THE UNEXPECTED GOURMET By Joel Chusid It may look like a diner, but the food’s anything but! Just a short 15-minute ride from the main Miami Beach scene, The Gourmet Diner is a favorite among locals, but not generally known by visitors to the city. Owner Sia Hemmati was the proprietor of Jason’s Restaurant in Dallas a couple of decades back. The cuisine is seriously French. The list of daily appetizer and main course specials is brought to each table on a blackboard. Regulars don’t even waste time with the regular menu. Fresh seafood predominates, but chicken and red meats are also offered. Chef Frankie, from Haiti, has been serving up amazing haute cuisine for many years, his skills developed on the job over time. We opted to start with an enormous fresh chilled artichoke, served with a traditional mustard vinaigrette for dipping, and perfect fresh green asparagus. Escargot, mussels, pate and jumbo shrimp were other options. The French onion soup baked with Swiss cheese is legendary among regulars. We skipped the salad course, but some unique selections included mushroom and squid salad, spinach gorgonzola, and a mixed salad topped with fresh dolphin or tilapia. One of our main courses, selected from the specials, was Chilean Sea Bass Provençal, served with thinly sliced potatoes and a light broccoli soufflé. The other was called 4X4, a delectable dish of 4 each jumbo shrimp and tender scallops, served over rice in a tomato base. Desserts included amazing pastries, such as the largest Napoleon I’d ever seen, all prepared daily by famed pastry chef Dorothy Thompson. Service was prompt and congenial. Maitre d’ Jean, formerly of New York’s Tavern on the Green makes sure everyone is well taken care of. An extensive, varied wine list complements the food. Prices were on the high side of moderate, especially with the "diner" atmosphere, with appetizers ranging between $7-$11 and main courses $12-$22. Hanna’s Gourmet Diner, 13951 Biscayne Boulevard, North Miami Beach, Florida. (305)947-2255. Open 11am to 11pm daily; opens at 9am Friday-Sunday for breakfast. Beer and wine only. Get more "Jetset Dining with Joel Chusid" here. Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. The interactive components of this site require that you use a current browser version of Explorer; be sure to maximize your window out so you can see the entire page. This page was created by Inter Active Media Solutions.