Le Zoo Bal Harbour – Brunch Extraordinaire
Le Zoo is a French brasserie nestled in between luxury retailers at Bal Harbour Shops, an open-air shopping mall in Bal Harbour, a wealthy suburb of Miami Beach. Designed to convey the cafés of Paris and St. Tropez, you can dine inside the chic bistro or al fresco on the palm tree-shaded patio.
More importantly, Le Zoo boasts a menu with an abundant selection of delicious and fresh Mediterranean fare. My brunch buddy and I were fortunate to be invited to join a group of fellow bloggers for Saturday brunch.
We were first greeted by a server with three distinct cocktails on her tray. Our consensus favorite was the sweet and flagrant Romarin (French for Rosemary) -Grey Goose La Poire vodka, St. Germain liqueur, Rosemary, and Pear juice in a coupe champagne glass.
If you could contain summer in a bowl, it would taste like Le Zoo’s brilliantly green and refreshing Chilled Cucumber Soup garnished with slivers of tart Green Apple, Radish, and Marcona Almonds.
We enjoyed two outstanding open-faced sandwiches slathered with rich spreads and lavish toppings on a fresh slice of French bread. The Smoked Salmon Tartine was spread with Horseradish Crème Fraîche, and the heaps of pink-orange filets were sprinkled with Roe, Capers and Hard-boiled Egg crumbles.
The Lobster Tartine was smeared with Avocado, and stacked luscious morsels of Maine lobster were topped with Carrots and Cucumber slices, and garnished fresh Chives.
The tartines were incredibly wonderful, however, the Le Zoo’s Mushroom Tart, made with exotic Velvet Pioppini Mushrooms and hedonistic Moliterno Black Truffle Pecorino, was extraordinary. The profusion of flavors and textures -earthy, nutty, sweet, creamy, salty and satiny, are contained by a buttery and flaky pastry crust.
The true showstopper was the Petit Plateau – a chilled platter of fresh seafood served on a bed of crushed ice. The variety included Maine Lobster, Alaskan King Crab Legs, Shrimp, Mussels, Turban Snail, and both smooth-shelled East Coast and jagged-edged West Coast Oysters along with an assortment of seafood sauces – Chive Emulsion, Marie-Rose, and Cocktail with Horseradish on the side to add to your taste.
We did not leave without having a traditional brunch dish, French Toast, topped with Chantilly Cream and Pineapple rings, and served with a little pitcher of hot Maple syrup. I was surprised and delighted to find that the thick slices of griddled bread were fluffy and custardy.
Two fabulous desserts concluded our brunch. The tart and creamy Meyer Lemon Tart was beautifully composed of Meyer Lemon Curd, Vanilla Mousseline, Fresh Berries, and Marcona Almonds.
However, my absolute favorite as well as Le Zoo’s most popular confection is their Profiteroles (cream puffs). Four French choux pastry balls arrived filled with Vanilla Ice Cream, Pralines, and Bananas, with warm Bittersweet Chocolate sauce poured over the dessert at the table. Miam-Miam! C’était délicieux!
Le Zoo is located in the Bal Harbour Shops at 9700 Collins Ave #135, Miami Beach, FL 33154. For reservations or more information, visit: LeZoo.com