Order 07! The Gibson Room Is Miami on its Best Behavior
Michael Beltran brings a classy tavern to Coral Way.
A dimly lit bar with jazz quartets on call, strong classic cocktails, and dishes like tender short rib and chargrilled oysters. Sounds like a place you’d find in New Orleans, except The Gibson Room is located in the heart of Coral Way.
Michael Beltran is like the prodigal Cuban son of Miami. For almost half a century, no one thought to play with the fillings of croquetas, to add duck to a tamal en cazuela, or to use boniato in a German dish like a spatzel. But Beltran did. After playing college football in Virginia and sharpening his knives skills under chefs like Michael Schwartz and Norman Van Aken, he branched out on his own show that Cuban fare isn’t insular and static, but a cuisine that can play nice with others and evolve.
And it’s apparent in every one of his concepts. It’s the essential Cuban and Florida ingredients completely reimagined through elegant techniques at Ariete, which recently received a Michelin star. It’s the homey diner feel of Chugs, where a pile of rice is topped with a fried egg and your pastelito is filled with PB&J. And at The Gibson Room, it’s the fusion of Hispanic and global comfort dishes made so well by Executive Chef Kris Huseby, you’ll want to sit up straight out of respect. Beltran’s restaurants prove time and time again that the Miami you know and love can grow up without losing itself.
At the moment, both of us have a gig across the street from The Gibson Room, so we’ve been making our way down the happy hour menu, and with most cocktails priced around $12 to $14, it’s not a stretch to become a regular here. Award-winning Ariete Hospitality Group Beverage Director Tom Lasher-Walker pulled inspiration from North American classics, which is only fitting for The Gibson Room’s warm, understated atmosphere.
Ash’s go-to is the signature Gibson cocktail, which is like a martini but with sherry and a pickled onion garnish. Nat’s go-to is a negroni (here’s where else to find a good riff), though on this occasion, we started out with a Texas Collins, which is like a Tom Collins but tougher thanks to a sprinkling of angostura bitters. We then carried on with a glass of La Perra Gorda, a Mencia from Spain and as their resident Thursday night pianist, Max Farber, stroked the keys, we capped off our evening with espresso martinis, which are shaken the Cuban way: con una colada!
Cocktails come with a show because there’s live music EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. Last week, for example, there was a sample platter of jazz: electric on Tuesday, classic on Friday, and groove-based fusion on Saturday. On past occasions, there have been funk, bands, blues bands, flamenco guitarists and more. Sundays are reserved for vinyl. Shows usually last from 10:30pm to 1:30am, so if you’re making dinner reservations, aim to make them a little closer to 8pm or 9pm.
And that brings us to the food menu. The tamal en cazuela is The Gibson Room’s real MVP, and no arguments against it will be accepted at this time. Or ever. Sweet and savory flavors of foie gras make the dish complex and a generous drizzling of practically drinkable cabernet vinaigrette brings it fully home.
You’ll be tempted to get the croquetas, and while they are good, we encourage you to try the trout tartar, Beltran’s version of an ensalada rusa. Or, for something light, the peach and bib salad is as delightful as a spring morning.
We slurped down Powder Point oysters, tiny little things swimming in garlic and butter, and continued our tavernous bacchanalia with the short rib, which was backstroking in a brandy and mushroom sauce. It came with a bountiful serving of potatoes au gratin sliced, stacked and shaped like a beautiful croissant and gosh, WAS THIS SIDE DISH A STAR. The cheese was not lathered on but sprayed, as they put it in a whipped cream canister to give it the consistency of queso. The proverbial cherry on top was a sprinkle of salty pancetta.
We also had a noodle dish, and while it was delicious and people love them, we didn’t really have much to say about it so let’s just skip to dessert.
Ash covered The Gibson Room for Chat Chow TV, and she stands by what she wrote there: “If you grew up on flan and panetela, then you’ll love how Beltran has poshed them up. The flan is solid and creamy, made more elegant with foie and rum drunken figs, while the panetela is drenched in enough lemon leche condensada that it’s more sweet than tart, more tout and moist than fluffy.”
As dinner evolved into nightcaps, we looked around the room. A pair on a first date ripped shots at one end of a bar while co-workers decompressed over fine wine at the other. A family of three sat down for a casual Thursday meal while a rowdy group celebrated a birthday. All the while, the pianist played everything from Ray Charles to the Peanuts theme song. And we marked our calendars to come back next week for more.
Go on, get into to some trouble. Here are some upcoming events, openings and things Nat & Ash are excited about in the upcoming weeks.
Wynwood is dead. Long live Wynwood. But also, Zak the Baker has launched a tote bag artist series and this round, he’s featuring the art of Miami OG Jenny Perez.
This Wednesday, Haochi and Tripping Animals are doing a four-course beer and dinner pairing at Union Beer Store. Let it hold you over until Tripping Animals opens up their tasting room in Wynwood.
Dust off that DVD player, because a Blockbuster-themed bar has opened in Tampa, and we think it’s worth the drive. If anything for a serving of snowcaps.
Zits Sum in the Gables is doing experimental ramen nights on Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Each week, a team member comes up with a funky new bowl.
There’s a new Shmorgasborgy and artisan market in Sunny Isles. Check it out.
A new Israeli deli by a Master Chef Israel winner has opened up in Upper Buena Vista.