Miramar – New York

I managed to have the opportunity to have dinner with Phoebe, her now fiance Voltron, Mr T and some other cousins that live in or close to Manhattan. I just supplied the date and time and Mr T suggested the restaurant. I did find it coincidental that he picked a place called Miramar, the Wellington suburb I grew up in. We were a party of 9 including two young children and worked out perfectly for our party.

P.E.I. Mussels

Sauteed in White Wine with Herbs and Garlic

These mussels are very small compared to the green lip mussels we get in New Zealand. However, they were nicely cooked and had heaps of garlic in them. Although the mussels were small they packed a lot of flavour and were quite sweet.

Calamari

Crispy Fried Calamari with Marinara Sauce

There was a lot of calamari on this dish and a lot of marinara sauce. The calamari was fresh and tender. The seasoning was nice and the coating was crisp. I didn’t have the opportunity to try the marinara sauce. However, I usually just like mine with lemon.

Tuna Tartar

With Avacado, Crispy Shallots, and Soy Sesame Dressing

This was really nice. I loved the dressing and the tuna was nice. Adding the avocado and this was a really nice dish.

Diver Scallops

Pan – Seared with Mixed Baby Greens

I was surprised to see how big these scallops actually were. They were nicely pan-fried, seasoned and fresh. What else can you ask for in scallops?

Miramar Seafood Linguine

Shrimp, Scallops, Clams, Mussels, and Calamari in Marinara Sauce 

I was surprised to see how much seafood was actually in this dish. The scallops were big, it was packed with a good amount of clams and mussels and had at least three big whole shrimps in there. The seafood was fresh and there was a good amount of marinara sauce that it did not overpower the seafood or to drip onto your clothes while eating it. The pasta was nicely cooked and overall nicely seasoned. Overall a nice dish with the marinara sauce being quite basic and allowing the seafood to tell the story.

Pan Fried Fish: Cod

Mr T ordered this for the table. I only tried the fish as I had plenty of food that I needed to finish already on my plate. The fish was grilled perfectly and the cod was really nice and flakey. It had a nice grilled flavour and nice and fresh. However, I still think that blue cod is my favourite fish.

Tiramisu, Pistachio Cake and Cheese Cake

Another cousin ordered the desserts to share. The Baked Cheesecake was really nice and was creamy and smooth and had a nice lemon touch to it. The Pistachio Cake was alright. I couldn’t taste the pistachio and was filled with fake cream. The Tiramisu had a good coffee taste and was my favourite. Also, as a bit of a bonus, we also got some gelato. The gelato was served in its respected fruit skin. The coconut was nice and had a good coconut flavour and the lemon was really nice and refreshing.

Overall a really nice dinner at Miramar and really good company with my whanau. The service was really good and the serving sizes were very generous, but standard in the USA. This place also has a nice outdoor seating area, which overlooks the river. Also, a typical Italian American meal was we got complimentary bread, which was really nice, but I do wonder why American butter is so pale in colour.

Address: 21 South End Ave, New York

Website: Miramar