves as a canvas for crumbled croutons and olive oil two ways: in powder form and as a swirled drizzle. But the star of the soup is the touch of tropical flowers. This medley of floral garnishes includes Jamaican mint, which is local to Miami and harvested in Homestead. For the gazpacho, Bachour Bakery + Bistro steams the flowers to tone down the flavor of the mint that's more prominently featured in its bakery items. Above all, the flowers lend an added pop of color that takes the Spanish dish to another level. 
1. Persian Sundae at Fooq’s
Just barely a year old, Fooq's has already made big waves with fare that successfully fuses Persian, Italian, and French cuisines. Top off any meal here with the signature Persian sundae ($10). This frozen dessert unlike any other features saffron and rosewater gelato from Italian Latteria in midtown. The one-of-a-kind sundae is then decorated with shredded halava, roasted salted pistachios, pomegranate molasses, medjool dates, and Valrhona chocolate pearls. Each bite contains multiple layers of playful flavors and textures that create a nostalgic experience of eating a grown-up ice-cream treat.