Madero Restaurant Review –Brazilian Favorite Arrives to South Florida
By Samantha Dockser
Brazil’s best burger has finally arrived in Miami, and it is a carnivore’s paradise! This evening I had the privilege of dining at South Beach’s newest international hot spot, Madero Restaurant. Right across from the beach on Ocean Drive, Madero has a warm and comfortable atmosphere that can be hard to find in that part of town. When you enter, you are immediately met with exposed brick and friendly faces. Being that this was Madero’s third day officially open, there was a buzz amongst the staff; they were eager to point out the chef’s favorite dishes—and we were happy to take them up on those suggestions.
I started my night with a Strawberry Caipirinha—Brazil’s national cocktail, prepared with cachaca (sugarcane hard liquer), sugar, and in this case, strawberry. It was delicious and refreshing with the sweetness of the sugarcane further exaggerated by the strawberry.
Next, at our fantastic waiter, Lazaro’s, instructions, we ordered two appetizers. First, we got a basket of the Mini Brazilian Meat Pastels. You can hardly go wrong with fried dough filled with ground beef. These two bite treats were savory heaven. I could have eaten the whole basket. I almost wish I could have saved some for a breakfast treat, too.
Our second appetizer was the Picanha (Rump Cap) Skewers. These kabobs were grilled to perfection, finished with tomato, onion and bacon, and accompanied by farofa. What is Farofa you ask? Well, it is a toasted tapioca flower mixture typically eat in South America. I highly encourage you to sprinkle it on your skewers for a blend of textures and flavors.
At this point, I was already feeling rather full from the delicious meat I had already consumed. But Madero boasts that they make “the best cheeseburger in the world.” Who am I to pass that up? We ordered a medium rare Madero Cheese Bacon Burger. It was so moist and flavorful, grilled on strong fire. It was served with lettuce, fresh tomato, onions, a house made mayonnaise, and finished with a side of thick cut steak fries. My friend, Gabby, had been craving a gourmet burger for the last several weeks, and this hit the spot. Sometimes burgers can leave me feeling over stuffed and ready for bed, but the Madero Burger was the perfect size and cooked beautifully.
For dessert, we ordered the house specialty, the Dulce de Leche Petit Gateau. It was heaven on a plate. This warm, soft molten cake filled with sweet dulce de leche was topped with a berry sauce and complimented by a side of vanilla ice cream. Our waiter, Lazaro, explained to us that the pastry chef, Laysa Duraski, graduated from the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, so dishes like this are her milieu. As full as I was I could have eaten another two plates of this petit gateau.
We finished our meal off with double espressos, to wake us up for the drive back to the mainland. It was a delicious and relaxing meal, and I can say it was the best Brazilian food I’ve ever had. Cheers, Brazil! Welcome to South Beach!
