Le Zoo Bal Harbour – Brunch Extraordinaire

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.

Le Zoo-12 - courtesy of STARR restaurants

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.

Le Zoo Bal Harbour – Romarin cocktail - denise castillon - hedonist_shedonist

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.

Le Zoo Bal Harbour – chilled cucumber soup - denise castillon_hedonist-shedonist

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.

Le Zoo Bal Harbour – smoked salmon tartine - denise castillon_hedonist-shedonist

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.

Le Zoo Bal Harbour – lobster tartine w avocado - denise castillon_hedonist-shedonist

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.

Le Zoo Bal Harbour – mushroom tart - denise castillon_hedonist-shedonist

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.

Le Zoo Bal Harbour – petit plateau - denise castillon_hedonist-shedonist

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.

Le Zoo Bal Harbour – french toast - denise castillon_hedonist-shedonist

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.

Le Zoo Bal Harbour – meyer lemon tart - denise castillon_hedonist-shedonist

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.

Le Zoo Bal Harbour – Profiteroles - denise castillon_hedonist-shedonist

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

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About denise

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By day, Denise provides grassroots film marketing services for theatrical releases of independent and foreign films, such Oscar award-winners IFC's BOYHOOD and Music Box Film’s IDA. By night, she fully pursues her Dionysian passions –food, drink, travel and festivals, and shares her worthwhile adventures on Hedonist/Shedonist.com

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