Pulling up to Edan Bistro—where the parking is miraculously free, I might add—is like landing in San Sebastian for a meal. Chef Aitor Garate Berasaluze is the chef and owner (and server and occasional busser—he’s committed!) of this modest Spanish restaurant in North Miami, and the Basque region native is pouring years of experience and limitless dedication into every detail.
Formerly of Lur, chef Aitor cooks the kind of ingredient-forward, technique-heavy Basque dishes you’d expect from the Spanish region’s Michelin-starred restaurants (where he also happens to have worked).
At Edan, his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, diners can order á la carte at brunch and dinner, but the latter offers a special eight-course tasting menu you’d be remiss to skip. It’s a bargain at $100 and includes highlights like scallop carpaccio over crispy parmesan toast with a basil emulsion and micro greens and crispy mushroom croquetas with a black garlic emulsion and smoked shiitake.
Most of the dishes on the tasting menu change often because the chef is so meticulous about ingredients. The night I dined, I enjoyed crab with some kind of sunflower-seed sauce and soul-warming cauliflower soup. Both were rich, complex bites that lingered on the brain long after the meal had ended. Luckily, the Basque cheesecake is a constant and a must whether you’re going full hog or stopping in for a bite. It’s just that good.
Chef Aitor, also an experienced sommelier, will happily offer a wine pairing for some or all of your dishes. It’s terrific if you’re interested in sampling some lesser-known Spanish wines. Take him up on the offer, even if it’s just for one glass.