By Michelle Payer
There is possibly nothing gastronomes look forward to more than indoor/outdoor dining during Miami’s winter months. At Acqualina’s famed Il Mulino New York, combine romantic Romeo & Juliet balconies and beautifully enhanced interiors with spectacular new menu additions and there are multiple reasons to return again and again.
Corporate Executive Chef Michele Mazza and his team are keeping things fresh and lively with a new Di Mare menu. Seafood standouts like Red Snapper Ceviche, Hamachi Crudo and an impressive Seafood Platter are joined by an elegant caviar menu with six selections, ranging from Beluga and Imperial Ossetra to Kaluga Select and a special Organic Escargot caviar, all served in the traditional style with crème fraiche, red onions, capers, eggs and blinis.
Knowing how many of their clients prefer a vegan diet, Chef Mazza created an entirely new vegan menu, with highlights that include Melanzane con Vegan Mozzarella, Carciofi alla Romana, Risotto Porcini and Cauliflower Steak. Both menus are available for lunch and dinner.
Perfect for this time of year, the restaurant is offering two menus that create ideal escapes for lunch or early evening repasts. The Sunset Menu, available daily from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. is three courses with mouthwatering antipasti choices including grilled octopus, salmon tartare and a salad with organic tomatoes, a hearty main course options of braised veal rigatoni, chicken paillard, risotto and poached salmon and choice of three indulgent desserts, all for $49 per person plus tax and gratuity. The pre-fixe lunch menu features first courses that include grilled octopus, meatballs with ricotta and burrata caprese, and robust second courses that range from salmon filet with capers, asparagus and mustard sauce to veal piccata, red snapper and braised veal rigatoni. Find room for dessert, for that is included as well, all for $35 per person, plus tax and gratuity, Monday through Saturday from Noon until 2:30 p.m. Bonus: valet parking is just $10 with validation.
While the holidays may be over, family & friend gatherings continue, and Sunday Brunch is a celebrated weekly tradition. One of the most elaborate offerings in all of South Florida, the Il Mulino New York Sunday Brunch, served from noon to 4 p.m., features such delicacies as poached salmon, Kobe beef sliders, porcini ravioli with champagne truffle cream, prime New York steak, barbecue baby pork ribs, brioche French toast, freshly squeezed juices and so much more, including renowned Italian Lavazza coffee.
Speaking of Lavazza, if you’re an espresso martini lover, wrap your fingers around six new Lavazza espresso martinis the Il Mulino New York mixologists just created. From pairings with Stoli Vanilla and Bailey’s Irish Cream to Espolon Reposado, Kahlua and Cointreau, each is more inventive than the last. It doesn’t stop there. Indulge in one of three mouthwatering desserts as simple as house-made ice cream topped with Lavazza espresso, an espresso panna cotta or signature Tiramisu. If there’s ever a reason to stay awake, this might be it! 