BAZAAR MAR (BRICKELL, MIAMI, FL)

Bazaar Mar
1300 South Miami Ave
Miami, FL 33130
Bazaar Mar
Tel: 305.239.1320
Cuisine: Spanish, Seafood
$$$$ ($50+)
Sat, 02/18/2017, 10:00pm reservation
     (4.5 Piglets)

My first meal at my first time in Miami and we chose Bazaar Mar. It is Chef Jose Andres' new restaurant that features seafood as the main component for most of his dishes. The menu is composed of some creative new items that is specific to this location as well as classics that you can find at his other Bazaar locations, such as the Jamon Iberico. 

The interior is beautiful. The decor is reminiscent of the sea, yet brings in a sense of elegance. There is an open kitchen in the back as well as two sushi bars displaying the freshest fish. Off to the side is a separate bar area where you can order certain items from the menu. 

Sushi Bar Area

The Bar

The Interior

Open Kitchen

PUNTILLITAS FRITAS ($14.00): Baby Squid and Pickled Peppers, Simply fried as they do in the south of Spain. The delicate and crispy squid were absolutely delicious. It was a great appetizer that didn't feel too heavy even though it was fried. The aioli sauce that came with it was addicting! A must order if you're a fan of calamari. 

MAINE LOBSTER CROQUETAS ($14.00): Lobster and Shrimp Fritters, Saffron Aioli.  So, we decided to order another set of fried appetizers. The fritters were fried to a perfect crisp texture. The filling was super creamy and seasoned well. With the aioli, it was a great combination. 

SALT AIR MARGARITA ($14.00): Classic Margarita with Cabeza Tequila and Combier, topped with Salt Air. This drink was delicious. It's one of their most popular drinks and I can totally see why. It's a bit strong with sweetness and a bit of salt. A great combination

MY FAVORITE DISH. JAMON IBERICO DE BELLOTA FERMIN ($56.00): 48-month Cured Ham from the Legednary Free Range, Acorn-fed, black-footed Iberico pigs of Spain served with Pan de Cristal with Tomato. OMG. This dish is amazing. The jamon iberico had the perfect amount of saltiness with the freshness of cured ham that melts in your mouth. The bread with tomatoes is one of my favorites and goes perfectly well with the ham. The only complaint was that there was a little too much olive oil but who cares. 

NEPTUNE'S PILLOW ($16.00): Tuna Sashimi, Spicy Tuna, Air Breads, Spicy Rocoto Mayo, Sea Lettuce Powder. This was one of my favorite dishes. The pillows are similar to the pillows found for their other dish "philly cheesesteak." It is filled with delcious spicy tuna. The sashimi on top was so fresh.. Thhis was probably a close second for the best dish. It's a must order. 

KING ORA SALMON TIRADITO, NEW ZEALAND ($18.00): Yuasa Soy, Orange Zest, Dill, Wasabi. The salmon was so fresh and succulent; it melted in your mouth. It's a really great dish if you want a simple sashimi. 

PAPAS ARRUGAS, CANARY ISLAND STYLE ($8.00): Wrinkled Potatoes, Mojo Verde, Mojo Rojo. These potatoes are addicting! Its a great side order to dinner. The potatoes are simple and the sauces are absolutely delicious. The verde had a slight tang, and the rojo had a bit of a kick. 

GAMBAS AL AJILLO, BLUEFOOT SHRIMP, CHANDUY FARM ($18.00): Sauteed Shrimp, Garlic, Olive Oil, Spicy Tomato Sauce, Parsley. These suckers are yummy. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and the sauce was robust and spicy. I could've done without the foam. 

TUNA CEVICHE NIKKEI ($19.00): Big Eye Tuna, Soy-Cured Egg Yolk, Ponzu, Puffed Quinoa, Avocado, jicama, Red Onion, Furikake. This ceviche was delicious. The tuna was fresh and the ponzu added a nice acidity to the dish. I loved the creaminess with the avocado and the egg yolk was mixed in. It was served chilled on ice and brought out a bit early to let the tuna marinate. A great dish if you want ceviche and something on the lighter end of the menu. 

