MICHELE’S DINING
LOUNGE
2761 E Oakland Park Blvd.
Oakland Park FL 33306
954-533-1919
By RICHARD DAVID CHAMBERLAIN
Michele’s Dining Lounge, a haven of fine food and jazz music that recently celebrated its first anniversary on Oakland Park Blvd., has added a classy Sunday brunch to its assortment of weekly culinary events. With a single stroke of his wideblade spatula, Executive Chef Michael Kridlow has re-written the stylebook for all you- can-eat Sunday Brunch in the “Venice of America.”
The atmosphere at Michele’s is refined sophistication—the beige and chocolate seating mixed with its soft lighting and dramatic water wall. Jazz music wafts through the place, caressing the mind into cool fantasy, removing any suggestion that you are still in Oakland Park, Florida. Think u p p e r – E a s t s i d e Manhattan and you’d be closer to the truth. There is no denying that stretched before you is a colorful and elegant display of taste temptations. The Caesar and Mixed Green salads alone are so garden crisp that we were tempted to check under the serving table to make certain the lettuce wasn’t still rooted in the ground. While a smoked fish dip with flat sesame crackers was too light on the smoke and the fish to create much of an impression, any disappointment was quickly replaced at the first taste of the colossal shrimp (the size of small lobsters) with a cocktail sauce that smacks of homemade and delicious. You’ll want to grab a plateful, since no one is counting—but save yourself. This is only the start of the foodarama second-to-none. There are delicious bowls of penne pasta tossed with spinach, red onion, tomatoes and olive oil, in a mix so delicate as to demand seconds. Three chafing dishes are keeping watch next in line, and are tempting your taste buds with flat sausage, bacon, pork links with peppers, ham and onions, plus delicious potatoes, light and roasted in a secret seasoning that dares you to fill your plate. But don’t.
After all, you have to save some room for the smoked salmon, sliced paper thin (with chopped egg and capers on the side), or the oysters on the half-shell, wet with flavor and just-shucked freshness; the cheese platter with an assortment of imports; and assorted fresh fruit.
We returned to our corner table in time for our server Darren to ply us with complimentary champagne, mimosas and some bloody Marys that may just be the best we’ve ever tasted (it’s the celery salt, we’re told). No sooner had we convinced ourselves that we had died and landed smack in heaven, then we spotted the “real” menu. No kidding. The feast had just begun.
Chef Kridlow, it seems, had been marinating his prime rib for the past two days, in expectation of Sunday brunch. Add that to your plate and plan on moving right into the kitchen—it’s that good, served medium rare and drizzled with au jus. And as if that’s not enough protein, order from the omelet menu: ham, ham and cheese, Western (with ham, pepper and onions) or vegetable (a scrumptious mix of broccoli, mushrooms, peppers and onions) and expect to receive a portion that is big enough to split three ways.
Lest we forget: for the truly gluttonous, there is also Eggs Benedict on the menu— or rather, a menu just for Eggs Benedict. In this case, the regular (with Canadian bacon), Michele’s (with beef tenderloin— our favorite), Country (with a sausage patty) and Blackstone (with tomato and bacon). To be honest, the Hollandaise sauce overpowered the dish, so if Eggs Benedict is on your wish list, order yours with light sauce and you’ll be very pleased.
An assortment of chocolate mousse, whipped creams, strawberries and assorted pastries complete this indulgence, leaving only the belt to be loosened and the check to be settled. Yes, there is a price to be paid for this pleasure. In this case, it’s $29.95. That’s a healthy chunk of change for an extended lunch, to be sure. But, take it from us, it’s the best deal in town—and the most elegant. Enjoy it from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and tell them Florida Agenda sent you.
