Café Milano is Bellisimo
 
by Nancy Powell
Culinary/Special Events Columnist

Be prepared for a wonderful evening at Café Milano (just south of 9th Street on Ocean Drive) in the heart of South Beach. Established in 1991, this lovely, Italian restaurant has been a mainstay of the area; low-key and rustic in décor with whimsical artwork, a well-attended bar, informal seating, facilities for functions, and comfortable menu offerings to please anyone’s tastes.
 
Patio-style seating, under hunter green umbrellas and cooling fans, offers the perfect vantage point for people-watching. An ideal start is Café Milano’s delicious San Daniele imported proscuitto, tomato and fresh mozzarella “skizza,” their crispy Etruscan flatbread pizza. Drizzle their homemade hot oil gently across the toppings for a little kick! The menu is extensive with traditional options with a twist; antipasto, garlic-rubbed ciabatta bruschetta, Tuscan herb fries dusted with parmesan and smoked pepper-mustard mayo, warm roasted asparagus with radicchio, crumbled boiled eggs, grana cheese and truffle oil.

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Honestly, you could build an entire meal around their fabulous appetizers and salads but then, you would miss out on some spectacular specialties; such as “Burn your fingers” lamb chops, grilled rosemary chicken breast, slowly-braised ossobuco, hearty vegetable stew crostini, and Café Milano’s snapper; a delight to behold, glistening, moist and meaty! An entire snapper is grilled, filet at the table, and served with an assortment of grilled vegetables. A generous cut of veal chop, delicately breaded, is topped with arugula, endive and chopped tomato salad tossed in extra virgin olive oil and quality balsamico. Add sides of chirizo-spiked mashed potatoes, Sicilian pepper stew or garlic-broccoli rabe. There are over a dozen Seminola or homemade pastas; from simple arrabbiata (olive oil, garlic and red-pepper flakes) to more exciting dishes; spinach lasagna of béchamel and parmesan-meat sauce; dumplings stuffed with arugula, walnuts and imported Italian cheeses; seafood medleys of lobster, shrimp, mussels and scallops. Of course, if you are feeling adventurous…try the “whatever the chef feels like doing with the risotto today” special!

The desserts are beautiful; luscious lava cakes that ooze chocolate sauce accompanied with hazelnut gelato; light and creamy seasonal NY-style ricotta cheesecake with Sicilian cannolo, caramel sauce and strawberries; tiramisu Milano, and homemade chocolate-chocolate chip cannolli with mocha ice cream. For a wonderful South Beach dining experience, delightful Italian fare, a knowledgeable and charming staff, visit Café Milano.
 
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PHOTO IDS
 
1. Burn your fingers lambchops
2. Elegant patio dining
3. Proscuitto “skizza”
4. Truffle-braised veal stuffed ravioli
5. Whole snapper supreme
 
Photos by Nancy Powell