Three-course lunch menu at Cantina La Veinte's a great deal
...and you shouldn't miss out on it. Chef Santiago Gomez and his staff are working their magic in the kitchen at Cantina La Veinte and at $25 for three courses, you're gonna want to make several visits to keep trying new items.I'd been to Cantina a few years ago and loved it but had forgotten about their beautiful bay front view.When handed the menu I was pleasantly overwhelmed by all the choices. My friend and I decided to stick with the usual plan, order in a way that we could sample as many different items as possible.
They've got a nice selection of signature cocktails and margaritas for $5 on the lunch menu which are a refreshing way to start any meal.
Appetizer choices are plenty and we tried the tuna tostadas and the jumbo lump crab cake. The tostadas were topped with tender tuna tartar, housemade guacamole, chipotle mayo and crispy leeks. The layers of crispy/crunchy from the leeks and tostada with a bite of fresh tuna in between made for the perfect combo. The crab cake was served alongside lime mayonnaise for dipping and topped with cilantro and delicate greens. It was filled with hearty crab and fried to crispy perfection.
We continued with the seafood theme for lunch, choosing the grilled octopus and Branzino a la plancha for the entrees. The seared scallops were a surprise from the Chef, thanks so much! Lately, I just love the purees chefs are coming up with and the turnip puree served with the Branzino here, oh my, my, my, it was great with the delicate fish. I also loved the plating of the octopus and the way they served the tentacles and the tender pieces together. It's served with a pineapple salsa and although I'm not a fan of pineapple, I really liked this. The succulent scallops, seared and served with another delicious celery and roasted poblano puree, were beautifully adorned with dainty flowers.
Chef also brought a signature dessert out as a surprise along with the churros we ordered. The churros were light and crispy with a generous dusting of cinnamon sugar and cajeta sauce for dipping. The surprise was the vegan blueberry panacotta chia pudding. Healthy, beautiful and creamy dreamy. Both were a hit.
I leave you with this...go order the scallops and marvel at the presentation, it's like dinner theater, and by all means, go try any of their other entrees or appetizers, there are 12 of each so lots of potential combinations.
Also, make sure to check out the incredible work Chef Santiago is doing with fellow local chefs via Recipes for Change where they're cooking meals from the heart at Camillus House. Follow them on Instagram @recipesforchange.
Cantina La Veinte, 495 Brickell Ave., Miami, (786) 623-6135.
