Miami Spice at La Terraza Café & Bar

9/16/19 - 8 minute read
By: Alicia Rinaldi

La Terraza Café and Bar, located in the luxurious JW Mariott offers patrons a casually elegant dining experience while overlooking bustling Brickell Ave. Whether or not you’re staying in the hotel, the opulent atmosphere and the friendly & accommodating staff will make you feel like royalty.

​Fun fact: The JW Mariott’s logo is the Griffin—a mythical creature symbolizing the strength and courage of a lion and the soaring flight and vision of the eagle. It is placed in each hotel to watch over the hotel’s treasures, employees, and guests.

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Miami Spice Menu

Since many of the dishes on La Terraza’s Miami Spice menu are seafood, we recommend ordering a white wine to go along. We had the Kris Pinot Grigio— it’s bold and fruity but clean and refreshing on the palate.

Appetizers

Many of the chef’s recipes are inspired by his family’s trips to the Florida Keys. After sampling crab cakes at almost every restaurant in the Keys with his wife, he’s figured out the most palate-pleasing flavor combination. While other chefs use egg in their recipes, he prefers to use mayonnaise to give the crab cakes a soft texture, Panko to add some crunch, and red onions & pepper for a hint of sweetness. The caper aioli sauce made simply with fresh capers, mayo, and lemon juice, takes the crab cakes to a whole new level!

If crab cakes aren’t your cup of tea, the beet & goat cheese salad is a colorful alternative unlike any salad you’ve ever seen. This tower of alternating gold and red beets layered with creamy goat cheese is a feast for the eyes, while the infusion of Sherry vinegar & sundried tomato vinaigrette make it a feast for the palate.

KEY WEST STYLE CRAB CAKE: old bay spice lump crab ,fennel slaw, caper aioli
BEETS & GOAT CHEESE SALAD: sundried tomato vinaigrette, frisée , shaved radishes

Main Course

The crab cakes weren’t the only item on the menu reminiscent of a trip the Keys. If you’re a seafood lover, you MUST experience the Florida Keys Mix Grill Seafood! This seafood sampler gives you a little bit of everything—Key West lobster tail, seared scallop, grilled shrimp, and a salmon fillet. It’s served with a french-style lemon beurre blanc sauce, made by reducing wine with citrus and cream. The side of baby vegetables completes the dish’s artistic presentation—like a modern sculpture, each vegetable was placed with purpose.

After braising for 14 hours at a low temperature of 140 degrees, the short ribs are fork-tender and melt in your mouth. The meat’s accumulated juices and red wine transform into a richly flavored demi-glace. It pairs well with its side of baby vegetables and mashed potatoes.

The third entree option is seared U10 scallops. U10 means that there are less than 10 of these scallops in a pound! These jumbo scallops have a mildly sweet flavor and perfectly caramelized crust. They are served with a red pepper coulis with a hint of tomato for a bold, Spanish style flavor. Accompanying the scallops is a creamy wild mushroom risotto adorned with delicate Brussels sprout leaves.

14 HOURS BRAISED SHORT RIB: baby vegetables, mashed potato, red wine reduction
FLORIDA KEYS MIX GRILL SEAFOOD: key west lobster tail, scallop, shrimp, salmon fillet, lemon butter sauce
SEARED U10 SCALLOP: wild mushroom risotto, baby brussel sprouts, red pepper coulis

Dessert

When it comes to dessert, sharing is caring! Between you and your date, split a scoop of vanilla gelato and a slice of decadent chocolate layer cake for a doubly sweet finish. Or you may prefer a refreshing lemon sorbet as a suitable compliment to your seafood meal.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE GATEAU: double chocolate gateau 2 layers; strawberry streak and extra chocolate sauce
LEMON SORBET: light and creamy
VANILLA GELATO: made with fresh vanilla bean

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