Miami Eats: Miami Chef's Choice Dinner with Estrella Damn

Miami and South Florida foodies:
Several Miami eateries have signed on for the Estrella Damm Chef's Choice Dinner.  This 3-course dinner menu will be available at local restaurants through July 5th, and will feature the star ingredient: octopus.  The meals are designed to pair perfectly with Estrella Damm Spanish beer.

Estrella Damn & The Fashionable ESQ remind you to please always drink responsibly.
Uber, or call a cab.  Google "Miami Cab" for #'s // Miami cab #: (786) 899-3393

The Chef's Choice Dinner  includes an appetizer, entree featuring octopus, dessert and one Estrella Damm beer.  Prices range from $30 - $52, depending on location.

Participating Restaurants: Barceloneta Miami Beach, Bin18 Bistro & Beer Loft, Bulla Gastrobar, Cena by Michy, Dolores But You Can Call Me Lolita, Fooq’s, Jimmy’z Kitchen Wynwood, Joey’s Italian Cafe, Klima Restaurant and Bar, La Mar by Gaston Acurio, Morgans Restaurant, Novecento (Aventura, Brickell, Key Biscayne and Midtown locations), Ortanique on the Mile, Perfecto, Segafredo Brickell, Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill, Tapas y Tintos, The Embassy, Tongue & Cheek, Wynwood Kitchen and Bar and Xixón.

Salpicado de Mariscos

Chef's Choice Dinner Sample Menus:

Cena by Michy:

Appetizer: Stracciatella salad with stracciatella custard, heirloom tomatoes, basil and fried green tomatoes.

Entrée: Fettuccini braised beef cheeks with red wine stewed octopus.

Dessert: Crispy apple pie with stewed apples, cider caramel sauce and vanilla.

Fooq’s:

Appetizer: Crisp vegetable salad with shaved carrot, cucumber, summer squash, fennel, basil, mint, lemon and Zoe olive oil.

Entrée: Grilled Spanish pulpo with olive oil poached potatoes, roasted eggplant, Little Haiti arugula, grilled lemon and zataar.

Dessert: Pistachio tiramisu with ladyfingers, espresso, spiced mascarpone, and toasted salted pistachios.

Octopus from Bulla

My Bulla Experience:
I found that the hostesses were clueless, not helpful and had limited experience in hospitality management, if any. I suggest skipping straight to Tim, who is the floor manager.  He's easy to deal with and accommodating.  I was initially skeptical, because while I have had octopus in the past, it is not my favorite dish.
Food: I was happy with the way that the octopus was prepared at Bulla by Chef Diego Solano.  I found it to be seasoned very, very well and it was cooked perfectly.  It was served on a bed of polenta which I wish would be been a larger serving. The octopus was grilled and delicious.  Our waiter, Mario, was no-nonsense and very serious about the food.  He was knowledgeable about the menu.  He suggested the Salpicon de Mariscos as a good appetizer and we tried that out.  His suggestion was on point because the dish was once again, extremely flavorful.  It consisted of very moist and tender pieces of cooked fish, grilled octopus and veggies in sauce flavored with citrus accents.  Our second appetizer option was the Tomate Relleno de Cordero y Setas. Mario suggested this after I asked for a more hearty serving (you can kind of see how I like to eat by now). This was so good! It was a roasted tomato stuffed with tender, shredded slow-cooked lamb topped with a melted salty cheese.  The lamb was juicy and flavorful.  I really liked this one. The dessert choices for the Chef's Choice were the Crema Catalana (a generous portion) and Coconut Flan.  Both were really good.  The coconut flan comes with a homemade coconut ice cream which is delectable, but again, it is a tiny scoop.  The Estrella Damm beer is a light option which paired well with our meals.

Tomato Relleno con Cordero

Coconut Flan from Bulla

Crema Catalana from Bulla

Visit ChefsChoiceMiami.com for more info

Disclosure: my dining experience at Bulla was complimentary.

Estrella Damn & The Fashionable ESQ remind you to please always drink responsibly. 
Uber, or call a cab.  Google "Miami Cab" for #'s // Miami cab #: (786) 899-3393