So I’m cruising through Instagram and see these posts from my foodie friends. These amaze-balls pictures of food that are so beautifully presented it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. I knew right then I needed to check this place out — so I did.
The place is Piripi, Spanish slang for tipsy, feeling a little buzzed, you know, happy. The food is spectacular and Chef Najat Kaanache is a rock star. But how can she not be? Najat’s been doing it up at Michellin-starred kitchens like French Laundry, Per Se, Alinea and El Bulli. If restaurants got Academy Awards these places would all have Oscars so it’s safe to say she picked up a trick or two along the way.
Our meal started with Pa Amb Oli ($6) a crusty warm bread with crushed tomato and salt drizzled with olive oil. Whoever said man can not live on bread alone LIED!!! I could easily live on this bread alone. No Spanish meal would be complete without an assortment of Jamones Ibericos (cured hams) and cheeses and there are plenty to choose from at Piripi. Setas Salteadas ($14) wild mushrooms sauteed in traditional Spanish wine called txakoli were cooked to buttery perfection. We ate the Gambas del Paraiso ($28), or prawns from paradise, with our hands as per Chef Najat’s instructions. Those little beady eyed beauties were bad ass good. And speaking of good the Bacalao a Pil Pil ($26), the Basque cod, was so flaky and fluffy and light. It was like biting into a cloud. Last but not least there are 5 different types of Arroces (paellas) to choose from. We had the lobster, crawfish and shrimp ($39) but really it doesn’t matter which you pick, you won’t be disappointed. Leave room for dessert and order the choco planeta ($15), the chocolate planet, featuring chocolate in every texture you can dream up.
The meal was out of this world and just like the name I left feeling tipsy, happy, a little buzzed and high on life from an unforgettable dining experience.
Belkys Best Bite: Bacalao a Pil Pil
Piripi
Village of Merrick Park
320 San Lorenzo
Coral Gables, FL
305-448-2423
www.Piripi.com
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