Beginning with this story, each issue of Global Miami will interview one of the leading CEOs in Greater Miami, with two questions: Where would you take a client for a formal luncheon, and where would you go for a less formal “guilty pleasure.” For our inaugural spotlight, we interviewed Carlos Fernandez-Guzman, president and CEO of Pacific National Bank on Brickell Avenue, in the heart of the city’s financial district. These were his choices.
FORMAL: DON’T CRY FOR ME
1453 SOUTH MIAMI AVE.
305.200.5606
PM Buenos Aires Fish & Steak House is situated in a cavernous space on the edge of the Brickell District, its walls done in red brick, with exposed duct works and heavy wooden floors. An iron spiral staircase and amber lamps also encased in cast iron grids exude industrial chic – enhanced by photos of heavy cranes and cargo at Puerto Novo. The idea here is porteño authenticity, “the best of Argentine gastronomy,” expressed in homemade chorizo sausages, empanadas, beef bouillon, and charcoal-grilled provoleta cheese. There is plenty of fish on the menu, but we stayed with the flavorful meats that Argentina’s pampas are famous for, trying the skirt steak and the pincanha. Both superb. The service here is impeccable, with seating available outside amid tropical flora or within the warm interior. “It’s important that how we entertain our clients be an extension of the service quality at PNB…That is certainly the case at PM,” says Fernandez-Guzman. Lunch appetizers are $6 to $12, with 10 oz. steaks at $36.
Make your reservation here
INFORMAL: JUST DOWN THE SIDE STREET
5 SW 11TH ST.
786.391.2392
Momi Ramen has so few seats you wonder how they manage to pay the rent. Possibly because the ramen does not come cheap here. Most are $35 a bowl, but this is the financial district after all. And the ramen here is superb, with variations that include chicken, pork belly, beef brisket, shrimp, veggie, and the exotic deboned oxtail ramen ($42). The restaurant itself feels authentically Japanese, with flags, lanterns, and wooden tables, and is located down a side street – away from the madding crowd, so to speak. The menu is utterly simple, just a checklist of ramen, dim sum, and fried rice, with sake, Japanese soda, and green tea available. You hand the ticket to the cook and minutes later you have a rich steaming broth with noodles, ginger, garlic, mushrooms, scallions, and eggs, along with spice to your taste. “It’s my hidden treasure for an outstanding culinary experience… where I sneak off to enjoy one of my favorite cuisines,” says Fernandez-Guzman.
