Himmarshee Bar and Grill, Fort Lauderdale.....Fresh Fusion....A Good Reason to Venture Downtown
Written: Nov 19 '04 (Updated Nov 20 '05)
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Pros: Creative cooking offered in an agreeable setting
Cons: Small restaurant--you should have a reservation
The Bottom Line: The Himmarshee Bar and Grill is a great place for clever cooking and great people watching. Very pleasant seating on the sidewalk as well.
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| tombarnes's Full Review: Himmarshee Bar and Grille |
There's been a lot of talk about the Himmarshee Bar and Grill lately. As you might expect, it's all been good. Downtown Fort Lauderdale has a number of new restaurants, but this one has been here for about three years. It didn't take them long to gain a strong local following.
The Location
Just around the corner from the shops and restaurants of the Las Olas Riverfront, the Himmarshee Bar and Grill holds its own in the rushing tide of new restaurants. The restaurant is fairly small, so be sure to plan ahead. Our first attempt at having lunch there was thwarted by a private party.
The atmosphere is smartly casual, with little pretension. Don't expect it to be cheap or even inexpensive, though. The atmosphere simply fits in well with the casual lifestyle of South Florida, where long pants constitute dressing up for the evening.
The Menu
The menu is eclectic, yet rooted in the local cuisine. This means lots of fresh fish and other local products, accented on occasion with Cuban and Caribbean inflections. The atmosphere, especially in the sidewalk cafe, is especially nice, but there is more to do here than look around at all of the pretty people. No, this place can stand on its own with its solid cooking. The dinner menu changes, so I shall not concentrate upon that in this review.
First Course
Where to begin? The menu offered a number of choices, but the Doc had her heart set upon the Tomato Salad ($8.00). Visions of the perfect tomatoes at the Greek Islands were still dancing in her head, so when the salad arrived, she had an unpleasant reality check. How can one ruin a simple tomato salad with ricotta cheese, pesto, pickled onions and balsamic syrup? Add a few hurricanes into the picture and you get tomatoes which are less than fresh. If the tomatoes had been better, the salad would have been just fine.
I fared better with my selection. The Chorizo Taquitos ($8.00 as well) drew me in with the promise of fire. In truth, I couldn't have been more incorrect about the heat factor, but I was still delighted to find the two crunchy corn tortillas (thin and very tightly wrapped) stuffed with zesty sausage, jack cheese and colored with bright bits of tomato and avocado. Instead of a flaming hot sauce, a deeply subtle mole had been deftly employed. The dish exhibited the robust Mexican cooking typical of Rick Bayless at Topolobampo in Chicago, not the clumsy tortillas of your average Tex-Mex place.
The Nut Crusted Goat Cheese Salad ($9.00) is something I might have tried if I hadn't already committed myself to the taguitos. With tart granny smith apples, baby greens, a sherry vinaigrette and port syrup, this looked like a winner. In 80+ degree weather, the Butternut Squash Soup ($6.00) didn't strike our fancy, but their treatment with apples, gorgonzola and chives did seem more interesting than the usual bowl of yellow mush. They must have had a surfeit of squash in the kitchen that day, as Butternut Squash Purses ($9.00) were also featured. The brown butter with sage, shiitake mushrooms, pecans and parmesan seemed as good a finish as any they could have dreamed up.
Main Course
We were her for a fairly simple lunch, so the $9.00 prix fixe (including parking and a soft drink or iced tea) menu seemed the right choice. Not a bad deal at all for this restaurant.
The Grilled Lamb Kabob called out to the Doc, in spite of its similarity to her first course. Served with more tomatoes, cucumber salad, roasted red peppers and a yogurt sauce, the kabob was quite generous. I tried a bit of it myself and found the lamb tasty, if possibly overcooked for my taste. The pita bread was unremarkable, but pita bread is usually unremarkable anyway.
Again, I fared better with my choice of the Char-Grilled Basil Stuffed Sirloin Burger. While this may appear pedestrian, it's actually one of the specialties of the house. A very plump burger is stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese and fresh basil and served with nearly perfect shoestring fries. Even the dill pickle on the side was crisp, cold and fresh, not one of those nasty overheated limp things lingering under the bun. Like an omelet, a burger is a good way to test the talents of a kitchen. Chances are that if they can't do a simple burger correctly, they aren't up to much in their kitchen. I'm happy to report that they came through with flying colors on this small test.
Had we not gorged ourselves on fish the day before, we might have been tempted by the Sauteed Snapper with fingerling potatoes, shallots, French beans, tomato coulis and tapenade. The Thyme Crusted Salmon is another dish for which this restaurant is known. Other options included more pedestrian fare like Penne Pasta with chicken, French beans (I suppose they mean haricots vert), balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese.
The dinner menu is quite varied and is considerably more expensive. We will be sure to return one fine evening for dinner.
Dessert
The Doc doesn't like to be without dessert, even at lunch. The flourless chocolate cake we shared was somewhat similar to the molten one we enjoyed at Mark's in South Beach. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was entirely comparable, but it was good enough. The homemade vanilla ice cream was excellent as well, and a good antidote to the rich chocolate custard filling of the cake. Why stop there? We didn't. Cappuccino and coffee followed, if only so we could continue to sit outside and watch the passing parade. This is a great place to sit and watch people.
Service
The service began efficiently enough, if only to dwindle down to something less than assiduous. I think our server may have been distracted by the screaming child at the next table. Note to parents....this is NOT a good place to bring your child, even for lunch. The atmosphere is perhaps too bibulous in the evening for this to be an appropriate place for children.
Cost
We spent perhaps $50.00 on our lunch for two, but you can expect to spend at least $45.00 or $50.00 per person at dinner. The wine list is varied, but is not a central feature of the restaurant. Think mojitos on the balcony and you will be in the right groove here.
Reservations Etc.
For lunch, you are unlikely to need a reservation, but you may well find the place full when you arrive. At dinner, I'd strongly advise booking ahead at all times. There is no dress code here, but you would likely want to wear something casual and smart in the evening. One of the better things about their lunch deal is that it includes free valet parking. In the evening, I think valet parking is included as well. They take MasterCard, Amex and Visa gladly. The same owners also run the restaurant next door, Tarpon Bend (to be reviewed shortly).
Open as follows:
Monday-Thursday- 11:30 AM- 10:30 PM
Friday 11:30 AM- 11:30 PM
Saturday 6:00 PM- 11:30 PM
Sunday 6:00 PM- 10:30 PM
Himmarshee Bar and Grill
210 Southwest Second Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-1822
Tel. 954-524-1818
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Reserve ahead, casual dress, though dress smartly
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
tombarnes
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 - Top 100 |
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Member: Thomas Barnes
Location: Fort Lauderdale & Washington, DC
Reviews written: 684
Trusted by: 441 members
About Me:
With Barbara in Miami, 2004
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