My friend and I decided to drive down to Sunny Isles Beach to dine at Alba this past Tuesday. The restaurant is owned by local celebrity Chef, Ralph Pagano (of Hell's Kitchen fame). What a ride from Boca it turned out to be. The unexpected traffic on 95, had us detouring on Atlantic Blvd where we ended up taking city streets like Dixie all the way down to Hallendale. Good thing we left plenty of time for our 7:00 pm reservation. (We left Boca at 4:30pm and finally arrived at the restaurant at 6:45pm; ready for a cocktail, is an understatement).
Alba is located in a boutique hotel on Sunny Isles Beach called Sole. Stepping through the front entrance doors, the lucite stairwell beacons one to come hither. Walking up clear stairs felt a little odd for both my friend and I, a sensation that neither of us had experienced before.
Once we made it to the top, we were warmly greeted and took a seat at the bar. It was unfortunate that they didn't have any happy hour pricing, and paying $12 and $14 per glass of wine was a bit steep, considering. But we forged on, knowing that we were saving money anyway by using our LocalDines certificate. (http://goo.gl/OvTISn)
After glancing over the simple yet refreshingly unique menu, we decided to start out with a few of their appetizers. The calamari was off the charts. It was dusted in graham cracker and served with cherry peppers and a delicious garlic aioli for dipping (they also had a marina sauce, but we both preferred the garlic aioli one, hands down).
The bacon wrapped dates which were stuffed with truffled honey and Gorgonzola were pretty awesome too.
The Kale Citrus Salad was light and perfectly balanced. The portion was generous and the perfect amount to share.
Although it took us forever to get there, it was well worth the road trip. I would highly recommend this place and will most likely plan one of my foodie events there in the future.
Alba Seaside Italian
| 17315 Collins Ave, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 |
www.albamiami.com
Until we eat again...
I send you delicious wishes, xo
Denise
C.F.O. (Chief Foodie Officer)
Denise's Foodie Events
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