Foodie Find: Francesco
The Peruvian restaurant with Italian influences and a celebrity following has reopened on Miracle Mile.
Francesco – the Peruvian restaurant with the original location still serving customers in Lima – has reopened on Miracle Mile. The Miami restaurant was recognized as Best Latin American restaurant in 2004 by the Miami New Times and has a strong customer base that includes Glorian Stefan, Pitbull, and Juan Luis Guerra. Touted as a seafood spot, the Peruvian menu has strong Italian influences.
The decor is maritime themed, with seating banquets appearing as luxurious and modern incarnations those found on boats. The bar is round and reflective of a boat helm and coated with wooden planks and plate glass entrance doors, hallway mirrors, and Peruvian hand-crafted dark natural wood millwork and furniture, with touches of reflective stainless steel and living plants.
The culinary program is led by two Peruvian chefs, Pedro Monteza and Jorge Quispe, who helmed the kitchen at Francesco’s previous iteration in Miami. Don’t miss the Ceviche Clasico, which is traditional and served with sweet potato and choclo. The Tiradito Francesco is marinated in lime juice and topped with leche de tigre and the causa oriental is served with avocado, crispy fish and togarashi aioli. The Pulpo a la Parrilla is marinated and grilled, served with tomato tartare, cream avocado and potato.
For main courses, don’t miss the swordfish, which is a filet served over fish parihuela sauce and served with Andean potatoes chorrillana style. The lomo saltado is with Tacu Tacu and the lasagna del Nonno is made with seafood and tomato ragu with shrimp au gratin. Canelones de Aju de Gallina is the Italian cannelloni filled with Peruvian chicken creamy stew and the duck breast is pan seared and served with cilantro green risotto.
Brett Graff is SocialMiami.com’s managing editor and has been a journalist covering money, people and power for over 20 years. Graff contributes to national media outlets including Reuters, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Maxim, and the PBS show, Nightly Business Report. A former U.S. government economist, her nationally syndicated column The Home Economist is first published in The Miami Herald and then on the Tribune Content Agency, where it’s available to over 400 publications nationwide. She is broadcast weekly on two iHeartRadio news shows and is the author of “Not Buying It: Stop Overspending & Start Raising Happier, Healthier, More Successful Kids,” a parenting guide for people who might be tempted to buy their children the very obstacles they’re trying to avoid.
