This week on "Check, Please!

South Florida," fresh seafood paired with a vibrant atmosphere in downtown Miami.

[jodi] The snapper was cooked to perfection.

[michelle b] Eclectic dishes from an open kitchen in the Upper East Side.

[chris] The brioche bun was out of this world and it was nothing like I've ever had before.

[michelle b] And old school Italian,serving up homemade pasta in Miami Beach.

[michelle w] Once you go to this restaurant, you're not gonna ever want to make it at home again because it's that great there.

[narrator] Cultural culinary secrets and global flavors.

We have a passion for blending ingredients and seasonings from around the world.

[announcer] Additional funding for "Check, Please!

South Florida" is provided by George and Helen Weaver and the friends of South Florida PBS.

You will look at food differently when you leave.

One didn't really help the other.

And I just know, it was the best.

It was just a perfect dish.

Prepared to perfection.

Hello, I'm Michelle Bernstein and welcome to "Check, Please!

South Florida."

The show where regular people from all over South Florida recommend and review their favorite restaurants.

So this is how the show works.

Every week we have three guests, each recommends his or her favorite spot, and then the other two go to check them out and see what they think.

This week engineer Chris Nowell is constructing his review for what he calls a one of a kind spot in the Upper East Side of Miami.

He says he's always excited to try a dish off their unique and delicious menu.

And, home health care professional, Jodi Hirschtritt is prescribing us an authentic Italian cuisine.

She's all about the charming ambiance, excellent service and homemade pasta.

But first, business executive Michelle Wallach is selling us on a lively atmosphere, where she likes to enjoy all kinds of fresh seafood.

From the oysters to the clams, to the lobster deviled eggs, she says this place is a shellfish lover's dream come true.

It's located in downtown Miami and it's called Mignonette.

[daniel] I'm Daniel Serfer, I'm the chef and owner of Mignonette oyster bar in Miami, Florida.

Mignonette is an oyster bar and seafood restaurant.

It is a collaborative effort between me and my business partner, Ryan.

This came about he really liked oysters.

I liked them, but I didn't love as much as him.

And he wanted to have a place that we can go and need a bunch of good oysters that were shucked well.

It's fun.

One of the things we like to focus on always is the oysters.

The oysters are paramount.

Mignonette is the classic French sauce that you put on oysters.

It's red wine vinegar, shallots, and black peppercorns.

Besides the oysters, one of the things we're very proud of is our crudo selection because we love raw stuff with the oysters.

It's going to be some fresh bay scallops, there's some blood orange juice, Espelette pepper and hazelnuts.

Even though we have some high ticket items like caviar, champagne, and even oysters, we wanted to be very approachable.

And we don't want you to see all these, you know, six different oyster names and be like, "oh my gosh, what do I do?"

So we have a really familial feel here with the staff.

Well, they'll take the time and explain it.

One of the things we're really proud of is lots of times guests come in and they'll pull me aside and be like, "Wow, we really like it here because you have such a great team.

Everyone seems like they're working well together.

Everyone's smiling."

So we're really proud of that.

It's not by accident, it's by design.

You know, we do work very hard but we spend a lot of time together.

So we want to have fun.

We want to enjoy ourselves while we're here.

You know, I think the guests notice that and we feel good about that.

So Michelle, tell us what you love most about Mignonette.

Everything about Mignonette, from the ambiance to the service to the food.

If you're a real foodie and you love shellfish and any kind of seafood, this is the place for you.

Everything from the deviled eggs with lobster on top to oysters with Manchego cheese and bacon- which reminds those of us who were around when they had potato skins with caviar.

It's kind of like a combination of the best of the best.

And of course there's the clams and the various broth and amazing French bread and the service was fabulous.

Ah, that sounds so good.

So I can't be remiss without, of course, mentioning who is on your lap, that's Piper Daisy.

That is your new puppy, right, Michelle?

So if you hear a little- Yes.

[michelle b] A little bark- oh my goodness, what a cutie pie!

So remember everybody- Thank you.

[michelle b] We're still at home, so we are definitely paying attention to COVID and we're all filming from our homes.

So you might hear a little yip or yap, one even might come from me.

All right, Chris, tell us what you thought about Mignonette.

I love Mignonette.

And honestly, that was my favorite restaurant just because I love seafood.

I had the scallops with the Bomba rice and the brussel sprouts there.

The scallops had a golden brown sear on top of it, cooked to perfection.

And it was also smothered in white wine sauce that was just so amazing and sweet.

So it balanced out the seafood.

The Bomba rice was also amazing and it complimented the flavors with the multiple flavors that the Bomba rice had.

And the brussel sprouts were amazing because they were cooked with a little bit of a spiciness to it.

And it just added so much to my meal.

Jodi, what did you think?

I thought it was fabulous.

It's fun, it's hip.

