The Restaurant at the Setai

The Setai hotel just opened in August, and already the Restaurant (simply called the Restaurant at the Setai), the bar, and the Crustacean (the Setai's champagne and caviar lounge) are packed. This is one of the hottest tickets in town because, well, because it's new. But also because it's good. The bar is an outstanding place for a drink, and every inch of the hotel is beatuifully designed with a mixture of carved teak, bronze, Chinese brick, tasteful art, and carefully selected details. The enormous flower arrangement on the table at the entrance to the restaurant gets a lot of compliments from female guests. Keep an eye out for the oversized natural history book. You will see the same one on the shelf at Casa Tua.

The restaurant is divided into multiple areas, including seating in front of the open kitchen, just to the right of a glass case displaying various chocolates and dessert items. The dining room to the left of the hostess stand seems preferable to the larger, less intimate room on the West side of the corrider. There is a nice semi-private dining room as well for larger parties. Alternatively, dinner can be taken outside in sunken banquettes along the reflecting pool. Chairs are plush and comfortable though the tables seemed a bit too low (or the chairs too high).

The Restaurant's menu pulls together elements from India, China, and Thailand, with a few curveballs thrown in. There is a small menu of pizzas, including a truffle pizza. Also included are a few grilled items. The Restaurant's strengths lie in the Chinese and Thai dishes, such as diver scallops in XO sauce and the pad thai. The duck dishes also stand out. The Indian selections are not bad, and despite what you may have read elsewhere, the naan is quite good. But $42 seems shockingly excessive for a platter of thalis. Then again, there is not much Indian food available in South Florida. Supply and demand, perhaps? The Baron would be thrilled if the Restaurant would add a lamb vindaloo to the menu.

According to the menu and the staff, dishes are meant to be shared family style. This works for some of the selections, but not as well for others (some of the soups and appetizers just don't lend themselves to sharing). However, the Restaurant has responded to initial complaints that portions were too small, and the plates are definitely coming out of the kitchen heavier.

Service was for the most part professional. A critical error is the provision of the wine list before the menus are brought out. It is inappropriate to prompt diners to order wine before they have any idea what they will be eating. The Setai likely seeks to encourage tables to order a bottle of champagne or white wine as an aperitif, but anyone interested in doing so can certainly ask. Wines are to be paired with food. Bring the wine list with the menu, please.

Additionally, there seemed to be an entire team of people handling the table--two servers, a busser, and the somelier. One too many interuptions was endured as numerous individuals came by to check up on things. Still, and the Baron has said this before, overattentive service is always preferable to absent service, and this is the sort of thing that gets worked out after a few months.

The champagne. Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Rose Reserve 1998. If you're not drinking rose champagnes, you should be. Veuve Cliquot is arguably the best, with the 96 and 98 vintages being the most commonly found. Champagne is an excellent match with Asian fare, or indeed anything with spice. The Setai's wine list is extensive and includes some rare vintages. Be sure to visit the glassed-in cellar toward the back of the Crustacean. They have Quinterelli.

Carpaccio of blue fin tuna and scallops. Blue fin tuna and sea scallops thinly sliced with cucumber. There was also some lime and cilantro thrown in, making the dish a bit like a ceviche. Fresh, bright flavors. Clean and well executed.

Whole Hong Kong-style red snapper with ginger, scallions, and hot sauce. The whole fish was fresh, fragrant, and fileted tableside. The Baron would have performed the surgery himself, but did not wish to risk the possibility of flying debris, bones, or sauce. A very well-executed and beautifully-presented dish. Whole fish is always preferable to a filet. Don't let the waiter take the head away--the best bite of fish is behind the cheeks.

Pad Thai with egg netting. The Setai's pad thai is a standout, and the egg netting an unusual touch. Pad thai traditionally contains bits of omelette (as does Chinese fried rice and numerous other Asian dishes). Here, rather than mix the egg in with the noodles, the kitchen creates a web of cooked egg atop a carefully sculpted mound of noodles. The effect is elegant and presents well. The pad thai itself includes numerous plump shrimp, and while slightly greasy (as most pad thais are), the noodles are cooked properly and well seasoned.

Macaroons coffee-cardamon, rose, and sesame vanilla. The Baron is fairly certain the macaroons come from Paul Bakery, the Parisian based chain that recently opened its first American branch in North Miami Beach. If so, the Restaurant would do well to add the pistachio macaroons, as they are the best. If you like desert wines (of course you do), try the Pedro Ximenez from Spain. Stellar.

Prime 112: Is There a Cardiologist in the House?

Prime 112 is owner Myles Chafetz's brainstorm, success story, gold mine, and childrens' college fund. Since it opened about two years ago, the place has been jam-packed and remains one of the hottest tables in town. "Prime" refers to the dry aged prime beef that is at the core of the menu. Prime 112 gets its beef from the same purveyor as Peter Lugar. That should tell you something. The "112" refers to the address--112 Ocean Drive. The restaurant is located in the restored Brown Hotel, which was originally built in 1915. The building still contains a few hotel rooms upstairs from the restaurant.

