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La Gamba, A Coconut Grove GemLa Gamba, A Coconut Grove GemBrings Flavors from BarcelonaBrings Flavors from Barcelona

Posted in May 21, 2015

By Dani Vicentini @FoodGazmz

A dim light shines through the terrace where the aroma of bread, garlic and fresh herbs lead the way toLa Gamba

Besides being cozy and charming, La Gamba defines what Coconut Grove is all about, unique and family-owned restaurants with a local vibe that are often overlooked.

Chef Agusti Comabella from La Gamba isn’t your average cook. Humbly he mentioned being privilegedenough to work with Ferran Adriá at El Bulli as well as being classmates with Chef Jose Andres at EscolaSuperior d’Hostaleria de Barcelona in Spain. “I bring a little bit of Barcelona to your table”, said ChefComabella. Here is the food lowdown and highlights of our meal:

LA GAMBA, A COCONUT GROVE GEM BRINGS FLAVORS FROMBARCELONA

(1) Gazpacho Andaluz:The tomato gazpacho was everything we expected from a traditional standpoint, it wasrefreshing, perfectly chilled and light with a smooth texture. The tomato flavor was the star of the dish followedby an aftertaste of cucumbers, a drizzle of olive oil and a celery sprig on top.

(2)Codfish Croquettes:“All of our croquettes are made with homemade béchamel sauce and no potatoes”,affirmed Miguel Van Den Oever, the owner’s son. And oh boy, he was right. These creamy finger-shapedstarters were crunchy on the outside and piping hot on the inside. There was a perfect balance between thecodfish and the squid ink sauce for dipping that wasn’t overpowering.

(3)Serrano Ham Croquettes:There is nothing better than biting into little pieces of Serrano ham in yourcroquette. They were savory and buttery with a pungent taste of jamon Serrano, imported every two weeksfrom Spain. Personally, we liked the croquettes on their own and had no need to dip them in a fresh mademarinara sauce that came on the side.

(4) Oxtail Croquettes:The best part about this dish is that we haven’t seen this style of croquette in any otherSpanish restaurant in Miami and…we love us some oxtail.

(5) Sautéed artichokes with Iberian ham:One of the dishes that we enjoyed the most was the sautéedartichoke. Sometimes the simplest ingredients make up the finest flavors. These green and long-stemmedbeauties had a lovely char with a slight vinegar taste, and they couldn’t go wrong with some brunoise Iberianham on top.

(6)Pan con Tomate:Simple, toasted artisan bread (shipped from Spain every week) rubbed with tomatoes anddrizzled with extra virgin olive oil. It’s all in the quality of the bread.

(7) Calamares a la andaluza:What is better than French fries? Deep-fried calamari that taste like French fries.These “chipirones” were crunchy, salty and meant to be dunk in a homemade aioli.

(8) Merluza en salsa verde:Our favorite entrée of the night was the Hake in parsley and a white wine saucewith grilled shrimp and steamed clams. The Hake was resting on a bed of sliced potatoes with the creamywhite wine sauce on top. Did we mention they import all of their seafood from Spain every week? This dish waslight accompanied by a side of asparagus.

(9)Arroz Meloso with Carabinieros:This brothy rice with Scarlet prawns or Carabinieros was rich andflavorful. The rice was al dente in a broth made from scratch. Speaking of ‘made from scratch’, everything in

the restaurant is made one hundred percent from scratch in their kitchen.

(10) Mousse de chocolate artisanal: Maria Elena Otero is not only the owner of La Gamba, but also themastermind behind all the desserts at the restaurant. This chocolate mousse is made from premiumVenezuelan cacao, El Rey (75% cacao with pink salt crystals and olive oil), a must-try for the chocolate loversout there.

(11)Tarta de Manchego:After trying 10 different dishes, it is hard to even believe that our favorite was the 11one. This is a 13-month aged Manchego cheese with raisins and a forest berry coulis. But it is not a cheese perse; it is a Manchego Cheese Tart, with a cheesecake texture. We have been won over.

La Gamba is located at 3437 Main Hwy Coconut Grove, FL 33133 (786) 464-0908.

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