Miro District Food & Drink enjoys a pretty juicy location, right in the heart of Midtown on the ground floor of the high-profile Adelicia condominium building.
The space has great visibility and a built-in clientele of hungry sophisticates living in the building.
It's not surprising that the owners of the luxurious Watermark restaurant decided to open their second venture there. Happily, Miro lives up to its prime location, with brilliant Italian-inspired cuisine crafted by executive chef Dean Robb and chef de cuisine Scott Cohen.
Robb describes it as "rustic, simple food that is all about the seasons." The general focus is Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, but fresh local ingredients play a big part.
So what does that mean? An example is the exquisite appetizer of grilled peaches ($14). It starts with a fresh peach split into quarters. A roasted walnut is stuffed into each piece, which is then wrapped in prosciutto and grilled, creating a fruity, savory bundle. Dollops of homemade ricotta cheese, unbelievably creamy and pure, complement the flavors, along with a drizzle of honey.
While the concept is Italian, and so is the prosciutto, it all comes down to ham and peaches, echoing the things the South does best.
Feast on fish, pasta
Miro is a wonderful place to visit for dinner or lunch. The menus are similar, but lunch portions are a little smaller, as are the prices. Lunch entrees are $11-$19 (sometimes a bit more for a fish special), and sandwiches are $8-$9. Dinner entrees are $18-$32, with most priced in the mid-20s.
As befits a place with an Italian pedigree, pasta is a big part of the menu. I visited Miro District twice, and one of the stars was homemade pappardelle (wide pasta strips) in a rich broth of braised duck with fennel and a hint of orange. Fresh figs made the plate complete. Even though the nuggets of meat were duck, the dish reminded me of a ramped-up version of my mom's comforting beef-and-noodles. (That entree is $19 at lunch, $25 at dinner.)
Fresh fish is another thing the menu emphasizes. On a lunchtime visit, grouper was the fish of the day, simply grilled with a touch of lemon, served atop polenta with a side of summer lettuces. At $22, it was a bit pricey for a lunch entrée but worth every penny because it was impeccably fresh and perfectly prepared.
Menu is versatile
Miro District's menu is designed to have a lot of different entry points; you can enjoy a full three-course dinner, or you can drop in to share appetizers with friends. The cured meat and cheese plate ($14) is designed for two. On our visit, the meats were all imported from Italy: prosciutto, coppa (a bit like ham) and soppressata (a bit like salami), paired with artisan cheeses from various parts of the world and fresh figs.
The last sweet surprise on the plate was something the waitress called "tomato candy." This unique treat is made in house from concentrated heirloom tomatoes mixed with a bit of gelatin, making the perfect sweet and chewy accompaniment, bursting with flavor.
Adding to the experience was Miro District's unique space, composed of several dining areas. The front door opens onto a bright, circular room with a sunburst mosaic in the tile floor, and that's probably my favorite place. In the center is a table holding fresh loaves of bread that servers slice and deliver to waiting tables. It's fun.
I don't want to exhaust superlatives, but Miro District really lives up to what it promised to deliver: fresh ingredients prepared intelligently with a nod toward the traditions of Italy and the South. It's one of the very best restaurants to open this year.
I don't live in the same building as Miro District, but I plan to spend a lot of time there.