It's a really fantastic atmosphere.

The menu is extremely extensive, so you can have anything from a classical fish dish to what I had, which were the mussels- were about the best I've ever had.

I even had a second portion of that.

And the lobster roll.

I had never had it that way.

Usually it's with mayo and this was the warm butter sauce.

And it was just... delicious.

That's all I can say, it was delicious.

And you had dessert, didn't you?

The key lime pie was top of the top.

Second to none other than Joe's Stone Crab.

So yes, it was fabulous.

Jodi, tell me a little bit about the service.

Service was impeccable.

My server was there to make sure that I got what I wanted.

He explained it, he was knowledgeable and wonderful with suggestions and I'm glad I took his suggestions, 'cause it was a delicious meal.

Chris, what did you think about the prices?

I love the prices because it was at a great point between, you know, you're going somewhere and you're paying for quality seafood, but it was not too expensive.

So I really recommend that for anyone who's a seafood lover.

Well, Michelle, Mignonette was your pick.

Sum it up for us, please.

I would say that Mignonette is a fabulous place for foodies and the ingredients are fabulous, and so is the service.

So I highly recommend it, and hope to see you all there.

Nice!

Chris?

Whether you're a seafood lover or a steak lover this is the place for you.

Jodi?

A wonderful atmosphere, bright and small and quaint, fun and hip and lively and fabulous, fresh seafood.

Well, you can try all kinds of fresh seafood and shellfish when you head on over to Mignonette.

Located at 210 NE 18th Street in downtown Miami.

They're open for dinner daily, reservations are accepted.

And the average price for dinner without drinks is about $50.

[michelle b] Now engineer Chris Nowell has the solution for where to go when you have a taste for something out of the norm.

From the moment he walked in, Chris says he fell in love with the homie decor and down to earth atmosphere.

It's located in the Upper East Side of Miami and it's called Pinch Kitchen and Bar.

[john] Hi, my name is John Gallo.

I am the chef and owner of Pinch Kitchen and Bar.

I've been working in this industry here in Miami, I grew up in Miami kitchens, since I was 19.

Growing up in the kitchens and my goal, my dream was always to own a restaurant.

And I was fortunate enough to open up this place, Pinch Kitchen, really with my family.

The idea is fresh, bold flavors.

We make everything in house.

I mean, that's really, for me, I'm quality driven.

So I really want to do the best that I can to give that experience to the customer.

One of our signature dishes is the burger.

It's crazy how much we sell the burger.

We originally used to buy the buns from a local bakery.

Now we're actually making the buns in house, and then we make our own aioli sauce that we put on there, caramelized onions that we're making in house that we put on there.

And then just lettuce and tomato.

The fact that we're making all of that in house and using quality ingredients for the meat itself.

It sounds very plain, but it's a little elevated so it's an amazing, amazing burger.

We always want it to be something that's very homey, something very cozy.

We use the antique stuff in the restaurant.

A lot of their collectibles from people that used to work here or that we've got at different like yard sales or even across the street at that antique center.

And then obviously we want you to feel like you're at your best friend's house.

You know what I mean?

Like the way the servers treat you, the way they greet you.

We know everybody on a first name basis.

We treat everybody- "hey, how are you?"

"It's good to see you."

Seeing their kids growing up.

So it's something that we want to be part of their family.

And I feel like they've accepted us, you know?

And it's pretty cool, it's amazing.

So, Chris, what stands out the most about Pinch?

Well, when you walk in you can already see the unique local art that is on the walls and you can also see just the different support of local artists on the whole decor.

And when you go to their menu you see a bunch of different, different variety of menu items; whether you're a vegan, vegetarian or a carnivore like myself, there is options for everyone.

So I personally had the Pinch burger with the brioche bun and honestly the brioche bun was out of this world.

And it was nothing like I've ever had before.

You can taste that it was soft and it was kind of probably dipped in some sort of butter, but it complemented and balanced the burger so well.

The burger was just honestly perfect.

[michelle b] That's awesome.

So, you know, Pinch, it really- like it's just so well known for its burger.

People come from all over.

They use to go to their first place and now they come here.

By the way, I live five blocks away, Chris, so the next time you come eat, you ought to come by and say hi.

Definitely.

But it's really, it's amazing how many people really go for that burger, it's crazy.

Michelle, what did you think of Pinch?

I cannot say enough kind words about Pinch.

Two of us went and we ended up ordering one appetizer and four entrees because we couldn't decide between the amazing menu.

The ceviche was fabulous, it had a nice tang to it.

And the chips that came with it were fabulous.

There was plenty, even though it was only an appetizer, it could have been an entree.

Probably one of our two other favorite things were the Cuban sandwich, it had amazing potato sticks inside the Cuban sandwich.

And my friend said it was the best Cuban sandwich he's ever had.

