This restaurant has been on my radar for a while, so when faced with a choice for my 45th birthday dinner I choose The La Palme D'Or in the historic Biltmore Hotel in beautiful Coral Gables, my hometown. \r
I consider myself a connoisseur of both fine foods & wines and this place lived up to my expectations. I brought 4 of my wines for the 5 course dinner and the staff was very accommodating\r
($20.00/bottle corkage). \r
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My pairings were perfect to compliment the superb offerings from the kitchen. The seared scallop 1st course was done to perfection and plated beautifully. For the 2nd course ,a seared fois gras with fava beans was ok, but too greasy a dish and would have benefited from a simpler preparation. My main course was buffalo tenderloin that was so excellent it made up for the aforementioned 2nd course. It was heavenly with the vintage Bordeaux I selected. The cheese course that followed was beautifully plated and they were lovely with a late vintage port I brought. The dessert menu was a real treat too! The flavored theme dishes were whimsical and delicious with the cuvee sublime Champagne demi-sec. It played well with the white chocolate plate, the Java plate & the apple plate which our table of 5 shared. The service was attentive for most of the meal and was professional, though they did get a bit overwhelmed as they were busier later in the evening. It was a 3 hour dinner after-all. I can state that this is one of the FINEST restaurants in the entire state & when you add in the perfect ambiance can make for a MEAL of a LIFETIME!
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