Following my interview with chef and restaurateur Michael Mina about his Miami pop up restaurant in the Fontainebleau Hotel, Michael’s Backyard Kitchen – Pizza & Burgers, I was invited to sample the menu for myself. Read interview
To start, I had The Wings, meaty and tender chicken wings that were slathered in spiced honey gastrique. As an unabashed ‘finger-licker’, I appreciated the thick sweet and sour sauce made with equal parts honey and vinegar that coated the wings. For a touch of salty and tart flavors, the starter was playfully topped with popcorn and peanuts as well as with pickled green apples.
Choosing among eight specialty pizzas, plus, three Grandma Style pies with thick Focaccia crust, wasn’t easy. I am very confident I selected not only the best pizza, but the best item on the Pizza & Burgers menu – The Surf.
This innovative pie was decadently topped with butter poached lobster morsels, and fragrant Chanterelle mushrooms, and charred sweet corn. Generous shavings of Italian Black Summer Truffle added a mildly woodsy flavor. Baked inside a wood-burning oven, the thin crust was done to a crisp without leading to a dry, overdone pizza.
The Surf was so scrumptious that I didn’t realize it was cheese free, therefore, perfect for dairy free diets.
From the six very different burgers, I played it safe, and went with Michael Mina’s favorite –The Dry Aged.
Seemingly traditional, two steakburger patties are nostalgically covered with good ‘ole American cheese, and served with housemade herb fries. Here, the condiments of sweet onion jam and secret sauce elevated this classic backyard cookout sandwich.
Pizza & Burger – Michael’s Backyard Kitchen debuted at Michael Mina 74 at Fontainebleau Miami Beach on June 24th and will remain in place through Labor Day, Monday, September 5, 2016. Dinner is served Tuesday through Sunday from 6 p.m. until midnight.
TIP: Pizza & Burger is only opened for dinner, but menu items are available at lunchtime at the pool on the weekends.
Michael Mina 74 is located at 4441 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, Miami, FL 33140 inside Fontainebleau Miami Beach, located right off the main lobby. For reservations or for a takeaway order, call: (305) 674-4636. For more information, visit: https://fontainebleau.com/dining/pizza-burgers