Miami Comes to New York
One of the best things about living in New York is the ability to enjoy some of America’s best chefs. Sometimes you get really lucky and one of those chefs comes to you. Such was the case last week when Peter Vauthy of Miami’s Red the Steakhouse came to town. Chef Vauthy was cooking at the James Beard House and hosted an intimate lunch at the West Bank Cafe. Red opened last year and is the first outpost of Cleveland’s famed steakhouse. I can’t vouch for the atmosphere of Red’s Miami venue but the food was top notch.
Lunch began with a creamy steak tartare served with thinly sliced crostini. A good tartare is hard to find and this one was excellent – hand cut beef tenderloin - none of that nasty connective tissue that can mar a good tartare - blended with salty capers and shallots instead of traditional onions. Also on the appetizer menu was a hot pepper stuffed with home-made sausage and topped with tomato sauce. If you are not a fan of spicy foods, skip this one. If you are, don’t miss it. After the fiery pepper, the house salad was a refreshing follow up – candied nuts, goat cheese and raspberry vinaigrette over baby greens.
Our main course was, naturally, sliced filet mignon. Red uses only certified angus prime beef which is the finely marbled top cut of angus beef. The meat was simply seasoned with salt, tellecherry pepper (an exceptionally flavorful black pepper) and a hint of garlic. At the restaurant, the steak is served with a choice of sauces but the flavorful, high quality meat stands on its own. Another Red specialty, Alaskan King Crab was fresh and tasty but paled in comparison to the steak. Like most good steakhouses, Red has an impressive array of side dishes. The standout was the parmesan tater tots. A little larger than the tater tots mom heats up, the inside has the consistency of a potato latke with a crispy parmesan coating. I am embarrassed by the number of times I picked just a “couple more” off the communal plate. The crunchy sauteed green beans with salty pancetta, hot pepper and pine nuts are also a great accompaniment although one pinch away from being too salty.
If this meal is any indication, Red is certainly worth a visit the next time you are in Miami. If you are planning a corporate retreat, Red has a “blend your own wine” program instead of the usual tedious, team-building exercises. After a few tips from the sommelier, teams blend their own wines, develop a brand name and design the label. The winning wine is served at dinner – beats the hell out of Tug of War.
Red, The Steakhouse is located at 119 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL. (305) 534-3688.
jan Weiss
Jan Weiss is a New York-based food and travel writer. She can be reached at jan@dinemag.net.