Miami and Los Fuegos
“You know what would make for a pretty epic birthday?” I asked Dan as we pulled into The Confidante hotel in mid-beach Miami.
“If we got to eat dinner at Los Fuegos AND Francis Mallmann happened to be at the restaurant. Too bad he’s in New York right now…” I sulked.
Francis Mallmann is an Argentinean chef from Patagonia, who Dan and I found out about while watching the first season of Chef’s Table on Netflix.
Between the stunning cinematography and Mallmann’s romantic love affair with fire and food, we knew that we had to make the trip down to Miami soon after to experience his pit cooking firsthand. The trouble was, Mallmann is a bit of a vagabond and pretty hard to keep track of, so there was no way to know for sure if he’d be at Los Fuegos when we actually got down there.
One of Mallmann’s favorite Friedrich Nietzsche quotes is “You must be ready to burn yourself in your own flame; how could you rise anew if you have not first become ashes?”
We decided that getting to try his food, even if he wasn’t there, was worth it to us, and it would be a pretty fun way to celebrate my 29th birthday.
Dan and I checked into The Confidante on Friday evening and were immediately charmed by the mid-century modern vibe of the hotel. Not to mention it had two pools, two restaurants, palm trees, poolside AND beachside service. Yes please!
Friday night we grabbed dinner with some of my family at Alter in Wynwood and checked out a few art galleries before calling it a night. We spent most of Saturday hopping between the beach and the pool, drinking iced coffee, and of course, memorizing the menu at Los Fuegos.
While scrolling through my Instagram feed, I saw a post from Mallmann and felt my heart nearly leap out of my chest: HE WAS HERE! IN MIAMI!! In a moment of pure bliss and desperation, I commented on the picture asking him to stay until dinner that night. Moments later, I received a direct message FROM THE CHEF HIMSELF.
“Are you coming to Faena tonight?”
I don’t think I stopped smiling the rest of the day. We got all fancied up, got to Faena House and were greeted by massive 25-foot paintings depicting the life of hotel founder Alan Faena in a lobby that reminded me of the MET Museum. Outside, in a large glass encased box, was a full-sized Mammoth skeleton plated in gold. Some might say it was gaudy, but I just think they are jealous. ;)
We were seated at 7:30 pm, which must have been early for a Miami dinner because no one else showed up until 8:15 pm.
Fine by us.
We were too busy enjoying some great rosé and empanadas to notice we were alone. For dinner, we enjoyed Mediterranean Branzino and Wagyu NY Strip and we topped it all off with Mallmann's favorite dessert: mille-feuille (napoleon).
Around the time we finished up and we’re settling our tummies with some decaf coffee and chamomile tea, we heard the room grow quiet. In the doorway stood Francis Mallmann — looking regal in his stark white chef’s coat and signature red spectacles tucked into his front pocket. If you watch Chef’s Table, you’d know that he’s quite the romantic charmer, but I couldn’t help but giggle thinking about what a cute old man he was.
He came over to our table and we chatted for a few minutes and then was kind enough to allow Dan to take a photo of the two of us. And then just as easily as he had slipped in, he floated off to the next table and we were left to pick our jaws up off the floor and try not to look like hysterical little kids.
The food at Los Fuegos was worth the price, but meeting Mallmann was worth the trip.
It was honestly better than I could have ever imagined it and I am so glad we got to meet him and experience one of Miami’s most prized possessions. I’m so glad that Dan and I share a passion for food and that he made this such an incredible weekend for me.
We enjoyed our quick weekend in Miami but know we also missed out on a lot of coffee spots and Cuban bakeries that we didn't get a chance to visit, but we will make sure to check out next time.
What are your favorite spots in Miami?
#HowIFlorida
