Taste Of The Town: Clean, Simple Argentine Favorites Served In Little Haiti Eatery
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MIAMI(CBSMiami) -- In the center of Little Haiti off 55th street and NE 2nd Avenue lies a hidden gem known as Fiorito. Owned by brothers Max and Christian Alvarez. Fiorito is all about clean and simple food - the way Argentinean food is meant to be.
"It is here in Little Haiti right next to The Miami Design District right, next to El Portal , Miami Shores and Biscayne Park . We saw the whole thing up and coming and we liked the vibe and the contrast and being in a place we don't belong to represent what we are- a little hidden gem," said Max.
Max runs the front of the house and Christian is the chef.
"It's all the food I love," said Chef Christian.
"We opened it up three years ago trying to do an Argentinean bodegon. It's a place where a lot of family comes in together: his wife and my wife, we are all working together," said Max.
The name is an ode to Villa Fiorito, a suburb of Buenos Aires known for being the childhood home of Diego Armando Maradona, one of the best soccer players of all time. The food is inspired by the brothers' childhood.
"We do have Argentinean churrasco and fritas which is something classic. We can also find an influence of Spain and Italy. We do great octopus, have good pasta and have sausages and sweetbreads," Max explained.
CBS4's Lisa Petrillo tried her first dish - "Pulpo a la Plancha" - a crispy octopus in Romesco sauce served with roasted peppers and mint chimichurri.
"So this dish makes me happy. It has so much flavor and color and then the octopus seared on the outside is very tender on the inside. It really works," Petrillo said.
Next up was a Portobello salad with bell peppers, tomatoes, greens, balsamic syrup and blue cheese.
"It has so much flavor. The salad is light but it has gusto so you could make it a meal if you wanted to on a hot summer, which it is," Petrillo said.
Next on the list was a Fiorito specialty - "Bife de Chorizo."
It's a New York Strip Steak served with grilled tomato and eggplant.
"If you're thinking of going to Argentina, you need come here to Fiorito. You have to have this steak - trust me. It's so juicy and a great sear with all the spices on it. It's a delicious steak," Petrillo gushed.
Fiorito - It's simple, straightforward and authentically Argentinean.
Fiorito is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Click here for more information
CBS4's Lisa Petrillo would love to hear from you. Please send us a suggestion for your #HiddenGems spot at tasteofthetown@cbs.com. You can also contact Lisa through Twitter or Facebook.
