Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli is behind many of our favorite things to eat in Miami. There’s his carbonara at Eating House with an egg yolk mixed in at the table. And the patate fritte at Luca with its, uh, egg yolk mixed in at the table.
But even his non-egg-yolk dishes make his two Coral Gables restaurants longtime favorites, especially among those who decide where to eat based on the quality of food and not necessarily the restaurant’s design.
Rapicavoli’s latest venture takes over the restaurant at the historic Mayfair House Hotel & Garden in Coconut Grove, and his recipe that’s worked elsewhere—serving things that taste good in otherwise plain spaces—translates well here, too.
Although calling the Mayfair Grill “plain” is not entirely accurate. Inside, it’s a pretty simple-looking hotel restaurant. But out back, you’ll find tables scattered around a handsome fountain, with a leafy vestibule of the hotel rising above. (Consider coordinating your visit with the weather app if you prefer an outdoor ambiance.)
As for the menu, this is a live-fire concept built around the hefty Josper grill setup just off the dining room. The dishes I had on a recent visit were done similarly to those at other Rapicavoli restaurants, like the avocado caprese, which subs out tomatoes for avocado chunks arranged around a nice hunk of burrata—a straightforward and quite excellent dish. The clams come in a broth worthy of the accompanying crusty bread, the shells serving as scooping vessels for earthy white beans and zippy chorizo.
Much of the menu is Argentine: skirt steak with chimichurri rojo, pork churrasco with pineapple and a pepper-crusted filet. Because the chicken at Luca is seriously one of my favorite dishes on the planet, I ordered it here too. Again, it’s similar: a half chicken, flattened, tender, crispy-skinned. But here, it’s Latinified with a spicy salsa verde and grilled lemon for tartness. The buttery mushrooms we got on the side were dotted with a rich chimichurri, and the semolina pesto pasta had a brightness from not-hot jalapeno, basil and cashews, breadcrumbs and stracciatella on top for an extra crunch and richness.
Like Rapicavoli’s other spots, the Mayfair Grill’s dining room isn’t going to serve as the Instagram backdrop for the latest Russian-model-turned-food-reviewer. But it is a fine addition to the list of restaurants liked by those who simply enjoy eating good food.