Dutch Miami Releases New Summer Dessert Menu
Look out Summer because the team over at The Dutch Miami has released their newest Summer Dessert menu, and it’s a good one. This sultry menu of sweet treats is the brainchild of Executive pastry chef Josh Gripper. Who states that the desserts from his New York childhood, combined with the Latin culture from living in Miami, serve as its inspiration. Gripper describes his desserts as Classic Americana with a strong influence based on French technique. Though he wants to assure patrons that it doesn’t mean he’ll be holding back on flavor. In his own words “Dessert, should be a nice touch at the end of your meal which leaves you feeling re-energized.”
Enough talk, let’s get to the food.
We begin with a Strawberry Almond Ice Cream Cake, which is as tasty as it is refreshing. It comes with a lightly sweet layer of house made almond ice cream, which works to tame the tartness of the strawberry sorbet. The crumbled Almaretti cookies give it that perfect crunchy finish. Gripper states that a good humour bar, which he often ate as a child, served as its inspiration.
I should preface this next paragraph by stating that I have a strong moral apprehension towards any dish that has coconut or pistachio in it. So I wasn’t really expecting to like Gripper’s Coconut Cream Pie, because it actually had both ingredients. I took my first bite and I was sold. The lychee Fresno and chili sauce add a little sweetness and spice. The buttery smooth custard had just the right density to it, while the brown sugar and pistachio infused crust was a cookie lover’s dream.
The Dutch Miami’s next delectable dessert dish is the Milk Chocolate and Cherries. The crunchy lemon meringue drops, which are covered in a light matcha crumb powder; hide a silky smooth chocolate mousse. The subtle sweet chocolate delightfully contrasts the tart candied cherries. I wasn’t a fan of the vanilla sorbet, but this dish was a hit either way.
There are certain desserts that have been perfected over the years, whose recipes require no tampering. Here we see a standard Chocolate Soufflé, it had a light puffy crust with a warm and creamy chocolate center. I liked that Gripper chose to garnish it with a side of fresh mint ice cream and raspberry jam. This slight change turned a simple classic dish into something a little more complex.
Our final dish is Fried Churros and Donuts. The crispy churros come sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and are surprisingly light and airy, especially given that they are deep fried. The Beignet donuts are doughy and come filled with a vanilla scented rum creme. There is a specific technique for eating these donuts, you must bite from the top down. This writer learned from first hand experience that if you start from the bottom there can be explosive consequences.
The Dutch Miami is located inside the famous W South Beach Hotel and is the perfect spot to grab a bite before heading out and exploring the South Beach nightlife.