March of Dimes Miami Tasting Review

On Thursday October 29^th, 2015 the 18^th Annual March of Dimes Signature Chef’s Auction took place at the beautiful Westin Colonnade in Coral Gables. Some of Miami’s most influential restaurants and chefs participated in this food and wine charity event to support pregnancy and baby health. The elegant March of Dimes Miami fundraiser exhibited signature dishes from each restaurant for the tasting portion of the fundraiser.

Choosing 5 tasting dishes out of the 18 participating restaurants during this year’s March of Dimes Tasting was no easy task. All of the chefs who participated in the March of Dimes Fundraiser brought their best fall dishes to support March of Dime’s mission.

Here are the 5 top tasting dishes from the March of Dimes Tasting:

 

Sushi Samba headed by Chef David Spears

Sushi Samba’s Steak & Egg tasting was a surprising delight. There were so many layers of flavor in this small bite! The Steak & Egg tasting included many safe foods and flavors, while taking the dish to an entirely different level with simple yet well executed combinations. Not to mention, the presentation was beautiful.

The quail egg sitting on top of the pichana dresses the entire dish, contributing to the appealing presentation. The quail egg adds nice texture and a subtle egg flavor to the small plate. The slow cooked wagyu picanha was the star of the dish and was the most flavorful piece of meat in the building that day, it was absolutely delicious. The wagyu picanha had the very distinctive and extremely flavorful taste characteristic of the cut of meat.  Everything lays on a thick cut of crispy confit potato baton, the perfect vehicle to carry these rich and savory ingredients. The plate delivers a classic combination of chimichurri and steak. The chimichurri ailoi complements the deep wagyu pichana flavors and ties the entire bite together. The Steak & Egg tasting dish were my personal favorite, everything about it spectacular!

Timo Restaurant & Bar headed by Chef Tim Andriola

The acorn squash tortoloni embodied the flavors of fall. The filling had a very prominent pumpkin flavor profile that you can identify immediately. The filling had a puree texture and the very light and soft wrap gave the tortolini a mushy feel in the mouth. The strong beefy flavors of the braised short ribs brought the dish together. This combination delivered an earthy and hearty experience to the tasting. The tuscan kale was surprisingly well complemented by the other components of the dish. The kale had a prominent garlic component which brought a light and slightly sweet flavor to the dish. There was a large contrast between the flavors of the torolini, brasied ribs and the kale, but as a whole, the three distinct flavors in the small tasting dish were excellent on the palate.

 

Alter headed by Chef Brad Kilgore

The crispy blue crab was one of the top dishes served at the March of Dimes tasting. Paired with a spicy peruvian aji chili this was a must try tasting dish. The spicy sauce definitely brought the heat and it paired extremely well with the fatty flavors of the fried crab. Blue crab was rolled up into balls and deep fried with a crunchy exterior and softer interior. The texture from the crispy exterior was pleasant and if you’re a fan of crab, the blue crab was delicious!

Matador Room headed by Chef Jeremy Ford

This little pumpkin colored cup packs some surprising delectable flavors. There is no mistaking that this is a squash based soup that screams fall. The predominant flavor of the soup is squash, but the pepita granola takes a simple pumpkin soup and overhauls the flavor profile. The squash soup had to be most interesting and surprising tasting of the night for me. The granola added phenomenal texture and a slight sweetness that paired better than one might think with the earthy squash flavors.

 

Edge Steak & Bar headed by Chef Aaron Brooks

The chicken liver and foie gras pate made up the core of this tasting dish. Admittedly, chicken liver and foie gras are foods that require an acquired liking. What really elevated this dish were the small dressings and additions to the main plate items. The date mostarda delivered heavy sweetness to the dish, which cut right into the pungent fatty flavors of the chicken liver and foie gras. Another excellent addition to the tasting dish were the smoked almonds. The texture of everything on the plate was very light, soft, and could be easily cut into with a fork. The smoked almonds added that light crunchy texture that the dish needed. What I really enjoyed about this dish were the many unique elements present in it.