Review: BLT Steak in Miami Beach
By John Tanasychuk, Sun Sentinel
Important: This article was last updated on August 5, 2010. Please call ahead to confirm hours, prices, dates and other information.
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 BLT Steak Betsy Hotel, 1440 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach 305- 673-0044 bltsteak.com Cuisine: American Cost: expensive Hours: lunch, dinner daily Reservations: strongly suggested Credit cards: all major Bar: full service Sound level: loud Outside smoking: yes For kids: high chairs, menu Wheelchair accessible: yes  |
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First impression: Restaurant critic to BLT restaurant group: When you open a restaurant in the lobby of a nearly 70-year-old hotel in subtropical South Beach, be sure you check the air conditioning. There's nothing worse than sweating while eating a $45 steak. Discomfort ruled dinner.Ambience: The colonial exterior of the Betsy belies the tropical chic interior, with many of the original architectural details from 1942. Guests sit at limed wood tables set with place mats on comfortable white upholstered chairs. Unfortunately, the room feels like a crowded bus station waiting room with the double front doors snapping open and closed -- letting in the South Florida heat.
Background: Chef Laurent Tourondel and his BLT Restaurant Group own restaurants around the world, including BLT Steak in New York City, Washington, D.C., San Juan, Puerto Rico and Hong Kong. There are also BLT Fish, BLT Prime and BLT Market restaurants. The South Beach restaurant opened in 2009.
Starters: Guests start with complimentary popovers, warm from the oven and served with incredibly fresh butter and a kind of chicken liver spread. Those eggy/airy starters along with salads and appetizers were the best part of the meal -- from standard issue Caesar ($12) to Beefsteak Tomato Salad with a ping of stilton ($13). The bronzed crab cake ($17) gets a nice assist from Meyer lemon dressing. Too bad the tuna tartar ($16) was so bland and served not quite cold enough, with some sort of greasy chips. A special of charred octopus ($18) with fava beans, shaved fennel, arugula and lemon vinaigrette was dry and tasteless. Perhaps the octopus had been overcooked before hitting the grill.
Entree excellence: While steak temperatures were fine, some steaks were served hot off the grill while others were served room temperature. The smoked rib eye ($48) had excellent flavor without tasting artificial, but a prime New York Strip ($43/16-ounces) and filet ($42/12-ounce) were bland.
Side issues: Be sure to order the tender parmesan gnocchi ($8) and braised English peas flavored with lardons and maple syrup ($9). The peas, as well as Maytag blue-risotto Tater Tots ($10) -- served cold, unfortunately -- were specials one night we dined. Onion rings ($9) were under seasoned.
Sweet!: We couldn't stand the thought of a hot souffle ($10) in the heat and bustle of this dining room.
Service: Shockingly unsophisticated. Our waitress on one visit thought we wanted to hear all about her personal troubles. We wanted to be pampered. Sitting inches away from the hostess stand, managers heard how warm we were. But our complaints went unheeded. Like so many South Beach restaurants, they probably figured we were tourists who'd never be back.
Contact dining correspondent John Tanasychuk at jtanasychuk@sunsentinel.com or write to him in care of Sun Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.