Prelude at the Adrienne Arsht Center

Sunday I went with a bunch of friends to Brunch at Prelude and to see the broadway show Wicked. This was at the Ziff Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. First I will talk about brunch at Prelude by Barton G. At first, we ordered drinks. My friend wanted the Coopertini, their signature drink for the menu. I really wanted a spicy bloody mary. The Waiter told me, once my friend orders a Coopertini, everyone is going to want one. He said I should try it. So I took a shot at the Coopertini. I was not impressed, neither was anyone that I could see. It was Belvedere Vodka with Pomegranate juice and pear nectar ($14.00). I wished I had stuck with my Bloody Mary. It really did not have much flavor. Almost as if it had been watered down. Not the Vodka, but the juices. Next was the food. Let me tell you how it works. You get an entree, a desert and coffee or tea. It's $23.00 plus tax and gratuity in which they added, I believe 20%, which was fine and deserved by our waiter. Now here's the thing. You can get one entree and 1 desert or two entrees or two deserts. Pretty cool huh?

So my entree was the seared salmon. On the menu it said with asparagus, shitake mushrooms, Israeli couscous with corn jus. Sounded yummy. Well the waiter told us that the seared salmon is different. It comes with marinated roasted brussel sprouts, grape tomatoes and button mushrooms. I still ordered it with the Crazy about chocolate desert. The salmon was cooked perfectly and layed on top of those delicious roasted vegetables. The brussel sprouts were probably the best I've ever had. The marinade had a mild lemon taste that was just delicious. I was very happy with my choice as was others who ordered it. I can't speak for everyone, but those that ordered salads were not so happy. If we were to judge by presentation alone? A+. The platters and extraordinary serving pieces that every dish came out on were just over the top. At the end, I'll give you their website and you'll see what I mean. My friend Pam ordered the Skirt steak Caesar Salad. They said it only comes medium to medium well. What? Why? What chef in his right mind does that? It looked like it had been precooked and way overcooked to put it mildly. The romaine lettuce was in tact with the end of the leaves cut off. In the words of the Food Network chopped judges, "If I can't eat it? It does not belong on the plate." She shouldn't have to had work for her salad. Chop the lettuce already. And give steak that is edible. No one at my table enjoyed their salad. Then came desert. OMGoodness that chocolate cake with chocolate ganache was incredible. But I wanted to put a little tweak on it. I asked the waiter if the chef had sea salt? And could he bring me some? Here me out people. We had just had a discussion about how salt and chocolate is awesome. One of my friends said, to quote her, "You're scaring me, salt on chocolate?" I needed to show her just how good it is. I topped my cake with sea salt, gave her a bite and she is now a believer. Try it, you'll like it. Sea salt is my favorite, but kosher salt will work too. Just sprinkle it on. Not a lot! So the cake was moist, yet dense and rich with chocolaty goodness. The Ganache was sweet and made perfectly yummy. It was served with what tasted like freshly made whipped cream and a chocolate stick to top it off. One friend got the custard Quintet, 5 custards. She was not impressed. I think the comment was, "Not worth the calories."
The presentations were as usual, awesome. The Caramel sundae came with a small caramel apple on a stick upside down on the top. Soooo cute. The atmosphere was nice and comfortable. Pretty and eclectic. I really liked the restaurant and my food. I will go again. I think the concept is great. Brunch or dinner before the show. You're right there in the same building. It's a brilliant idea. I wouldn't want them to change their presentations, I would just like for them to use the same over the top ideas with the taste of what is on the plate. And to our wonderful friend Jen who planned this wonderful day, BRAVO! I will talk about the show WICKED, in my next blog. Here is the website to the restaurant. www.arshtcenter.org/prelude/