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Provence Grill
French Restaurant
 Downtown
Miami is evolving into a series of neighborhoods, each with a
different flair. Mary Brickell Village, located just
steps away from Metrorail's Brickell Station, is one of those neighborhoods. While the
shopping is just beginning to come online, there are a number of
restaurants, from chains like Burger King and Starbucks to
Pericone's Marketplace and one of our favorite places for
French food in Florida, Provence Grill.
The ambiance at Provence Grill is refreshingly close to that
found in the south of France. Inside, the restaurant is
decked out in warm golds and dark reds with terra cotta tile.
The tables are placed way too close together, the way they would
be in an old French restaurant in France. Outside,
there's a little more space and a beautiful view of Miami's
breathtaking skyline, which pretty much hovers over this low
rise block of buildings. On hot summer days, there's no need to
worry, the terrace is shaded by a number of ancient oak trees
and the breeze is pretty much non-stop.
The food at Provence Grill is amazing. The menu includes
everything form grilled beef and chicken to salmon,
pasta, mussels and an amazing Croque Madame,
a traditional French sandwich made with ham, gruyere cheese and
a fried egg. On a recent visit we dined on a flank steak
served with a shallot sauce that was just divine. The steak was
perfectly prepared and there was plenty of juice running around
the plate to dunk my frites (fries) in. We also enjoyed a tasty
crab cake that was served in a delicious red pepper sauce. For
dessert we had a three part Crème Brule that was 'to die for.'
One part traditional, one part banana and one part coconut.
There are two final things that every good French restaurant has
in common. One is the crusty bread. Provence grill gets the
French bread so right, that it's almost impossible to have any
room left for dinner when it arrives. And the second is the
French accent of the waiter. Once again Provence Grill made the
grade.
When the meal was over, I sat back happy as a lark, because I
had finally found French food in South Florida worth coming back
for. When it comes to French food I consider myself a snob, very hard
to please and Provence Grill definitely made it to the top of my
list.
Bon
appétit mon ami! |
