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Review content:
Upon walking by The Betsy Hotel in South Beach, we entered BLT Steak to review the menu. We loved the atmosphere and the menu looked interesting so we had our concierge cancel our reservation at Smith and Wollensky and book BLT Steak instead. We arrived at 6:00 pm on a Tuesday night and there were a few patrons at the bar. We were greeted by Amber, a lovely and knowledgeable barmaid who provided us with details on the nightlife in South Beach. We enjoyed our bottle of Faust Cabernet Sauvignon (2006) and she brought it to our table when it was time to be seated. Our waiter, Marco, proved to be very well-informed with the menu, and also shared a "blackboard" menu: a prix fixe meal including an appetizer, entrée, side dish, and dessert for $62. After ordering, we were offered grilled flatbed with a small jar of chicken livers and a few pickled cucumbers. This was a pleasant surprise and elevated our expectations for the meal. The spinach and radicchio salad with blue cheese and bacon that I ordered was large enough to split and very nicely done. Prior to our entrees arriving, Marco delivered popovers which were by far, the best we've ever had. BLT includes a little recipe booklet with the recipe for the popovers which is a quaint little detail that inspires the chef in all of us. My flat iron steak with onion sauce was perfectly prepared medium-rare and presented in the skillet it was cooked in. On the side, we were given several options for sauces and the peppercorn sauce that I choose was light and complimented the steak perfectly. Only the grilled onion sauce detracted from the steak itself, but other than that, everything was perfect. The side of lima bean succotash was expertly prepared with sautéed onions and corn. My partner enjoyed the ribeye (on the bone) with a side of cilantro mashed potatoes (light and tasty) and grilled asparagus. I must note that the asparagus was cut in half and each half was grilled to the same consistency which is a another small detail that our chef attended to. We shared the dessert of 3 sorbets (lychee, tamarind, and mame) which was a refreshing palette cleanser and sweet end to a perfect meal. To close, Marco delivered orange blossom Madeline's, compliments of the chef, and a glass of Prosecco. Our meal could not have been better and I doubt that we would have had such an exceptional experience at Smith and Wollensky's. The Executive Chef, Laurent Tourondel, does not overlook one detail and over delivers on all levels of culinary expectations. As a result, I plan on visiting other BLT restaurants as I travel and look forward to those meals as well.
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