June 2007 - Michael's Genuine Food and Drink

http://www.michaelsgenuine.com/
Choice: Bethany
Average Scores: Food - 3.5, Decor - 3.5, Service - 3.5

Bethany: F-3, D-2, S-2
Sorry for the long time until blogging. As you can see, we're running behind on our MFDs. We went to this place back in July, so it may be hard to remember specifics. I had read a bunch about the up and coming scene in the Miami design district and this was one of the places I had read about. One thing that I liked about the reviews I read was the different sizes of portions on the menu. The menu has different sizes of portions: Snacks, Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large. From the suggestions I had read, it said that all the snacks were good so we ordered a bunch of them: deviled eggs, chicken liver crostini, and hominy are the ones I can remember but I think we ordered more. I thought the crostini and the hominy were fabulous. In fact, I think we ordered another round of these. Once we ate all those, I was almost full, so my dinner was the tuna tartare and the bibb lettuce salad. The tuna tartare was less than memorable. The bibb salad was really very good. The vinagrette was very good and it was very fresh. I tried the other's meals as well and they were all very good. I'll let them tell you about those. The service was ok. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good. We had a reservation but got there early and could be seated outside. The patio is really the middle of a small shopping/office mall. That sounds worse than it is. That area is full of furniture and home design stores so all these are closed on a weekend night. They have lighted trees and umbrellas so the dull surroundings are punched up a bit. The menu online is not the one they give you at the restaurant. One thing I wanted to try was the beef cheek but it is no longer on the menu. I feel as if I gave this place a somewhat negative review for me but it wasn't bad and its a place I would consider going again.

Wendy: F-4, D-5, S-5
The different sized portions at Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink lend themselves to ordering several and sharing. We loved the deviled eggs (well, those of us who eat them in the first place), so much so that we tried to recreate the recipe later at home. The crispy hominy with chile and lime was another big hit with everyone—we ordered a second bowl of it. I highly recommend the wood roasted cluster tomatoes with blue cheese. They're very tasty, and the tomatoes and cheese make a perfect combination. I wouldn’t get the whole wood roasted artichoke (stuffed with blue cheese and bread crumbs) again. I think the idea for it was good, but it just didn’t come out quite right in the execution. The ambiance was very hip and fun.