1350 S. DIXIE HWY, CORAL GABLES
THESISHOTELMIAMI.COM
By VANESSA C. GUZMAN
ORNO OBSESSED
Located inside the Thesis Hotel Miami in Coral Gables is the upscale restaurant Orno. Orno focuses on New American cuisine centered around locally sourced vegetables, the highest quality meats, and sustainably caught seafood. Wood-fired culinary creations are complemented by specialty cocktails in a sophisticated yet laid-back ambiance. This is Chef Niven Patel’s newest venture that offers an exciting spin on American cuisine and classic drinks to delight all of your senses. My guest and I were quite impressed when walking into the restaurant with both the décor and the wooden theme throughout, as well as the open-kitchen concept.
OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE
Once my guest and I were seated at our table, we looked through their impressive menu. We started the night off by making a toast to the evening with a glass of Pinot Noir and a cocktail called Love…Pedro is handcrafted with Brugal 1888, mole bitters, orange, and garnished with a piece of dark chocolate. This cocktail was inspired by the novelist Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate a literary classic. Next, for starters, we opted for their Green Chickpea Hummus, topped with pickled beets, and freshly made hot Za’atar pita bread. All of these top-notch ingredients work well together, from the creamy texture of the hummus to the tartness of the pickled beets. It’s scrumptious! For our main course, I chose the Alaskan Halibut made with Marcona Almond Romesco sauce and cured orange. This fish was cooked perfectly; it was tender and flaky. My guest chose the Australian Lamb Chops, cooked to perfection in the woodfired oven and accompanied by medjool dates, banyuls vinegar, and coriander sauce. The lamb had a delightful smoky savor and was cooked flawlessly. We also ordered a side of Charred Sunchokes. Sunchokes are a tubular-shaped, thin-skinned root vegetable of the sunflower plant family that taste delightful with a nutty, sweet flavor.
KNOWLEDGE IS THE FOOD OF THE SOUL
For dessert, we ordered the highly recommended Dark Chocolate Soufflé that comes accompanied with espresso ice cream and garnished with cocoa nib praline. The Dark Chocolate Soufflé was warm and had a delectable gooey center. The combination of the chocolate, espresso, and praline flavors balanced each other incredibly well. If chocolate isn’t your thing, don’t fret because they have other dessert options like Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta with pomegranate granita and cured orange and Homestead Bananas Foster prepared with almond crumble and Brugal 1888 Rum. A quick note to know when you visit Orno is that nestled within Orno is The Library, an intimate private dining room featuring 20 seats set to the backdrop of the whimsically designed colorful bookshelf. The Library hosts The Bookclub, a monthly program centered around bespoke, educational tasting experiences. I can’t wait to come back to try more dishes!
