THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Astor Place

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Astor Place Restaurant Review:

Johnny Vinczencz---aka Johnny V, aka the Caribbean Cowboy---is one of Miami’s most acclaimed chefs. After a brief hiatus from Astor Place, a restaurant situated downstairs from the chic lobby of the boutique Hotel Astor, Vinczencz has returned with old signatures and new tricks. The signatures include the portobello pancake shortstack with balsamic syrup and sun-dried tomato butter. The tricks comprise a sensational Jamaican jerk veal tenderloin with spinach-callaloo stew and coconut-yuca cakes. Whereas Vinczencz first made his mark with innovative combinations of American and tropical flavors, his emphasis has shifted to include more Mediterranean ingredients, as in his pan-seared yellowtail snapper with cannellini beans, broccoli rapini, and tiny clams. Asian influences are evident as well, but no matter what world ingredients are being used, the tastes are consistently clean and robust. The crowd’s hip, the wine selection’s nice, but bargains are just not to be had.