The Daily Goes Nightly

Madeline Marr10/13/2010

The Daily Creative has opened for dinner hours. Now "that's'' ironic. The lunch portions there are so large I usually end up bringing them home for later anyway. Don't get me wrong -- I'm not complaining. The Daily has been a culinary oasis on Biscayne since it opened almost five years ago, a mainstay for me because I work just blocks away. Plus I can't help but chuckle at the journalist theme -- there's even a breaded chicken sandwich called The Miami Herald.  As someone who also lives in the same fairly dead neighborhood as where I work, having dinner options at the Daily has been a godsend. Though prices tend to be a tad high, the aforementioned plates are so mammoth, you can share or do the leftover route.

 
The expansion into dinner came from popular demand, says owner Adam Meltzer. "My customers would bitch and moan that there were no quality options in this area," said the Long Island, N.Y., native, who knows the secret to his success. "We are pumping out real, good food, cooked to order -- nothing too complicated." Right. The new menu isn't going to fry your brain. It has just three appetizers and a handful of palate-pleasing entrees from around the globe. We tried the hummus platter, topped with Za'atar, a delicious blend of Middle Eastern spices, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and pita chips. They add perky lemon wedges on the side, not always seen with takeout.

For your main meal, there is a variety of rib-sticking, cooked-to-order plates like old-fashioned meatloaf served over mashed potatoes with a side of garlicky sautéed spinach. You won't be hungry until lunch the following day. The "Mac Daddy'' mac and cheese is a seriously guilty pleasure -- thanks to gobs of Gruyere. Dare mom to make it better. We also enjoyed a more low-cal option -- pepper-crusted seared tuna steak, served perfectly pink over chilled soba noodles, red peppers, al dente broccoli and cilantro- flecked cucumbers and tossed in a Thai coconut sauce. It's the most expensive of the lot -- $15.95 -- but way worth it. Also doing well, said Meltzer, are the roast pork tacos, three soft flour tortillas crammed with Cheddar cheese, black bean corn salsa, shredded lettuce, sour cream and hot sauce. "We put more meat into one taco than most places put into three," Meltzer promises. We believe it.