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He's up to his old tricks again, and some new ones, too. Award-winning chef and cookbook author Norman Van Aken tests the creative limits of New World cuisine with specialties such as Rioja-braised lamb shanks with South American fries and caramelized root vegetables; hibachi tuna with Asian jus and Oriental mushroom salsa; and smoked tea-and-shallot-stuffed grilled salmon. Paella is always a hit, as is Van Aken's signature rhum-and-pepper-painted grouper. For the culinary adventurer who likes to sample a little bit of everything, tapas at the bar are the way to go. Desserts, too, are well worth exploring.
Such a cute little bakery, a must visit!
So yummy! The best cafe con leche. Great pastries, cake, bread and sandwhiches.
My favorite is The medionoche sandwich which is like a regular cuban sandwich on steroids for taste. It is on an egg bread instead of the regular cuban bread. When it is available, ask for a glass of their Guarapo, fresh sugar cane juice prepared on the spot just for you! I would risk a thousand potential dental caries, just for a sip or two. Their Cuban bread is not up to the gold standard of El Segundo Bakery in Tampa (Supplies the bread to Tampa's Columbia Restaurant), but it is certainly a close second. Tulipan Bakery is a wonderful place to drop in even if you do not know one word of Spanish.
There exists an inherent elegance through simplicity." That's one of Chef Jeffrey Brana's talking points concerning the cuisine at his and wife Anna Elena's new Coral Gables dining establishment, but he could just as well be describing the... More »
Miami is home to glitzy multimillion-dollar restaurants, a sea of sensational sushi spots, and more than its fair share of satisfying bistros, trattorias, and steak houses. Central and South American immigrants, as well as those from the... More »
In an Orlando Business Journal article published on August 11, the same day Norman Van Aken debuted his eponymous restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Van Aken is quoted: "Comparing our restaurant opening to that TV show is like... More »
As I watch TV, I hear the familiar commercial jingle: "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony" and see the trademark-red Coca-Cola logo before it even flashes on the screen. In my heart, I feel the swell of so much goodwill toward... More »
I must admit to suffering a little pang of disappointment, in intensity just a bit less than a hunger cramp, at the Friday-night events of the recent Boca Bacchanal wine and food festival. Not by the setting -- a series of dinners, each prepared... More »
There is talk that Norman's ain't what it used to be. That the more time Mr. Van Aken spends overseeing his growing restaurant empire, the less attention he can pay his flagship Gables operation. It all makes for easy cocktail conversation, but those who have actually dined at Norman's lately can attest it remains one of South Florida's finest establishments. It's true Norman is not as involved as he used to be, and it's also a fact it's been more than twelve years since this brash Mango... More »
BEST BLACK BEAN SOUP Norman's 21 Almeria Avenue Coral Gables 305-446-6767 If you've never ventured inside Norman Van Aken's signature restaurant in Coral Gables, the black bean soup alone is worth the sojourn into his exquisite location in the City Beautiful. This traditional Latin-American dish is a vision of oily, rich perfection with its foundation of bacon, bell peppers, garlic, red onions, and chilies. The spices alone can invigorate the dullest of immune systems. Van Aken... More »
Norman Van Aken's eponymous restaurant has topped this category for so many years you almost wish he'd screw up just once and give someone else a shot at the gold. This past year it actually seemed possible, what with Van Aken expanding to Orlando and California, as well as opening Mundo closer to home at the Village of Merrick Park. That's spreading yourself pretty thin. At the same time, some exceptional new restaurants opened in the Gables. But Norman's still rules. Van Aken (who... More »
It's not surprising that Norman's remains the Gables's best restaurant. Quite frankly Norman's could give the best restaurants in New York, San Francisco, or Paris a run for their money. What's surprising is that there are still Miamians who haven't been to Norman Van Aken's mega-award-winning, elegant yet friendly place. Sure, it's expensive. But so are many other Miami restaurants that are just upscale meals. Norman's is a once-in-a-lifetime experience -- or would be if it weren't for the... More »
Surprise! (Not.) It's him, for the umpteenth time. In fact this year we considered permanently renaming this award "Best Restaurant in Coral Gables Except for Norman's," to be fair to some of the Gables' other eateries, several of which could top Best lists in any town where Norman Van Aken wasn't cooking. Naturally if Van Aken were a normal chef, such a drastic step wouldn't be necessary. After a decade or so of garnering America's major culinary awards, he'd either be diluting his talent... More »
As the saying goes, you've had the rest, now try the best. The rest in this case is unsubtle glop: white starchy glop that tastes more like bacon and potato than seafood if it's something like New England-style clam chowder; red starchy glop that tastes more like chili powder and tomato than seafood if it's something like Manhattan clam or Caribbean conch chowder. So now try the best, which you'll no doubt be able to do for a good many years, since Norman Van Aken's regulars would probably... More »
Yes, it's him again. And we might as well permanently retire this category to Norman Van Aken until he retires -- which he shows no signs of doing, possibly ever. While other superstar chefs would rest on their laurels -- especially if they had as many as Van Aken does -- or clean up financially by opening clone eateries, Van Aken remains in his Gables kitchen. And remains energetically, unceasingly inventive. How to equal still-superb old favorites like yuca-stuffed crispy shrimp with mojo... More »
"He must not be allowed to win this award again next year," is what we said last year, after Mr. Van Aken won this category for the third time in a row. But how could he not? Consultant stints may have spread Norman's name thinner of late, but his body and soul never left this Gables institution, the only place to sample the real deal. Norman has a knack for seamlessly blending seemingly outrageous New World ingredients into his dishes -- whether that be truffle ice, sherry foam,... More »
Perhaps poet Ricardo Pau-Llosa wrote it best: "... what perfect/form a taste can set before the eye/the primary tongue./Con the cheek with bliss." Pau-Llosa was extolling Norman Van Aken's talent, and he hit it right on the proverbial head. Van Aken and his "perfect form" have conned us all into believing none in the Gables (nor in Florida, nor even in the country) can challenge him. Somebody arrest this man. His particular crime? Achieving culinary heights so great every other chef pales in... More »
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