Buena Vista Bistro

Buena Vista caught me completely by surprise.  Claudia J. invited my boyfriend and I to eat there , and it was absolutely delicious.  The prices, albeit on the higher end, were very reasonable for the portions and quality.  As an app, we ordered the escargot ($9) and the octopus special.  Let me just say that their escargot was the absolute best that I've had, and I've had some wonderful escargot.  The size of the escargot app was way larger than any I've ever had.  Normally you get maybe 6, but this was like a whole boat of escargot in sauce.  The sauce was divine--delicious garlic, herb, and tomato concoction that tasted of sweet-scented rosemary. The octopus, which I have also had done many different ways in many different places, was the best I have had by far!  Octopus is very easy to mess up.  I've had good, I've had bad, but never excellent.  This was the most tender octopus I have ever even been able to conceive of.  I did not know octopus could ever be this tender. The sauce was a very bold garlic sauce with a touch of herby goodness.  

As an entree, Claudia and I ordered the bouillabaisse ($22 or $24), or seafood stew, which was a special that day.  We were sold once we heard the name, so I only barely glanced at the menu after that, more as a formality than to actually see if I wanted to order something else instead.  The portion was perfect.  There was tons of seafood that was nicely cooked.  The mussels were not in the least bit chewy.  The tomato-based sauce was very rich and flavorful with the perfect bite of spiciness. My one qualm is that I am picky about having very fresh seafood, and I did taste a slight air of that flavor you get from either freezing or improperly storing seafood, and it doesn't taste as fresh as it should.  It wasn't to the point of interrupting my enjoyment, but it was enough to notice.  

My boyfriend ordered the grouper with mashed potatoes.  Holy delicious mashed potatoes, Batman!  These aren't your mama's mashed potatoes, and my Mommy makes some killer mashed potatoes.  These potatoes were rich, creamy, and surrounded by a delectable light, yet creamy sauce.  Oh em bageezers!  The potatoes were like eating a rich and creamy, yet light and fluffy cloud.  My boyfriend said the fish was perfectly cooked and the best grouper he's had.  Mind you, this is a guy who orders grouper anytime he sees it on the menu.

Overall, I would love to return to this place, and I would highly recommend it.  My boyfriend and I couldn't stop talking about how good it was.  It was quaint, elegant, quality food, great portions, good service, and very much fair prices.  I'm so glad that Buena Vista was my first Miami French restaurant.  Thanks again to Claudia J. for another great recommendation!  

My one minor annoyance is that it was just too dark in there.  Miami has a real problem with equating darkness with elegance.  There is a big difference between dim and dark, and this place was too dark for me.  Also, I am from Richmond, and chalk board menus, as played out as they may be, are our thing, but the chalkboard menu here was a bit over-filled and chaotic.  It was difficult to read.  It wasn't until the end of our meal and the long conversation that followed that I finally found the soup du jour on the chalkboard menu.  In short, 4.5 stars, minus a bit for the seafood freshness and the darkenss.  If you aren't sure where all of this is going, the short story is go and go now.  You can thank me later :).

I really wanted to LOVE this place. Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be.

One of the first places I discovered when I moved to Edgewater was Buena Vista Deli. It quickly became my go-to spot for weekend breakfast. So of course, I was expecting to be as blown away by their restaurant the way I had been by their quiche.

First, the good. The atmosphere is great - both inside and out it definitely captures that feeling of a french cafe. Just like their sister deli, the owners are also hanging around making sure everything is running smoothly and on that particular night entertaining a group of friends that had come to dine in their restaurant. I'm a sucker for that homey feel.

Now, the meh. The food. I know we ordered a steak and a seafood pasta...and because I have no manners I usually make sure to try everything at the table. Neither dish was very exciting. The steak was ok, but i've definitely had much better. And the pasta was ok, but i've definitely had much better.

Maybe if we'd stuck to french classics (beef bourgignon anyone?) we would have been more impressed. I'd give it another shot - but I would also definitely be ordering something else.

This place has rapidly become my preferred place in Miami for a light breakfast.  The 7 am is my personal favorite: a fresh flaky croissant, fresh fruit salad and coffee is perfect for a quick bite when you're on the go.  Delicious, fresh ingredients and a reasonable price.