Grimpa Brazilian Steakhouse

We arrived too late for lunch and too early for dinner, yet we still had a great time. My wife and her parents had just arrived from Costa Rica, and after picking them up at the airport, we decide to drive out to Mary Brickell Village, in the heart of Miami’s financial district, for a quick bite and cocktails. Mary Brickell Village is a pleasant upscale shopping plaza with plenty of good restaurants and shops. One of the best restaurants there is Grimpa, a contemporary Brazilian steakhouse specializing in some of the finest cuts of meat outside of Brazil.

It was around 3:00 in the afternoon, so we sat at one of the shaded tables lining one of restaurant’s external walls; if there’s one good thing about getting there at that time, is that there’s no waiting for a great table. We ordered wine and caipirinhas. The caipirinha is known as Brazil’s national drink, and is made with cachaça (traditional Brazilian spirits), lime juice and sugar, served on the rocks; this sweet-n-tart cocktail is delicious any time of the day. I had the Caipirinha de Maracuja (with added passion fruit), and the wife had the Caipirinha de Morango (with strawberries). Now, I’ve had a good share of caipirinhas, both in Brazil and the U.S. (I make a wicked caipirinha at home too), but few are as good as these – I definitely recommend having at least one, to any one who visits Grimpa.

Since we weren’t very hungry, we decided to go with a couple of appetizers. We started with a platter of picanha and sausages. Picanha (Tri-Tip Sirloin) is the most popular cut of beef in Brazilian steakhouses, and these did not disappoint. They were cooked medium well, and were served juicy and tender, with just a hint of salt. We also had a platter of cheeses, which included Brie, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Swiss. Our server added a basket of freshly baked rolls and a basket of hot and delicious pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) rolls.

We sat for a good while enjoying a couple more orders of caipirinhas and wine. We talked, laughed, and enjoyed the type of cool late afternoon breeze that can only be experienced this time of year in Miami. The service was to the expected standards of a high-end restaurant, with premium prices to match. The check for the 2 appetizer platters, 8 cocktails, a glass of house wine, and the basket of pão de queijo, easily exceeded $250. I still had a very enjoyable time, and I’d happily spend another afternoon the same way again.

Grimpa Steakhouse
901 Brickell Plaza
Miami, Florida 33131
305-455-4757

Photo of the day

Blue Martini

The Blue Martini Lounge at Mary Brickell Village in Miami’s financial district. The Blue Martini provides live music and dance floor, delicious appetizers, and an extensive list of signature cocktails and superior top shelf liquors.

Photo of the day

Sunflowers in bloom
I found these amazing sunflowers at an open fresh market in Homestead, Florida this morming. The market, which only opens on weekends, enables local growers to sell a vast variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Adjacent to the market are several taco stands serving delicious authentic Mexican dishes at very reasonable prices. My favorite stands are El Tacaso and Los Potosinos - their Tacos al Pastor remind me of the ones I have when I travel to Mexico City.

Photo of the day

Boca Chica Club, is a fine dining restaurant situated on a pier in the Dominican Republic, overlooking the beautiful Caribbean Sea.

Doral Park Country Club - New Year's Bash

4, 3, 2, 1… Happy New Year! We all counted down the New Year in unison and continued to celebrate as we ate the traditional 12 grapes. Now you may be asking yourself what the “traditional 12 grapes” is all about. Simple, it’s a tradition that started in Spain and eventually spread across most Spanish speaking countries. As families from Latin America migrated to the U.S., they brought the tradition along, and today, with the Latin culture influence what it is, it’s rare to see a New Year’s celebration in Miami without this tradition. The idea is to eat one grape at each of the 12 chimes of the clock at midnight – by the time the clock stops chiming everyone should have eaten their 12 grapes. It is believed the tradition was started by Spanish grape farmers about 100 years ago, as a way to get people to buy more of the grapes they grew. Families today continue the tradition believing it will bring good fortune throughout the new year.

New Year’s Eve dinner: The wife and I arrived at around 9 p.m., and were soon joined by my wife’s brother, his wife, and his mother-in-law. I noticed it was a beautiful cool and clear night in Miami, as we worked our way to the outdoor patio for appetizers, hors d'oeuvres, and the open bar. The appetizers were laid out on a large table in the center of the courtyard overlooking a large lit fountain that sprang from the middle of an otherwise tranquil lake. On one side of the table was a platter of 3 cheeses, consisting of small Cheddar cheese cubes, Swiss cheese cubes, and a bleu cheese spread. Next to it laid a basket of crackers and bread rolls, a large bowl of vegetables (carrot sticks, grape tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower), and a platter of small hors d'oeuvres, which were gone in a blink of an eye – they were about the size of a 50 cent coin, made up of a round thin bread base toped with cream cheese and either ham, salmon or a tiny shrimp. I tried the shrimp and salmon, and both were quite tasty.

After enjoying some cheeses and a couple of rum-n-cokes, we walked back to our table in the main dining room, and got set for the main course. The dinner buffet was set along several large tables, with salads and side dishes set in the center of the room; at the far end of the room, there were three meat cutting stations serving pork, roast beef, and turkey; on one side, a large table with seafood sides (sorry seafood lovers, only shrimp and oysters at this buffet) balanced the room; and an area by the main doorway was set with several types of small deserts and fruits meant to be dipped in a fountain of hot melted chocolate centered on the desert table.

There were plenty of salad choices, but I settled for a modest serving of corkscrew pasta salad, grape tomatoes, and carrot shavings. I added brown rice, stir-fried vegetables, potatoes and a bread roll. I elected to have the turkey, mostly because the lines for the pork and roast beef were getting much more attention – and what can I say, I was hungry, and in no mood to stand in line. I decided not to have shrimp or oysters, opting instead to leave room for desert.

When it came to flavor, my taste buds were not disappointed. The turkey was moist and tender, and the brown rice made a good combination. The pasta salad was equally pleasing, with a great taste combination of pastas, olive oil and herbs, and the absence of garlic was a welcome change. By the time I got to the desert table, the small cheese cake pieces for dipping were gone, so I picked a couple of nice strawberries and a stick of rice cake, which I eagerly dipped in the hot melted chocolate – it was the perfect desert to complete the last meal of 2008.

All in all, it was a great meal, and the service was very good. Aside from a few servers who didn’t quite speak English, the rest were very pleasant and happy to put up with our constant requests for cocktails and water. We toasted with champagne at midnight, ate the 12 grapes, danced to live music, and concluded the evening at around 1 a.m. - I can honestly say, it was a great start to 2009.

Doral Park Country Club
5001 NW 104 Avenue
Doral, FL 33178
(305) 591-8800

Photo of the day

The famous Kobe Beef Burger at the Dune Oceanfront Burger Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne, Florida. I don't know about you, but I'll take one of these over shoveling snow any cold-winter-day of the week...

Happy New Year!