Once again, Miami Spice brought me out of my cave and into the world of fine dining.  Devon Seafood + Steak is essentially the only fine dining restaurant in its area of Kendall, and has been causing quite a stir.  The restaurant itself isn’t very noticeable (there is not even a sign on the front!) from its alcove in The Palms at Town and Country.  Their dinner Miami Spice menu consists of $39 and $49 per person combinations, which is a little bit different from other restaurants.

Not long after being seated, your server comes out with a pan of hot biscuits, and serves one up to each person at your table.

These biscuits are nice and crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside.  They serve an apple butter on the side, which is a good combination with the savory tones of the biscuit.  Sadly, they only give you one.  I am not sure if you can ask for more, but we had more food on the way and didn’t want to fill up.

When the lobster bisque appetizer came, that is when I knew I had hit the jackpot.

You have a bowl set in front of you with a few chunks of lobster meat and chive in the center.  At first, you’re wondering what’s going on, and then the server pours the bisque in a circular motion around the lobster meat.  The broth was thick and spicy, but a heat that slowly built up on your lips in between bites of the tender lobster meat.  There was so much flavor and body in this bisque that all other lobster bisques I’ve had have paled in comparison.  Best of all, the dish does not include any shrimp at all in its base, as some lobster bisques do.  So, people with shrimp allergies were also able to enjoy!

The entrees were also top-notch.  The seared scallops were served atop a lobster risotto, which was cooked with champagne beurre blanc and garnished with little dots of caviar.  The scallops had a perfect sear, and literally melted in your mouth.  The risotto was also delicious, although I wish I had seen a little more lobster in it.  For an extra $10, you could also get a plate of a 6oz filet and their signature lump crab cake.  The filet was perfectly cooked and incredibly tender.  The crab cake was more of a crab mound, with hardly any filler.  The remoulade and mango tartar sauce that came with it rounded it out very well.  This crab cake didn’t have much in the way of crunch, but the freshness and tenderness of the crab made up for it.  Special mention also goes to the whipped mashed potatoes, which were so creamy and flavorful that I kept dipping into my guest’s plate for them.  The mixed vegetable ragout was also nice.

While it was not part of the Miami Spice lineup, we couldn’t resist ordering a side of their lobster mac and cheese.  It’s served in an adorable little saucepan and made with cavatappi pasta.  You don’t get the generous chunks of lobster meat that you get in Capital Grille’s lobster mac and cheese, but you also pay 3 times as much for it at Capital Grille.  I didn’t get a chance to ask which cheeses they used, but I don’t think they use a bechamel sauce to start their mac.  It was gooey, rather than creamy.  So, if you like to see the trail of stretchy cheese when you’re eating your mac, then you’re all good here.  The cheeses here were not sharp cheeses, but more mild.  I think that using sharper cheese might have overpowered it.

The good thing about dining in groups is that you can try different things.  Dessert was no exception.  We had the triple chocolate mousse cake, creme brulee, and strawberry shortcake.  The triple chocolate mousse cake is, by far, among the moistest restaurant cakes I’ve had.  It is an absolute shame that this is not on their regular menu.  The bittersweet ganache drizzled on top tempered the richness of the rest of the cake.  Meanwhile, the creme brulee was extra creamy, like pudding.  The caramelized sugar shell was thin, but still enough to satisfy.  The vanilla flavor was very pronounced.  The strawberry shortcake took our table by surprise.  I believe it was the first time any of us had actually ordered strawberry shortcake at a restaurant and got authentic strawberry shortcake, and not pound cake or sponge cake topped with strawberries.  The roasted strawberry ice cream served on the side was actually made in-house, and added a vibrant tartness that complimented the lemon flavor of the shortcake.  The strawberries were fresh and sweet.

The service was spectacular.  Our server answered all of our questions and concerns, and also went out of his way to check on the dishes that might trigger a food allergy.  We never had to wait for refills on any beverages, and the guest that ordered espresso said that it was better than most other espressos she has had at restaurants (which she called “cups of sludge”).  Devon Seafood + Steak is one of those places that you can pay the full price for and still leave feeling like you got your money’s worth.

For more information on Devon Seafood + Steak, visit their website at http://www.devonseafood.com/home.aspx?location_id=179