And we ended our meal with another entree for dessert, which was a waffle that had fresh cinnamon whip cream and fresh red raspberries.

Delicious.

Wow!

I like how you roll, Michelle.

I like the idea of getting a waffle for dessert.

I think that's perfect.

Jodi, how'd you do?

I would've done that if I knew about that.

Next visit, we do that.

Yeah, I absolutely fell in love with the food, fell in love with the atmosphere.

We had so many different dishes.

So, guacamole was the most unique guacamole I ever had.

It was topped with kimchi which really gave it a great tang.

And then I had the ceviche which was just divine.

It was just fresh, it had this good spice to it, and you could taste all those different spices but you couldn't quite make out what they were.

And to top it off, the perfect addition we did was the fresh squeezed lemonade.

And it was just a perfect afternoon.

I can't wait to go back.

Well, chef John Gallo really hit a home run by opening in that space.

It's right by the water, where the water flows underneath the bridge, right on Biscayne Boulevard.

But I don't know- I really want one of you to talk about the atmosphere a little bit.

Chris, if you don't mind, tell me a little bit about the outside and the inside, because it's really distinct and it really kind of paints a picture of what this neighborhood's all about.

Yeah, so you can tell that it had a lot of local support and they wanted to show that it is a local and unique place.

And for that reason, you know, I was able to see- like I said before about the local art- but I also saw, you know, wooden chairs and outside I also saw the patio with wooden decor and it just gives you a real like homey and relaxed feeling.

Okay, so Chris this was your pick.

Sum up Pinch for me, please.

If you're looking for an amazing, unique experience check out Pinch Kitchen.

Nice, Jodi?

If you want to go to a diversified- a place that has diversified music and a very unique spin on different flavors of foods and just to disappear and fall away for the afternoon definitely enjoy going to Pinch.

Michelle?

If you want to go to a place with great food, great bands, a diverse crowd, and be able to spend your entire afternoon with your very good friends, this is the place to go.

For unique dishes paired with a cozy environment, visit Pinch Kitchen and Bar.

Located at 8601 Biscayne Boulevard in the Upper East Side of Miami.

They're open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Sunday and brunch on the weekends.

Reservations are accepted and the average price for dinner without drinks is about $35.

Have you ever wondered how to make croquettes or croquetas at home, but the real Spanish way?

So, it is... quite a few ingredients.

And if you watch you can actually learn how to make some magic here.

It's really just delicious.

So I already have a little bit of butter going in this pot.

What we're going to do is make something called a bechamel.

So, you soften your onions, when they become good and translucent, you go ahead and you add your flour.

Now it's really important that you work your flour in.

So as you can see this is basically started pulling away from the sides and it's now become just like a piece of dough.

So to that, we're going to go ahead and add our milk.

You know, you can make a croqueta out of anything.

Now, traditionally in Spain, you wouldn't normally see melting cheese in your bechamel.

But, I love cheese and I love ham and cheese together.

So what we have here, this is jamon Serrano, or you can use prosciutto.

We also have a little bit of Manchego, the Spanish cheese, which is really delicious.

It's a sheep's milk cheese.

Now I'm going to go ahead and put in my nutmeg now.

I have a little bit of ground nutmeg for flavor.

And that's also a traditional part of a croqueta batter.

Once the batter is done, it's going to look like this.

But it's really nice and thick and creamy.

So you basically have to use your hands, okay?

You make like a smaller version of a golf ball.

And then you can either leave it like this or you can do it the way I've done it today which is more of an oval.

So that shape, it's a little bit more tapered at the end and then fat in the center, which is great because when you really bite into the croqueta, you get that creaminess.

Once you get this beautiful shape on your croqueta you're going to go ahead and do the standard breading procedure.

And that is: flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs.

And I think my oil is hot enough that I'm going to start frying my croquetas.

Now make sure you never plop from up high.

Always go closer to the oil.

Whenever you fry make sure you have a landing pad right nearby as well as a little bit of salt as a finisher when these come out.

Believe it or not I can always tell by the sound of the croqueta when it's ready.

It really wants to just explode.

So these are beautifully crisp all the way around.

We're going to go ahead and add a little bit of salt to these right after they come out, just like so.

And there you have it gorgeous croquetas.

Make them your way and make them today or if not, just come and visit me at any of my restaurants.

Try my favorite croqueta recipe at checkpleaseFL.com [michelle b] And finally home health care professional, Jodi Hirschtripp is treating us to some homemade Italian cuisine in addition to all the yummy authentic dishes she gets to try.

Jodi says the atmosphere at this spot is perfect if you want something low key, charming and simply relaxing.

It's located in Miami Beach and it's called Spiga Ristorante Italiano.

[roberto] My name is Roberto, Roberto Legrand.

I'm owner and chef of Spiga restaurant in Miami Beach.

Spiga was opened in 1996 by me.