Overall, Bazaar Mar was pretty amazing. Everything we ordered was delicious and creative. I thoroughly enjoyed all the different textures and the balance of flavors. The place is absolutely beautiful and packed. Our reservation wasn't til 10pm but we managed to snag some empty seats at the sushi bar to dine earlier. The cocktails were delicious as well. If you want a great dining experience, Bazaar Mar is the place to go! 

Notable Dishes: Jamon Iberico and Neptune's Pillow

BLUEGOLD (HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA)

Bluegold
21016 Pacific Coast Highway
Ste D200
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
www.dinebluegold.com
Tel: 714.374.0038
Cuisine: American
$$$ ($30-$45)
Sat, 01/28/2017, 1:00pm reservation
   (3 Piglets)

Somewhere in the middle of Pacific City in Huntington Beach (a complex similar to the Grove) sits a very popular restaurant known for their brunch. With breathtaking ocean views, Bluegold is something that is casual with a little bit of finesse. The restaurant serves up popular breakfast items with a twist along with deliciously crafted cocktails.

Patio

The bar

Upon arrival at 12:30pm, we were told they were seating us at the best seat in the house but that it would be a few minutes before we could be seated (we had changed our reservation from 12:30pm to 1:00pm to avoid being late). My friend and I went to grab a drink at the bar and waited to pass the time. We weren't seated til about 1:30pm, a full thirty minutes past our reservation and an hour of waiting. Additionally,it took them another 40 minutes to serve us our food following our order. We had ordered a hot mocha, which ended up being cold. Thankfully, they remedied the situation by making a new one. I mean, I'm cool with waiting, but it was kinda ridiculous how long we waited for the food being served. That being said, a few of the dishes we ordered were delicious and some not so much.

MY FAVORITE DISH. MILK ROLLS ($5.00): Hazelnut Honey, Citrus Conserva. This was bomb dot com. It came out piping hot and boy, was I in for a treat. It was an amazingly soft and buttery bread full of delicious goodness. I seriously would just come here and only order this all day, everyday. The honey and the conxerva was good together. The rolls are fantastic on its own as well as with the condiment. 

ONION RINGS ($7.00): Curry Ketchup and Goddess Dip. I thought the onion rings were pretty good. It was super crispy and seasoned well with hints of rosemary. It was lighter in texture using a tempura batter. The rings weren't too onion-y if that makes sense. My friend liked it even though she doesn't like onion rings. I liked the goddess dip better than the curry ketchup. 

PAN ROAST STEAM KETTLE ($18.00): Cream, Butter, Clam Juice, Chili, Buttered Rice, Oyster, Clams, Shrimp, Scallops, and Daily Market Fish. This pan roast had a nice kick. It had tons of seafood if that is to your liking. My friend thought it was a tad bit too spicy for her. I thought it was pretty good in flavor, but I actually prefer the steam kettle at Kettlebar over this. 

GRANOLA FRENCH TOAST ($13.00): Whipped Ricotta, Goji Berries, Honey and Almonds. So I chose this dish because I wanted to pick a healthy-ish option. I mean, from the sound of it, it sounds pretty healthy. Boy, was I wrong. It was a greasy mess. As good as this looks, it oozed out grease. They deep fry up this bad boy (which I usually don't mind), but unfortunately, this soaked up a lot of the oil and that's all I could taste. I actually only had two bites and I was done. The concept is good but the execution was no bueno. 

Overall, Bluegold has the potential to be good. The views are amazing and it's perfectly located for a great weekend brunch out. I just thought it lacked what was needed to be a great experience, i.e. long waits for seating and service. The dish that saved this place was the milk rolls cause they were ridiculously good. Would I come back here? Maybe just for the milk rolls....

Notable Dishes: Milk Rolls