Grill on the Alley - In Aventura Florida!

The famous Grill on the Alley in Beverly Hills, California was a destination for me last August, but I was not able to dine there. Recently, another location opened in Aventura, Florida near to me. I headed up there to try it out, although it did not meet wanderingjew's regional appropriateness standards.

I asked an employee in the mall where the restaurant was, and was told that it was about a quarter mile away, on the other side of the mall.

Fortunately, he offered me a ride, so we beeped through the crowds to the restaurant.

Here is my driver:



Here is the facade in the mall:



The decor was rather deluxe:



Sadly, I had to skip the bar:



Other than getting a taste of what I had missed in Beverly Hills, the main reason that I lunched here was to meat this fellow:


The famousSignman himself!

Signman was a great lunch companion, with knowledge of Roadfood restaurants across the country. Highly recommended as a dining companion!

Signman ordered the Original French Dip (get it? "original" as in Phillipe's Original).


I sampled some of the freshly-made shoestring potatoes, and they great.

We split a macaroni and cheese:


This may have been the best macaroni and cheese that I have ever had (mind you, I don't get around like some of the pro Roadfooders). The three cheeses, cheddar, gruyere and fontina melded together into a taste treat, and it was wonderfully creamy with crunchy bits on the top.

I got the Cobb salad, because I had heard that it is a specialty at the original Grill on the Alley which has taken up the gauntlet of providing the signature dish of the now-closed Brown Derby where it was invented.


Sadly, it was not impressive. Somehow, it mostly tasted of bitter iceberg lettuce. I suspect that a more forthright vinaigrette, more generously applied, would have created a better balance. Also, I had expected the traditional presentation with the non-lettuce ingredients applied in stripes across the top. Mind you, it wasn't bad, I just found it hard to get enthusiastic about it. Perhaps it was partially due to a six month build-up!

Signman was a very enthusiastic Roadfooder, urging me to snap shots of food going by...

A great looking chicken pot pie:



Onion rings at another table:


Soon it was time to part. On the way out, we passed the outdoor dining area:



All in all, I enjoyed the lunch. The staff could not have been more attentive, and it is always great to dine with a fellow roadfooder.

The restaurant is a bit fancy for roadfood, and now they have expanded to multiple locations. Here is the[url='http://www.thegrill.com/aventura.html']Grill on the Alley website[/url].

MD, I moved this to trip reports for now but if there is a more specific category (sandwiches, etc - I'm not familiar with their menu) that you feel would be more appropriate for this I'll move it again..just let me know.

Nice report Don... Every plate looked tasty! And Signman... He's everywhere. :)

So were the Grills on the Alley franchised out after the first one got famous or do the same folks own all of them? Nice report Don!

Great report.
Even though I'm a stickler about "regional appropriateness" i still consider myself to be the most open minded roadfooder on the board-
Yes you've heard correctly- I'm patting myself on the back here

Sorry to hear about your cobb salad, Ya see, that's what happens when you don't go to the original location I can't comment since I got mine at the original location in Beverly Hills. There was definetely iceberg lettuce in mine,but the taste was very subtle, if anything, the avocado and boursin cheese took command in the cobb that I had. The dressing was quite unusual, it was an "eggy vinaigrette".

Again, I've never been to the Aventura Mall location, but since the Sterns say the original location is ROADFOOD, then it is. They coined the phrase, therefore who am I to argue with them.

Very nice Don. How did you two manage to hook up?

MiamiDon, Great trip report. I like the golf cart, must be one heck of a mall.

I met Signman this year at the Jersey Hot Dog Tour, great guy. "Taking pics of food going buy" that's too funny.

I couldn't help but notice that ketchup bottle in a few of the pics?

quote:

Originally posted by joerogo

MiamiDon, Great trip report. I like the golf cart, must be one heck of a mall.

I met Signman this year at the Jersey Hot Dog Tour, great guy. "Taking pics of food going buy" that's too funny.

I couldn't help but notice that ketchup bottle in a few of the pics?

Actually, I think it was more like a third of a mile. It's easily the biggest mall around here. I hadn't been there in 20 years (it's at the opposite end of the county), and they have expanded it.

Ha! You are the first to notice the ketchup. They brought it for Signman's fries, and I pushed it into the photo.

Great pictures Miami Don. I will stop by and try it out.

Miami Don,

Seems like all the talk I've been hearing that all the good restaurants in your neck of the state are closing down is a bit premature.

Great report, Don.

I avoid Beverly Hills restaurants whenever possible so I thank you for this report. Something about attitude and parking that bothers me.

