If you’re looking for an atypical eating experience in Coral Gables, you must definitely keep Angelique Euro Cafe open as an option. Despite the word “café” in the name, this is a full-blown restaurant. Not only is it offering a full menu with made-to-order food, but also their extensive beer and wine selection gives competition to most restaurants in the city. I was able to sample quite of few of their dishes through Coral Gables Restaurant Week and left more impressed than I had anticipated.
When it comes to appetizers, there is no going wrong with Chorizo en Vino, a Spanish peppered sausage, served in a hearty sauce of sautéed shallots, butter & red wine with toasted French bread. Easily the best item on the menu, this comforting dish is inspired by Spanish tapas dishes that can now be found everywhere throughout Miami. Fortunately for Angelique, this is the best iteration I have found. The pancetta and clams is another standout dish, served in a broth made with shallots, scallions, basil, and white wine. As you would expect from the ingredients, the broth is rich in a delicate onion flavor that pairs perfectly with the natural brininess of the clams. The white wine applies flavors akin to lemon and tart orange, giving you the citrus aspect that a person craves when eating seafood. To end, I sampled warm white chocolate raspberry bread pudding in a custard-like sauce. White the bread pudding was delectable, the sauce it was served with was good enough to order by itself if that were an option. The velvet-like sauce was thick and heavy in rich flavors of cream and butter, only made better by the fact that it was warm. This sauce paired perfectly with the raspberry and white chocolate from the bread pudding.
Although the food impressed me quite a bit, the service is where Angelique stood out from the other places in the Gables. I don’t mean to say that the service at other restaurants are on the Mile is not good, but Angelique delivers a genuine sense of hospitality that I wish other restaurants would employ. The owners were present and seemed happy just to have costumers willing to dine at their restaurant. That would definitely explain the line crowding by the door when I was leaving, since people were willing to wait for a table on a weekday night. Places like these make dining out in Miami a pleasure.
Angelique Euro Cafe
117 Miracle Mile,
Miami, FL 33134
(305) 529-9922
angeliqueeurocafe.com/ordereze/Default.aspx
facebook.com/angeliqueeurocafe?ref=hl
twitter.com/angeliquecafe
By food blogger, Santiago Cardona
