Miami - Miami and the Keys - page 197

Thanks indeed; Grazie is top class and comfortably old-school northern Italian. There's a
distinct lack of gorgeous, clueless waitstaff and unwise menu experimentation. Instead
there's attentive service, solid and delicious mains, and extremely decent prices given the
quality of the dining and high-end nature of the location. The porcini risotto is simple in
construction yet deeply complex in execution - one of the best Italian dishes on the beach.
Prime 112 STEAK
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; % 305-532-8112; www.prime112.com ; 112 Ocean Dr; mains $29-75;
h noon-3pm Mon-Fri, 5:30pm-midnight Sun-Thu, to 1am Sat & Sun)
Sometimes, you need a steak: well aged, juicy, marbled with the right bit of fat, served in a
spot where the walls sweat testosterone, the bar serves Manhattans and the hostesses are
models. Chuck the above into Miami Beach's oldest inn - the beautiful 1915 Browns
Hotel - and there's Prime 112. Dress up, because there's a good chance you'll be dining
next to a celebrity.
Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant AMERICAN
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; % 305-673-0365; www.joesstonecrab.com ; 11 Washington Ave; mains
$11-60; h 11:30am-2pm Wed-Sun (except in summer) & 6-10pm Wed-Sun year-round)
The wait is long, the prices high. But if those aren't deal-breakers, queue up to don a bib in
Miami's most famous restaurant and enjoy deliciously fresh stone-crab claws.
BUILDING A CUBAN SANDWICH
The traditional Cuban sandwich, also known as a sandwich mixto,is not some slapdash
creation. It's a craft best left to the experts - but here's some insight into how they do it.
Correct bread is crucial - it should be Cuban white bread: fresh, soft and easy to press.
The insides (both sides) should be buttered and layered (in the following order) with
sliced pickles, slices of roast Cuban pork, ham (preferably sweet-cured ham) and baby
Swiss cheese. Then it all gets pressed in a hot plancha(sandwich press) until the cheese
melts. Mmmm.