This fish and seafood house, situated on a crowded hotel porch and lobby toward the southern end of the strip, has been around since travel magazines first started declaring the Beach the American Riviera. It's not trendiness, though, that's kept A Fish Called Avalon afloat all these years -- it's solid seafood, attention to quality, and, of course, location.
His name may not be well-known outside the industry, but chef Kal Abdalla has been cooking haute cuisine for this town's tanned and toned for more than 30 years. Best known for his two decades at the landmark Forge, he jumped in 2005 to the spectacularly popular Prezzo, an Aventura hot spot that soon succumbed to management issues.
Abdalla disappeared from view for a while, but in May owner Don Glassie of the classy Avalon Hotel came knocking. Back into the South Beach scene, Abdalla is now general manager as well as executive chef of the Ocean Drive hotel's beloved A Fish Called Avalon.
The dining room's polished terrazzo floors, potted palms, low lighting and stark tableware cast a glow of Deco-era glamour, but the wide outdoor terrace, away from the hubbub but still lively, is the place to be.
Abdalla is working to smooth the staff's rough edges, but his kitchen skills clearly need no honing. They are evident in the near-perfect geometry of his diced veggies, the confident balance of sweet and spice, the stunningly composed plates and the vast repertoire of expertly executed sauces.
At a seaside restaurant with ``fish'' in its quirky name, you would expect polished seafood dishes, and Chef Kal delivers.
He reinvented former chef Gerry Quinn's Bang Bang Shrimp, four meaty, sautéed, jumbo specimens in a tangy mint and buttery brown sugar-spiked sauce with a colorful dose of curry over a bright-as-sunrise cucumber and pepper slaw.
The same crustaceans feature deliciously in a version of shrimp and grits brightened by charred tomatoes, spongy manouri cheese and fresh basil, lemon and avocado like golden highlights on a mousy blonde.
Escargot is treated to a perky parsley sauce with loads of garlic over tender-firm baby gnocchi. Photo-ready scallops are seared the color of toasted caramel and served with Brussels sprout leaves, crispy pancetta, candied ginger and grapefruit smiles in a citrussy beurre blanc.
A glisteningly fresh whole branzino is cooked to delicate perfection, while a standard mahi-mahi grew forgivably dry from a moment too long on the fire.
The only major misstep we experienced on several visits was a seafood risotto that had all the right elements (tasty shrimp, scallops, mussels, squid, plump arborio rice) but was marred by firm-as-crudite carrots and a spoiled-cheese taste.
Abdalla's style is built on such old-fashioned staples as crème fraiche-thickened bisques, smoked salmon with toast points, remoulade sauce and creamy fettuccine mistakenly dubbed carbonara. But he manages to stay current with touches of preserved lemons, abundant herbs and fresh Asian flavors of soy and kimchee, for example.
He also excels at meat-and-potato fare in the form of steaks offered with rich green peppercorn-cognac or fiery Caribbean spiced horseradish sauce.
A sampling of beautifully composed desserts included lush cheesecake with blackberries and crème brulee given extra zing by grilled mango and pineapple salsa.
A decent wine list includes some notable French burgundies as well New World finds that hover in the 2 to 2 ½ times retail price-range -- not bad for a South Beach address.
The obligatory 18 percent tip, expensive valet parking and a seedy street scape are still issues on Ocean Drive. But in this case, they're problems worth tackling for a taste of delicious and diverse fare made with prime ingredients and served with style.
