I’m not sure how it works in other parts of the country, but Miami has a penchant for hiding snazzy little restaurants in place where you would least expect them to be.  That’s where Olivos comes in.  It’s a small Argentinian-fusion type restaurant located in a shopping plaza that contains one a very poorly organized grocery store and several hole-in-the-wall type restaurants.  We had dinner here after work one day, and I definitely felt underdressed when I walked in.  Fortunately, Olivos is in Doral, not South Beach.  So, they don’t turn you away if you’re not dressed the part.

They started the table off with bread, which I dug into right away because I was hungry, and also because I was in a group and can never be sure who does and does not wash their hands.  It was bread.  Not much else to say about it.

Since it was a group of us, we ordered some appetizers.  The empanadas were traditional Argentinian-style, which means they were full of things that I didn’t like.  The calamari was gigantic rings of crispy, tender goodness.  They didn’t even need any of the sauces that it came with, so I didn’t try them.

We also ordered some scallops, which were paired with a fruity sweet sauce that actually complemented the scallops quite well.  Plus, the scallops themselves were cooked perfectly.  I forgot what the black stuff was, except that it was something mixed with squid ink.  At the other diners’ insistence, I gave it a taste, and immediately regretted it.  Not a fan.

My first entree (grilled short ribs that were very bland and not very tender) was a bust, but I sent it back and got the NY Strip steak at the server’s recommendation.  It was a definite improvement, and I really enjoyed it.  It was cooked to the perfect Medium, and the homemade steak sauce was superb.

I didn’t try the dessert that was ordered for the table because it was a coconut panna cotta, but I had to take a picture because they made it look like an egg!  The “bowl” was made of white chocolate and the “yolk” was a passion fruit jelly.  Very creative!

The prices are pretty high, so I wouldn’t go back unless I just got paid and had something nice to celebrate, but it’s definitely worth checking out!

For more information on Olivos, visit http://olivosrestaurant.com/.