I used to live in Italy, I went to school in Italy.

I spent four years over there and I worked in a nice, great restaurant over there.

And then I moved to Miami and Miami Beach and I had the opportunity to open Spiga.

We are here for 26 years.

We have been successful, a lot of local people.

They feel like in Italy, on the villa, the small villa in the Mediterranean.

So because the restaurant is so romantic, and that's why we have a spot outside.

We have the garden over there.

So, the restaurant is very cozy, you know, and hot.

Everything's made over here at the restaurant.

So dessert, pasta, bread, everything is 100% made in the restaurant.

The way how we make a pasta over here, I'll guarantee you, nobody do the same.

It's totally different.

It's a light pasta, it's not like a pasta that at the end of the meal, you feel like tired or heavy, it's delicate.

That's always- when people ask me, I always tell them, try totally fresh pasta, homemade pasta.

Spiga means wheat, because the way to make a bread and make pasta, to make everything, right?

So that's the life at the end, right?

So Jodi, tell us a little bit about Spiga and what you love about them.

Well, Spiga's been around for all the years I've been here in Miami Beach and I get simple, fresh, really authentic Italian food.

And it's always consistently good.

And you're sitting in a lovely little patio or even the inside of the restaurant is really charming.

It's like a little Italian villa.

So, this time I decided to start with the calamari, the grilled calamari and it was delicious and the presentation was fabulous.

And then my friend had the pasta with mixed seafood and it was fabulous, absolutely great flavors in that dish.

And not too spicy, but just right- it was delicious.

I myself had the Spanish octopus, which I had never had before and it was grilled to perfection and the flavors just exploded in my mouth.

It was delicious.

Michelle, tell us about what you had at Spiga.

I would say my favorite thing that I had at Spiga was the simplest thing that any of us would be able to cook at home but it didn't taste anything like it.

We had regular spaghetti with a tomato sauce.

And the spaghetti pasta was homemade and perfectly cooked and lightly sauced so that you could taste the pasta and the sauce.

If you make spaghetti at home and sauce, once you go to this restaurant, you're not going to ever want to make it at home again, because it's that great there.

Chris, how was your experience?

What did you have at Spiga?

So I ordered the homemade crab ravioli and it was very good.

The moment that I tasted the ravioli I could taste the fresh crab, so that was very nice.

In addition to the ravioli, they added baby scallops on- around my plate, which was very good.

So it just gave me a very, very flavorful meal and experience.

That sounds delicious.

I love how you pretty much order seafood wherever you can, right?

You're a total seafood lover.

Absolutely, Yeah.

Absolutely.

Whenever I can get seafood, I will.

That's awesome.

How was the service there at Spiga?

The service for me was very good.

My waitress was very attentive and very respectful and also very helpful.

I ordered a rose for dessert and it was very, very good.

It was very sweet and it was really the perfect top off for my whole entire meal.

[michelle b] A rose wine?

Yes, it was a rose wine.

It's actually on the dessert menu.

They have, I believe two or three desserts, and then they had two different wines as a dessert option.

That sounds delicious, that's really smart.

And roses actually do compliment seafood unless it was a sweet one, so then it would go beautifully at the end.

Okay, Yes.

I love that.

Jodi, tell me a little bit about the atmosphere.

It gets pretty crowded there, right?

It does on the weekend.

If you go during the week, it's less crowded.

It's a neighborhood place so a lot of people that live in South Beach frequent there.

And the atmosphere is charming.

It's just quaint, it's charming, it's relaxing.

It's like you're in a little Italian villa.

It just sounds like the kind of place you want to go to like once a week.

Yeah, it is.

If you're an Italian food lover like myself, yes it is.

Well, Jodi, Spiga Ristorante Italiano was your pick, sum it up for us.

Yes, if you want a cozy spot with great homemade Italian pasta, go to Spiga's.

You'll have a great meal.

You'll feel a touch of Italy.

Chris?

Spiga's is the place for you if you're looking for authentic homemade pasta.

Michelle?

For great service and great food go to Spiga.

Well, you can get your homemade pasta and sauce when you visit Spiga Ristorante Italiano.

Located at 1228 Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.

They're open daily for dinner only, reservations are accepted, and the average price for dinner without drinks is about $40.

Oh, we've had such a wonderful time.

I want to thank my guests, Michelle Wallach, Chris Nowell, and Jodi Hirschtripp.

For more about the restaurants and recipes featured in the show or if you'd like to apply to be a guest reviewer, visit us at checkpleaseFL.com And remember to find us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram.

Join us next time for three new guests recommending three of their favorite restaurants right here on "Check, Please!

South Florida."

I'm Michelle Bernstein, and I will see you then.

Cheers, everyone!

Thank you.

[narrator] Cultural culinary secrets and global flavors.

We have a passion for blending ingredients and seasonings from around the world.