Earls Kitchen + Bar - Global Skillet

Earls Kitchen + Bar in Dadeland Mall opened in 2014 and has been a wonderful addition to the mall's newest wing . Beautifully decorated with a large center bar and an outdoor terrace to catch a Miami sunset it is a great place for a romantic dinner for two, a friends outing or a company dinner. Its cuisine can be referred to as a global skillet, with dish ingredients coming from all parts of the world. 

Upon visiting the restaurant you may want to start with an appetizer and one of their amazing cocktails at the bar. On my most recent visit I did just that, started with the Marilyn Monroe cocktail and the tuna tostadas. The Marilyn Monroe consists of skyy vodka, passion fruit juice, vanilla and prosecco, it is refreshing and light, perfect drink to accompany the delicious tuna tostadas which are crispy chili rubbed albacore tuna with creamy avocado, cilantro aioli, jalapeno and radish on a fried tortilla chip. These tostadas are addicting! (You can enjoy them as part of their happy hour menu at their lounge and patio area, Monday - Friday from 3-6 PM for $2.50 each.)

I'm not a fan of Kale, but their warm kale salad makes me a kale believer. They prepare it with black kale, baby potatoes, brussel sprouts, cranberries and toasted almonds all tossed together in a warm brown butter vinaigrette. I hadn't had potatoes in a salad before (except potato salad) and I must say, together with the brussel sprouts and the rest of the ingredients, they are a great addition.

For entrees they have a great variety of almost any cuisine you may be in the mood for. The bibimbap bowl is fantastic, prepared table-side by your waiter it is a Korean crispy rice dish made with fresh and pickled vegetables topped with a soft poached egg all mixed together in a soy ginger vinaigrette. You can add your choice of steak, chicken, tofu or shrimp if you'd like to make it your main dish or have it with just the veggies as a side dish.

I also tried the Steak + Sushi dish. A dynamite sushi roll drizzled with unagi maple and siracha mayo is beautifully plated next to a hot skillet with the ponzu marinated steak. The sushi was delicious and the steak was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy, full of flavor because of the ponzu sauce.

Their most popular dessert dish is the sticky toffee chocolate pudding cake. Warm chocolate pudding cake with chocolate and toffee sauces served with a scoop of vanilla gelato in a sugar candy basket. I am a HUGE fan of all things chocolate and whenever warm chocolate cake is on a restaurants dessert menu it is too big of a temptation for me to not order. This one does not disappoint, the cake is served warm, it is moist, and the chocolate and toffee sauce just make it that much more decadent.

The next time shopping opens up your appetite make your way up to Earls, you wont regret it!

Found a piece of California at Hyde Beach Kitchen + Cocktails

One of my favorite places to vacation is California, the food, the atmosphere, the views, and in particular the restaurants situated right on the beach.  I often wonder why we only have a handful of those here in Miami. When I came across Hyde Beach Kitchen + Cocktails in Hallandale beach I discovered a piece of Cali right here in South Florida. Situated right on the sand it's the perfect spot for food and drinks with great ocean views. The beach-side first floor offers quick eats, refreshing cocktails and fresh pressed juices. The second floor is where you'll find the main restaurant with indoor and outdoor (water view) seating, offering seasonal contemporary American cuisine by chef Danny Elmaleh. On the third floor, is a secluded lounge with jacuzzi, food offerings and craft cocktails that will be available to members only.

I've been to the main restaurant as well as the beach bar and both have been great experiences. On my first visit to the main restaurant I fell in love with its modern decor. The indoor restaurant is decorated in beautiful neutrals with modern wooden accents and the outdoor area has a beautiful oceanfront coastal vibe.

For my meal at the main restaurant, I wanted to try a couple different plates. I first chose their fish and chips. Fresh cod lightly battered and fried to perfection giving it a crunchy bite with fries that were cut thin and well seasoned. The dish came with a malt filled pipette dropper which I thought was pretty neat.

I also ordered the fried chicken and waffles. Whenever I see that on a menu, you know I gotta try it. The chicken was seasoned and fried perfectly, crunchy flavorful bite into some delicious moist chicken. The waffles were crunchy while still being light and fluffy.  This dish also came with two hot sauce filled pipette droppers.

On my second visit I got to enjoy a private cabana in their beach bar area. This area has about 5 private cabanas as well as a few very comfortable looking lounge chairs. You can order from the beach bar from either the tables around the bar or by renting a lounge chair or cabana.

For appetizers we chose the fried calamari and ceviche. Isn't there just something extra special about enjoying seafood near the beach? The calamari was fresh and not overly battered, it came with a side of red sauce and also aioli. The ceviche had corvina in leche de tigre, it tasted fresh and was full of flavor, loved that it came with tortilla chips.

At around noon they started firing up the grill so I chose to order a single cheeseburger and elote corn on the cob from their grill menu. The burger was perfectly grilled and the bun it came in had a subtle sweet hint to it that was delicious. The corn was also fantastic, it had a delicious mayo & cheese sauce with crunchy pepper flakes on top, it was so good!!!

Overall, if it wasn't because I don't live nearby, I'd probably make it out to their spot every weekend if I could. Either way I see myself visiting quite often, even contemplating a staycation once the Hyde Resort & Residences is finished.