We did a second “date night” on our recent trip to Miami. We went to Luca Osteria and Bar which is located on Giralda Ave in Coral Gables. Luca is an upscale Italian bistro with an interesting menu. It has seating inside and out. We had booked an early table so the restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived. Our server Joseph came by and gave us a great set of recommendations.
We started off with their Bellini Spritz which is made with prosecco and a white peach liqueur. We also had the Marinated Olives which are prepared with oregano, garlic, orange and fennel pollen. This was a great way to start off our “Italian Date Night!”
We then had the Stracciatella which is served with Sullivan Street filone and Sicilian olive oil. We also ordered the black truffle honey to go with it. Stracciatella is a cheese dish that was created at the beginning of the 20th century by mixing scraps leftover from mozzarella production with fresh cream. It is essentially a burrata without the mozzarella casing. Filone is a loaf of classic Italian sourdough bread with a crisp crust and light, airy crumb. Joseph also recommended we order the San Danielle Black Label Prosciutto to complement the stracciatella. It is aged for 21 months. THis is a great “sharing” plate, but definitely a lot for two people. You will go through the bread way before you will have finished all the cheese. It also is a pretty “messy” eat. Not that I mind licking my own fingers or, especially, my wife’s.
Our next course was the Osso Buco Alla Milanese. This features a 24 ounce veal shank and saffron risotto. It is served with a lemon and parsley gremolata. It does take thirty to forty minutes to prepare. It is also an expensive dish, so be aware of that before you order it. The shank was perfectly prepared and was easy to eat with just a fork. You didn’t nee dthe knife provided. The risotto was good, but the cheese does dominate the taste of the risotto.
We finished up with the Pistachio Semifreddo with dark chocolate and sea salt. This was an awesome bite. It was probably in our top three for desserts we have had dining out.
In hindsight, we ordered way to much food for a single meal. We actually took most of the prosciutto back to Tallahassee with us and made lunch with it on Saturday. That said, we enjoyed the meal, the service, and the ambiance. All in all, a great “wrap” for our trip down to Miami.