The original Pampered Chef in Coconut Grove closed several years ago, but this Miami Lakes twin remains, almost invisible if you're not a longtime resident. The menu has no pizzas, but plenty of pastas, chicken, fresh fish and meats, all elegantly listed in italiano.
Old Miami Lakes is loved for the lush, green canopy of tree-lined streets, the graciousness of residential strips called Cypress Court, Leaning Pine Drive and Seagrape Terrace, and the legacy of a star football coach named Shula.
With incorporation, the city took on newer sectors to the west of the Palmetto yet to be graced with enough foliage and quaint street names, although there dwells another sports star, retired Marlins pitcher Alex Fernández.
The famous tax-saving cows still roam, but more of them, ironically, are on the newer side of town. But the older east side retains its pleasant, shady character a la Coconut Grove, and in one of those charming enclaves, in a shopping center oozing with greenery and aptly named Cypress Village, quietly dwells Trattoria Pampered Chef.
The original Pampered Chef in Coconut Grove closed several years ago, but this Miami Lakes twin remains, almost invisible if you're not a longtime resident and it is one of the few good Italian restaurants in Northwest Miami-Dade. Pampered Chef is nestled in such a hidden corner that you might miss it if not for the tables outside in an awning-covered, garden-like setting. On a cool evening, it's lovely to dine here.
Inside, the charm is all in the lighting and the woods. The glow of candles gives the ordinary dining room a special, romantic touch. You dine amid posters of some of Italy's most famous works of art -- among them Botticelli's gracious Venus and scenes from Michelangelo's religious murals in the Sistine Chapel. Just a glance will evoke the nostalgia of an unforgettable afternoon in the Uffizi, a memory best accompanied by a bottle of a 1997 Santa Carolina Merlot from Chile ($20).
If you're accustomed to the fancy fare in the finer Italian establishments of South Florida, where the gourmet touch, especially that of Argentines, has taken the cuisine to more complicated echelons of taste, you might find the Pampered Chef to be quite traditional. The menu has no pizzas, but plenty of pastas, chicken, fresh fish and meats, all elegantly listed in italiano.
WARM WELCOME
The attention, if you come on a slow night and are lucky to find Gabrial or George, well lives up to the restaurant's name. Gabrial Nash, who wears many hats as owner, chef and manager and is originally from Palermo, is attentive to a fault. His head waiter, George, couldn't be a more gracious host. You definitely want to request one of his tables.
On the weekday evening we dined, few diners had ventured to this charming nook. But that meant we got plenty of attention -- and little extras with our order.
We wanted to sample a variety of appetizers, and barely expressed this, when Giorggio came back with a sampler plate of seafood -- among the most notable, the calamari fritti ($6.95), more battered and deep fried squid than three people could possibly eat, and tasty mussels cooked in marinara sauce ($7.95). He also brought crisp samples of the house bruschetta, touched with just the right amount of olive oil and basil.
The daily specials included a deliciously prepared Norwegian salmon ($15.95) sauteed in a white wine sauce with a delicate shower of mushrooms and capers. Nash says he gets same-day delivery on his salmon, and judging by our pink beauty, this is pretty darn fresh fish. No aftertaste at all.
Another notable special this evening was his chicken orlandine ($12.95), stuffed with vegetables and fresh ricotta cheese and baked, a combination of flavors that takes the ordinary out of chicken.
From the pesce and crostacei menu, we sampled the scampi aglio olio ($14.95), fresh shrimp sauteed in a very tasty white wine and garlic sauce. That, too, came with linguine, the preferred pasta here as it is light and cooked to just the right texture.
MEATY CHOICES
The carni section includes an impressive list of meats -- from aged New York steaks ($17.95) to filet mignons marinated in fresh herbs or grilled in a Gorgonzola wine cream sauce ($17.95). Patrons like the osso buco ($17.95), a whole cross section of the shank bone of veal slowly cooked in a blend of fresh herbs, onions, garlic and red wine. Dressed with carrots, tomatoes and celery, it's served with linguine.
Desserts are not to be underestimated.
Surely, the tiramisu ($4.25) is homemade, lady fingers aromatized with coffee and liqueurs and topped with buttery-rich mascarpone cream cheese. But the torta di cioccolata ($4.25), three layers of chocolate mixed with a blend of liqueurs, is simply a chocolate lover's delight. And the crepes luchard ($4.25), a silky, long, warm crepe stuffed with vanilla ice cream, makes for the perfect ending to a satisfying meal.
Yes, we did leave with a full belly and heart, feeling quite pampered.