You are correct about the mix-ins being separated on top for presentation. That is not a Cobb Salad. It may have all the right ingredients, but as presented it is just a chopped salad.

Boursin Cheese? The Cobb came way before Boursin. That delicious cheese in a Cobb is Blue.

I absolutely love that you took pictures of food passing by and the neighboring food! That's great!

quote:

Originally posted by John A

Very nice Don. How did you two manage to hook up?

Don mentioned Grill on the Alley a few weeks ago, and the online menu looked great, so knowing I would be in the area yesterday, we set up to meet there, and I totally enjoyed both the companionship and the surroundings. IMHO the place is stunning, an LA Wilshire Blvd. deco look that really pleases me. I assume it is the updated look of the original. So many good things on the menu. The burgers looked great, but I figured they would serve a good French Dip and I was right; the hot mustard cleared out my sinuses. The shoestrings are usually only offered at dinner, but our very attentive waiter thought he could get them for me.

Don's a great photographer, and the directions to find the place he gave me were perfect. I don't know how he himself ended up on the other side of the mall. If I lived nearby I think I'd find myself eating through the whole menu.

quote:

Originally posted by mar52

Great report, Don.

I avoid Beverly Hills restaurants whenever possible so I thank you for this report. Something about attitude and parking that bothers me.

You are correct about the mix-ins being separated on top for presentation. That is not a Cobb Salad. It may have all the right ingredients, but as presented it is just a chopped salad.

Boursin Cheese? The Cobb came way before Boursin. That delicious cheese in a Cobb is Blue.

I absolutely love that you took pictures of food passing by and the neighboring food! That's great!

You're right, it was blue cheese, I don't know how I wrote boursin, probably because someone brought some in to work yesterday and it was on my mind.

When I was doing research about cobb salad for my trip to LA back in 06, there was quite a bit of mention of "chopped salad" alternating with cobb salad, I've never heard of "chopped salad" at least here on the east coast prior to doing my cobb salad research.

Great report Don. But is it road food? Or has it now transcended into corporate formula food? It looks and reminds me of something the Parosole Holdings i.e. http://www.parasole.com/ or Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants i.e. http://www.leye.com/restaurants would do. Not bad restaurants or food, not necessarily a chain, but concept corporate development. I like a lot of these places because some sharp minds do a lot of research and then put together a well thought out and designed eating experience. When they finally expand the concept into a chain it seems some formulations take over to control expenses that change that experience from the original concept. It could be as simple as location that changes the experience. Or maybe the onetime uniqueness just goes away. Heck, if they served a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich you would know I would have to fly down to Dade County anyway and try it. Road food be damned.

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

Great report.
Even though I'm a stickler about "regional appropriateness" i still consider myself to be the most open minded roadfooder on the board-
Yes you've heard correctly- I'm patting myself on the back here.

Forget Mr. Plan Ahead, you are now officially Mr. Open Minded!

MiamiDon-
Thanks for the photos and report. The macaroni and cheese looks fantastic! Any chance I could get that guy to drive me around the mall?

I agree the salad looked common...come on NO iceburg lettuce...and those certainly aren't "roadfood" prices....at those prices you better get quality!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

Great report Don. But is it road food? Or has it now transcended into corporate formula food? It looks and reminds me of something the Parosole Holdings i.e. http://www.parasole.com/ or Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants i.e. http://www.leye.com/restaurants would do. Not bad restaurants or food, not necessarily a chain, but concept corporate development. I like a lot of these places because some sharp minds do a lot of research and then put together a well thought out and designed eating experience. When they finally expand the concept into a chain it seems some formulations take over to control expenses that change that experience from the original concept. It could be as simple as location that changes the experience. Or maybe the onetime uniqueness just goes away. Heck, if they served a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich you would know I would have to fly down to Dade County anyway and try it. Road food be damned.

I take no position in a Roadfood/Not-Roadfood argument on this place. It is a bit fancy and expensive, although the original spot was in one of the Sterns' books, as wj related. I chose to post the report because of the Signman meat-up (salad-up?) and posted it in Miscellaneous Food Related. Administrator Ribrater, as noted above, moved it.

P.S. I was looking at your BPT photos in Facebook. I'm jealous!

quote:

Originally posted by MiamiDon

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

Great report Don. But is it road food? Or has it now transcended into corporate formula food? It looks and reminds me of something the Parosole Holdings i.e. http://www.parasole.com/ or Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants i.e. http://www.leye.com/restaurants would do. Not bad restaurants or food, not necessarily a chain, but concept corporate development. I like a lot of these places because some sharp minds do a lot of research and then put together a well thought out and designed eating experience. When they finally expand the concept into a chain it seems some formulations take over to control expenses that change that experience from the original concept. It could be as simple as location that changes the experience. Or maybe the onetime uniqueness just goes away. Heck, if they served a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich you would know I would have to fly down to Dade County anyway and try it. Road food be damned.

