New Places: Gourmet Pizza, Crepes, and More
Every month, it seems, there are more new places to dine in the Gables. Here are three of the latest, from our new favorite pizza place to crepes to paellas. There’s something for everyone in this month’s survey.
450 Gradi
With so many Italian restaurants in Coral Gables, it’s incredible how hard it is to find a good slice of pizza. Yes, we like a lot of them — but love… that’s reserved for 450 Gradi’s pizzas, which are wonderfully inventive and deliciously layered, featuring ingredients like Italian buffalo cheese, basil pesto, pork cheek, and truffle cream.
This new Italian spot — with two sister restaurants in the Canary Islands — has taken up residence next to Well Groomed Gentleman under the direction of Chef Antonio, whose dishes are filled with panache. The tartares (beef, tuna, or salmon) come “smoked” table-side with a contraption that feeds smoke into a glass dome over the dish. Other dishes are set on fire or come with a “pizza hat” on top of them. It’s traditional Italian food with a twist. As Chef Antonio says, “Without tradition, there is no avant-garde.”
450 Gradi
130 Miracle Mile
786.391.1276
450gradipizzerias.com
Sweet Paris
Nestled in the first floor of The Plaza Coral Gables, Sweet Paris invites you to pop in during a walk around the neighborhood. The outside is lined with chic seating rivaling that of a French cafe. On the inside, bursts of bold turquoise color contrast against luxurious white and gray furniture, giving it a “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” feel.
With a wide range of crepes (as well as other breakfast foods), it’s hard to pick just one. Our favorites were the Le California ($15.50), stuffed with turkey, mozzarella, bacon, truffle oil, cherry tomatoes, avocado, jalapeños, and spring mix, and the S’mores crepe ($14.95), a saccharine dream filled with a scoop of Nutella, torched marshmallows, graham crackers, and topped with a semi-sweet chocolate drizzle. We ordered it a la mode ($2.50 extra) just to make sure we needed a nap later!
Sweet Paris
3005 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Suite 142
786.360.3519
sweetparis.com
Lili’s Mediterranean
As an older Hispanic gentleman strums romantic tunes in Spanish, you look across the table into your lover’s eyes, both of you spooning up bites from a huge platter of paella between you. This is the experience at Lili’s Mediterranean Food, a family-owned restaurant devoted mostly to Spanish cuisine with an emphasis on seafood tapas and, of course, the traditional whole suckling pig ($300).
Everything is meant to be shared, from the tapas to the paellas, which are almost impossible to consume on your own. The wine list consists largely of Spanish reds by the bottle, so be prepared for dry, lighter vintages. But the real jewel is the live music on Fridays, sung by Rolando Ochoa, son of the famous Cuban actor by the same name.
Lili’s Mediterranean
1915 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
862.881.0516