Tuscan

With very few waterfront restaurants in Miami, Antica Mare is a very welcome addition to our dining options!  Authentic Tuscan food and water views, how can you go wrong?  Let’s get straight to the food which is no pretensions or pomp, just cozy, home cooking is what you’ll get at Antica Mare on the Bay.  It’s inside the new luxury ShoreCrest Club complex with a huge indoor and outdoor dining area with 224 seats, oh my!  There’s also a private room for 60 if you want to hold social or business events.

Marco Betti, the chef/owner started this Miami restaurant based on recipes from his mom, with a flagship, award winning restaurant, Antica Posta in Atlanta run by his brother, Chef Sandro.  I enjoyed hearing Marco’s stories about how the three brothers grew up working in their Dad’s butcher shop in Reggello, Italy. There’s nothing more endearing than a chef who wants to be a part of the community he lives and works in and I love to support these kinds of restaurants.

My favorite appetizer was of course the Octopus, so tender and pure heaven, I’m a huge fan. I helped polish that one off, no problem.

Many of the servers were Italian who really knew how to make you feel right at home, you might even hear some singing if you’re lucky, it’ll make you feel like you’re in Italy!

We all agreed we’d never have ordered the chicken dish, Chef Marco Pollo arrosto alla toscana but it was very tasty and tender, and the roast potatoes were crispy and flavored with the chicken juices, yummy.  Marco mentioned this is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. Everyone’s favorite main was Filetti di maiale alla mostarda, tender pork medallions with the creamiest, tastiest lentils ever.  Even the carnivores in our group couldn’t stop eating those lentils.  And the sauteed veggies of broccoli and what looked and tasted like mustard greens were fantastic.  For me, I would have preferred no tomato sauce on the salmon.

Of course, you’ve got to end your dinner with Italian desserts which are some of the most wicked around…tiramisu, layers of Marscapone cream and Pavesini cookies dipped in expresso coffee; panacotta with wild berry sauce; cannoli stuffed with house made chantilly cream.

So, go, enjoy and support Antica Mare, this wonderful new waterfront restaurant with a constant breeze! If you live in Normandy Isle and North Miami, it’s a nice walk there to work up your appetite and then to work it off after you’ve eaten!

Antica Mare
7999 Northeast Bayshore Court
serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday, from 4PM  to 11PM
On ground level of the Shorecrest Club high rise apartment complex on the Northeast corner of 80th and Bayshore.  From 79th Street heading east, make U-turn before bridge and take right on Bayshore Court. Discounted valet parking.
Telephone: (305) 398-1001