I take no position in a Roadfood/Not-Roadfood argument on this place. It is a bit fancy and expensive, although the original spot was in one of the Sterns' books, as wj related. I chose to post the report because of the Signman meat-up (salad-up?) and posted it in Miscellaneous Food Related. Administrator Ribrater, as noted above, moved it.

P.S. I was looking at your BPT photos in Facebook. I'm jealous!

Don,

Ribrater was right. It was a trip and a report and was food not "food related".

Before we continue arguing what is road food here is an interesting question. This forum has condescended to restaurant professionals, cooking and recipes, snacks and candy, chains and off-topics but there really is no bucket hole for these corporate created high concept restaurants or even the so called chef driven high end concept and expensive restaurants that are not chains. Lacking a bucket hole for other non-road food restaurants (by definition) do we not discuss them or do we have to seek them out in Chowhound or eGullet type places? An example. In Minneapolis we have the 112 Eatery always a major discussion on Chowhound which could very well be road food but is a high end chef driven type restaurant. Rarely has it been mentioned here but might be the first place I would recommend a visitor try coming to the Twin Cities. You have to have reservations well in advance, but they do serve chicken gizzards but not in a road food way.

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

Great report Don. But is it road food? Or has it now transcended into corporate formula food? It looks and reminds me of something the Parosole Holdings i.e. http://www.parasole.com/ or Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants i.e. http://www.leye.com/restaurants would do. Not bad restaurants or food, not necessarily a chain, but concept corporate development. I like a lot of these places because some sharp minds do a lot of research and then put together a well thought out and designed eating experience. When they finally expand the concept into a chain it seems some formulations take over to control expenses that change that experience from the original concept. It could be as simple as location that changes the experience. Or maybe the onetime uniqueness just goes away. Heck, if they served a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich you would know I would have to fly down to Dade County anyway and try it. Road food be damned.

It was corporate formula food most definitely, but well executed in a beautiful room.

Wow, I certainly wouldn't mind meeting two handsome fellows in a nice warm Floridian setting for some corporate formula food! But hold on...I have to ask somebody first...

Sorry I was unable to make it, Don. As you probably saw on Facebook, I was just a tad (incredibly) under the weather with food poisoning. Was a rough weekend for me. Thanks for the report and we will have to get together soon for sure! Looking forward to it!

harriet1954


Wow, I certainly wouldn't mind meeting two handsome fellows in a nice warm Floridian setting

   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Me two! Make it a foursome! Miami Don and Signman are both great guys!
 
MIAMI DON: I was thrilled just who your dining companion was : Signman !!
nice pics....! Shoestring fries and a french dip.....YUM!

Ellen!  Where have you been?  I was ready call Egg Harbor 911!
 
[...anyone seen a gal walking around dazed with a beef rib??]

Thanks for thinking of me, Don!
I just got back from 5 days in Tampa..
and could'nt find a beef rib down there to save my life!
(but I was'nt expecting one, either, after Roadfooders posts)
 
 

We'll be anxiously awaiting your report! 

P.S.

I was amused by your pics of the food from the "other tables"... I found myself recently taking things "one step further", as well...
as I'm now also finding myself occasionally ZOOMING in on "OTHER people's"  food, besides my own  .... (it becomes a Roadfood obsession to keep going for those "money shots", the perfect pics)

What a nice report! Thanks Don!

Very nice looking place! Charming and warm, with character! A restaurant to match the vibes of Don & Signman!

I second the YUM about the French Dip!

Those other patrons  might think that their onion rings are just making it into Gourmet magazine. No, those bad boys are making it onto ROADFOOD!! Even better!!!

I have never had a Cobb salad. Funny, life is cyclical and my current life cycle topic seems to fall under  "six degrees of separation" from chicken wings, this week! Since I am allergic to blue cheese, I stay away from Cobb Salad. Even though it is possible to alert the server of allergy issues, and make requests, I have experienced instances where a stray piece of blue cheese mistakenly was included in/on a dish that includes blue cheese, in the ingredient list.

Oh, I wish this report had been available when I was sniffing around Aventura Mall for some hard to find (in my size) running shoes last year. Not expecting any worthwhile restaurants there, I didn't look for any.


Great report, Don. Thanks.


mar52, IMO, the parking congestion at the very "in" Aventura Mall puts Beverly Hills to shame--at least during peak season!