The room itself is all brick, wood, and leather. Sinatra music often plays from the speakers. In the rear is the open kitchen. Up front is a very active bar, and the bar snacks consist of slices of cooked bacon. A nice touch. Prime 112 bills itself as a modern steakhouse, and indeed it is. It lacks the stuffy formality of many old-school meat temples. More importantly, though, the clientele makes the difference. Prime 112 is a scene. On any given night you will likely encounter a terribly interesting blend of bold-faced names and celebrities both minor and major. And (always critically important to the Baron) beautiful women. Don't let yourselves be sequestered upstairs or you will miss the show.

Given the atmosphere, the popularity, and the exceptional quality of the food (the Baron is getting to that), Prime 112 is one of the toughest reservations in town. So let us address the 800 pound gorilla in the room, shall we? Prime 112 has a real problem with reservations. Which is to say, Prime 112 fails to honor reservations in a timely fashion. In this particular instance, the Baron and his party had a 9 PM reservation. The Baron was not seated until 9:40. Moreover, the hostesses are easily the rudest and most obnoxious of any on the Beach. The floor managers are not much better. The Baron has encountered this problem on numerous occassions, with wait times running anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes beyond the scheduled reservation time. This is completely unac'ceptable, but the restaurant is doing so well that no one seems to care and business has not suffered. Dropping the owner's name, offering cash bribes, or threatning to call Tim Zagat may or may not get you somewhere.

While the people working the front should be slapped silly, the waitstaff is excellent. Once seated guests are treated exceptionally well. Service is gracious, friendly, and professional. The staff has been well-trained and everyone is familiar with the menu and the wine list. So on to the food.

Hearts of romaine caesar with brioche croutons and shaved parmesean. Any steakhouse of merit has an excellent caesar and Prime is no exception. The salad is simply enormous. One was big enough to feed all six people at the table. The bioche croutons are a cut above, and the long ribbons of shaved parm add to the richness of the dressing. Prime offers the usual assortment of appetizers--shrimp cocktail, caviar, oysters, salads, tuna tartare. The tradional escargot with fresh herbs and garlic butter is a standout.

Twenty-two ounce bone-in ribeye. The beef is outstanding and as good as any you will find in Miami. Rich, juicy, and perfectly cooked. Prime 112 raises the bar by offering a selection of sauces and compound butters to enhance the carnivore experience. Sauces include Prime 112 steak sauce, horseradish cream, carbernet, chimichurri, and the obligatory hollandaise and bearnaise. Better though are the compound butters--gorgonzola, truffle, foie gras, chipotle lime, and garlic and herb. Smear some truffle or foie gras butter on top of your steak and you will feel your arteries clogging. But in a good way. There is also Hawaiian sea salt on the table if you like such things. The steak does not need it.

The kitchen features a selection of cuts including filet mignon, NY strip, T-bone, and porterhouse in various weights. Veal and lamb are also on offer, as are Kobe-style hamburgers and hotdogs, and a churrasco. The kitchen will also prepare main lobster (stuffed if you prefer), and a small assortment of fish dishes.

Excellent though it was, the Baron had second thoughts about his steak after two of his fellow diners received their one-pound Kobe burgers along with a basket of fries large enough to feed a high-school marching band (including the fat tuba player). The burger is enormous, decadent, and outrageously rich. Is $30 too much for a burger? Not if it brings a big smile to your face. What price happiness?

The sides. Meat this good calls for sides to match. The sides at Prime are the best anywhere (save for the creamed spinach at the Palm, which is still unsurpassed). Most highly recommended is the four cheese truffle "MAC" which is of course fancified macaroni and cheese. The house made "tater tots" are also obligatory and transcendent. The sauteed spinach with garlic was too salty--the only food-related mistep of the evening. Other sides worth trying include the serrano ham and manchego cheese gratin and the sweet potato and vanilla bean mash.

Wine. Prime 112 has a good wine selection, but prices run high. Looks to be three times retail in many instances. The Dominus Napanook worked perfectly in this instance (available by the glass). There is corkage, so if you have a favorite bottle, bring it with you.

Dessert. The Baron passed on dessert this time, feeling rather like Sigourney Weaver in one of the Alien movies. However, from past experience the Baron would press you to the home made chocolate chunk cookies. You can get that with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you really want to go straight to hell (or to the doctor's office for that angioplasty). Wash it down with some port, grappa, or whatever digestif you prefer. Most of the good ones are available. And try to go as frequently as you can. Maybe the girls up front will get to know your face and stop treating you like you have leprosy.

News: Rosa Mexicano Coming to Miami

Famed New York restaurant Rosa Mexicano is going to open in the Mary Brickell Village in downtown Miami. The 8,000 square foot space is to be designed by David Rockwell. Rosa Mexicano is of course famous for its pomegranate margaritas and the guacamole made tableside. Another New York institution opening in Miami; another victory for the local gourmand.