Social Imbibe
Blue Door at the Delano
Olivia Young is a Golden Beach native who knows the Miami dining scene inside and out. Armed with a sensitive palate and a flare for the Miami nightlife, this uptown girl isn’t afraid to travel downtown in search of an expertly prepared meal. And after satisfying her discerning taste buds, our 20-something social dynamo knows the hip spots that serve the best drinks in Miami. So, let Olivia’s Social Imbibe be your guide to the best that dining in Miami has to offer.
Blue Door is one of my favorite places on the beach –tasty, romantic, and always a scene that’s never too loud for good conversation. My party of 10 all scurried in about 30 minutes late. All from Spain, culture differences prohibited us from both being on time and eating dinner before 11 p.m.
Rather than seating us on the humid patio as planned, our hostess managed to organize a beautiful corner table inside, which was perfect. Way too hot outside!
Our group was hip, if I do say so myself. The guys were all suited up in pencil thin jeans and graphic t-shirts. Footwear varied between classic Nike dunks and low key loafers.
Service was attentive and we were quickly offered beverages. The overly generous bartender got our night started off right with pungent mojitos, topped with plenty of sugar and fresh mint.
I started with the Thon-Thon, seared yellow fin tuna with soy, lime and ginger, marinated daikon and toasted sesame oil. Perfectly rare tuna melted in my mouth leaving hints of Asian flavors. I also couldn’t resist ordering the St. Jacques Docedeleite. After eating these seared scallops with grilled hearts of palm, dulce de leche and wild rice popcorn a couple of weeks ago, I have not been able to stop thinking about it. Unfortunately, there are only two plump and tender scallops in each order, which left me savoring every last nibble.
The Big Ravoli was incredibly rich. Fluffy pasta pillows were covered with savory mushroom cream sauce and finished with white truffle oil, a.k.a. divinity on a plate. Between courses, my Spanish friends, and inevitably myself, played musical chairs; scooting out of the big white booths in order to accommodate their European smoking habits and the restaurant’s no smoking policy.
Conversation flowed about life in Spain as compared to Miami. Borja, a well known music manager in Madrid, whose facial hair is just barely tamed into thick mutton chops down the side of his face, vividly described his summer travels with his band. He had just recently partied in Ibiza, completed shows in London and Paris, and is now savoring his time off at his family’s home in Key Biscayne, along with his two brothers and three sisters.
After a somewhat lengthy interlude, the entrees finally arrived. The red snapper failed to distract me from those yummy scallops. The fish was too heavily breaded and a bit overcooked, but its fennel and tomato confit accompaniment was satisfying. The Poulet Classic, oven roasted free range chicken, was served in a cast iron skillet steaming hot. The tender chicken was comforting and served with fork tender fingerling potatoes and finished with black truffles. For dessert, the Chocopistachio, or melted chocolate cake with caramel pistachio ice cream was finger licking good. The rich ice cream melted from the warmth of the cake – the perfect sweet ending to a very satisfying meal.
After dinner, we partied like rock stars at the Florida Room. The night was social dining at its best, South Beach style.
