db Bistro Moderne

Reviews 4

CH

Chat Chow

Every summer we mark our calendars for this time of year, not because of July 4th and all the hot dogs and burgers that come along with it (though happy 200th America the Beautiful, you look darn good) but because one of the forefathers of French cuisine and award-winning chef, Daniel Boulud, brings one of his restaurant concepts to takeover his beloved DB Bistro Moderne. The past couple of years we salivated in anticipation for DBGB Kitchen & Bar and its inventive and modern Americana riffs on classic French fare (think handmade Lamb and Mint Merguez Sausage, Whole Hog Feasts and his signature Baked Alaska), and though we were a little sad that DBGB didn’t make a comeback for summer 16′, we were excited to get a taste of the Mediterranean-inspired Boulud Sud, which has been delighting New Yorkers since 2011. Especially after doing our due diligence and seeing what The New York Times had to say about Monsiuer Boulud’s Grapefruit Givre: “a hollowed-out frozen grapefruit is filled with grapefruit sorbet, grapefruit compote, sesame mousse and Turkish delight, then topped with a tuile hat and spun sesame halvah, as if straight from a cookbook co-written by Escoffier and Ferran Adrià. That is for the win.” Indeed, it is the dessert equivalent of the toques famed foie and short rib burger. Now that you’ve had the sweet ending ruined for you, let’s begin at the beginning…with cocktails. Which emphasize flavors from across the Mediterranean, from Southern France to the shores of North Africa. There’s only four, so go with a group and drink your way through prior to dinner like we did, or better yet, go on a Monday or Tuesday when bottles of rose are half off so you can really feel like you’re in Southern France. If you only have one drink, let it be the Corsican Julep that throws bourbon, cynar and a white balsamic reduction into the mix. Onto the edibles, the menu is a glimpse of New York favorites, that took DB Bistro’s chef de cuisine Clark Bowen a week worth’s of cooking in the Boulud Sud kitchen to perfect. A Spiced Lamb Flatbread with eggplant, pine nuts, and labneh had a perfect balance of sweetness and heat. Whipped Smoked Cod Roe with dill potato chips had everyone at the table double dipping. In Setas Con Huevos, unctuous mushrooms fight for the spotlight in a bowl peppered with frisee, artisanal croutons, and a sunny side up egg ready to have its yolk forked and runneth over. Carbonara has specks of pepper worked right into the handmade fettuccini. Shellfish Fideuà with scallops, mussels, a lonesome langoustine, and chorizo sofrito elicits a trip to Spain. But it’s the Lebanese Spiced Sea Bass with its complex yet clean flavors that won everyone at our table over. Leave room for desert, which besides the magical grapefruit includes rich and velvety Chocolate Fondant spiked with cardamom and served alongside smoked cinnamon gelato or tiramisu with Kahlua Ganache. You’ve got till July 31 to savor Boulud Sud. Perhaps next year it’ll be Boulud’s eponymous and Michelin two-starred that makes an appearance. We’re crossing our fingers, Daniel.

ZA

Zachary Cutright

I rarely give 1 star to a dining establishment because I understand what hard work goes into making something operate daily being a business owner but this is one experience that I cant find it in me to give anything more than a 1 star review...We dinned here on Friday July 1, 2016 with a group of 7 other friends....and I had heard nothing from our good friend except great things...unfortunately it didnt carry over into this visit...Everyone in our party was less than impressed with the service, food quality and overall ambiance....To be honest this location felt very much like just a hotel restaurant....Not deserving of the great reputation DB Bistro has built in their NYC location. I guess first off we showed up for the reservation and had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated even though the majority of the restaurant was empty....This should have been our first sign...Usually the sign of either a good or poor restaurant is how busy the establishment is....After being seated we immediately ordered wine and started with small plates...The table ordered various Charcuterie, Crispy Pork Belly and the Maine Lobster Salad.....To our surprise the best part of the small plates was the Charcuterie however the Crispy pork belly that the table ordered a few servings of was very tough and served at a very cool temperature.....almost like it had been sitting in back waiting to come out for some time...We moved on to order entrees....Some of the entrees the table ordered were the DB Burger with Fois Gras, Scallops and Chicken Breast....The DB burger had been bragged about forever with the Fois Gras but needless to say it was a huge disappointment....In my opinion if the dish/burger is named after your establishment it should be a showstopper. Unfortunately it was served at the wrong temperature, the Fois Gras was literally the size of a small small piece of corn and was very underwhelmed by the overall dish. No one in our party was happy with their food all said it was flavorless, cold and just not good. We actually passed on desert which we never do! The servers were switched without our knowledge halfway thru the dinner and service that was already lacking continued to lack even more after the switch. I really do not like writing bad reviews but being a business owner find it necessary to point out the negatives especially in restaurants and the hospitality industry where the service and food quality is everything and can either make or break the location. The take away from ALL 8 people at our table after spending nearly $950 was that we would probably never be back and that it was basically just a bad hotel restaurant experience overall...It really put into question if we should revisit their location in NYC or if this is the type of experience we would get there as well...I hope not DB Bistro in NYC has always had a great rep so I hope that something is going on in Miami and can be fixed so the location flourishes and does not sink!

TH

The Whet Palette

Miami Spice 2016 Review Still a FIVE STAR experience! db Bistro Moderne remains one of Miamis top (fine dining) restaurants and I visit as much as I can. Even through various chef changes since they opened, the restaurant has never skipped a beat. Solid, no matter what. Can the rest of the city please take note? What I tried (this time): Country Pâté Foie Gras Torchon Coq au Vin Mussels Gianduja Chocolate Bar Brownie Sundae HIT: The Country Pâté FTW! Time and time again. A true Boulud classic; the perfect combination of rustic and refined, savory and decadent. MISS: Shocker. Nothing but hits on this menu. Pay attention to the small details while there (like the different types of bread they bring out for different courses or before your dinner beings). If you want to splurge just a little bit, place an order for a basket of their petite lemon madeleine cookies ($8). They are baked to order and a true delight. I always mean to bring some home, but they magically disappear. Overall, not only was the food exemplary, but the service and attention to detail remained flawless. This one is always a winner!

A

A Private User

I could wax poetic about how fantastic each dish is here, but Ill save you the time and tell you that its one of the best restaurant in Miami, period. From service to presentation to food, the whole experience cant be beat, and believe me, there are some excellent dining options in the Miami area (albeit few and far between). I was lucky enough to be invited when the restaurant first opened, and even though Im not a fan of the decor, every other element of my experience blew me away. So if you find yourself downtown with a full wallet and empty stomach, do yourself a favor and visit DB... you will not be disappointed!