| Located far from the madding downtown Miami crowd in a space defined by sleek hardwoods and slate and metal accents, the River Oyster Bar is actually located two blocks south of the North Fork Miami River, but it makes no difference. There’s enough stunningly fresh seafood on the menu to satisfy even the most discerning diners.
Chef David Bracha has created a menu that revolves around fresh ingredients coupled with a culinary vision that makes his dishes interesting, rather than unrecognizable. So skilled is Bracha in perfecting this balance of the new and traditional that he's attracted the attention of Bon Appetit Magazine and earned a Zagat rating of 24 (excellent).
Of course, when I dined there recently we began our meal with oysters, which arrive fresh daily from across the country. We decided to do the sampling platter and so were able to taste and compare seven different varieties of succulent oysters.
We followed these with the jumbo lump crab cakes that were served with a smoked salmon tartar and a tart cherry apple slaw - a fabulous pairing that showcased Chef Bracha’s talent for providing novel combinations that compliment, rather than disguise, a dish’s original intentions.
The mussels steamed in coconut milk with chiles, cilantro and lime was another dish that was surprising in its components. While the chiles added a hint of heat, the cilantro, lime and coconut milk were rich and almost creamy in taste. A monkfish paella sofrito with chorizo, roasted peppers and fresh peas was a tasty blend of Latin flavors, while the monkfish itself was fresh, moist and perfectly cooked. Too often when a fish is served in a slow cooked dish, such as paella or bouillabaisse, the fish suffers from over cooking. Here, it remained perfect – flaky, moist and full of flavor.
Those of you have read these pages before know by now that I am partial to cheese plates. At the River Oyster Bar, the daily cheeses are listed on the dessert menu, and so I know from a glance that they took this offering seriously. We were served three cheeses: a Roaring Forties blue cheese from Australia, raw Morbier, a semi soft, nutty flavored cheese from France and a Leonora Mitica from Spain. These were accompanied by apples, fig jam, walnuts in lemon honey and a warm pecan raisin bread. Coupled with a glass of port, this excellent presentation was enough to restore hope in the heart of a true cheese lover that restaurants offering such a selection will take the time and have the expertise to plana cheese plate that is well balanced and well executed. Bravo.
The River Oyster Bar is staffed with professional servers who know the menu and can pair any dish with the perfect wine – the restaurant’s wine list is extensive. Upscale yet relaxing, the River Oyster Bar does a booming happy hour business and those who come for lunch or dinner are primarily repeat customers. If you’re an oyster lover, I urge to take advantage of the Lessons on the Half Shell courses offered at $75 per class. Chef Bracha leads a small group of 10 to 14 pupils in a two-hour tutorial on the history of the oyster as a food, the proper shucking technique, and the proper wines to accompany various varieties of oyster. Pupils leave with many oyster recipes and their very own shucking knife.
The most impressive thing about the River Oyster Bar is that it manages to impress without seeming to do so. The service is effortless and unobtrusive, the ambiance is laid back and chic and the food is what it is - fabulous.
The River Oyster Bar is open Monday through Friday for lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Dinner is served Monday through Thursday from 6:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.; Friday 6:00 p.m. until midnight and Saturday 5:30 p.m. until midnight. Half-price oysters are available during Happy Hour from 4:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. 650 S. Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33130 For more information please visit www.therivermiami.com or to make a reservation, call (305) 530-1915. |
