Peacock Garden Cafe, Miami, FL

Cuisine, atmosphere and amazing service simultaneously converged on our recent Peacock Garden Cafe "nosh-down of decadence" to create one unforgettable brunch experience.

The first of our many sensual "asides" during our Peacock visit came in the form of an almost magical garden setting on a perfect February morning in south Florida (YOU PEOPLE suffering all the ice storms this winter have a "hall pass" to hate).  You may also feel free to snicker at me when I'm already sweating my makeup off in March.

First up:  Very Berry Mimosas served in one quart Ball jars. Our charming server had them "extra spiked" due to a slight delay in their delivery.  I've slurped more than my share of mimosas in my day and can honestly say that these set the bar.  What must've been half a bottle of sparkling wine infused with the juices of mixed berries was presented...truly an "all day sucker".  A teeny, long-stemmed spoon comes with so you can eat the strawberries, blueberries and blackberries at the bottom of the jar when you finally manage to finish this gigantic libation...in the hope, I suppose, that their antioxident properties will earn you a modicum of forgiveness from your liver.  There was no skimping on UD's Mojito, either.

Ms. Fussy and I couldn't resist the lure of Fresh Corn Soup, which didn't disappoint.  As opposed to the chunky "chowder" texture I was expecting, it was a sweet and silky concoction that almost brought creamy Butternut Squash Soup to mind.  Delightful as well as beautiful.

Underdog kept a firm grip on his basket of moist banana nut bread.  I asked to "see" it so I could take a photo, but was informed that I should "see" with my eyes when I tried to pilfer a tiny bite.  Who is this cold-hearted bastard I married???

My beloved ordered the massive $13 Chicken Pot Pie as his main course, which was gorgeous in all ways.  While the filling wasn't as thick as expected (Banquet clearly contributed zero inspiration for this dish), the protein, cream sauce and veggies were uber flavorful and the crust was sheer perfection.  The little black skillet it came in was practically licked clean by the time UD had his way with it.

My Monte Cristo Special (brioche french toast stuffed with turkey, swiss cheese and bacon) was served lightly dusted with powdered sugar along with a sidecar of maple syrup. It was supposed to come with fruit...but since I was already halfway to caloric hell, I forged ahead and requested fried potatoes instead (which were hot, crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside, just as God intended). There are worse things in life than going up a pants size. This was a $12 entree and I could've made three meals out of it.  Prices at Peacock Garden Cafe are almost astonishingly affordable considering the quality and quantity of the menu items and its beautiful and trendy Coconut Grove location.

Our dining companion and hostess with the mostest, Ms. Fussy, is apparently a creature of habit and orders the Cheeseburger regularly.  While I'm not that much of a "burger gurl" myself, it was a fine looking and tasting rendition if I must say.  The accompanying matchstick fries were so addicting that our stellar server finally said "let me take this away or you will continue to pick at them all day". The "Fuss" conveyed her sincere thanks as well as that of her future significant other and we all laughed our asses off (something I pray will one day be literally possible).

As it was the spousal unit's Birthday Weekend, the order of the universe would've certainly spiraled into disarray had there been no dessert.  Doing his part to keep the earth from ripping itself from its orbit and hurtling toward the sun, my Superhero bravely requested (and more boldly yet, managed to Hoover down) the Peacock's splendid rendition of Tarte Tatin.  Swoonworthy.

Final word:  Fabulous!

http://jaguarhg.com/peacockspot/


My blog entries contain the unmitigated, and sometimes unforgiving, dining truths and perceptions I experience as an ordinary restaurant patron. Every meal I post about has been fully paid for by one of the participating members of my personal dining party. I do not engage in the gratis blogger freebie dining events I'm constantly invited to attend and never will. If I ooze font-like love for a restaurant in my blog, it's because they totally earned it…not because they gave me free food or knew I was going to share the experience on the internet.