"We are not what you expect," said executive chef Michael Bennett of his new restaurant, the Southside Café, located across from Sunset Place, right on the edge of Coral Gables and South Miami at 6901 Red Rd.

Chef Michael Bennett

The fact is the Southside Café raises the standard of what residents of south Miami-Dade County should expect from a restaurant. It features truly innovative, inspiring New World cuisine, prepared with the highest quality products, but at prices that won’t break the bank. Pastas, salads, meats, seafood, sandwiches, and desserts are all prepared with such flair that it is certain to astound. They even have an artist with whom they consult on presentation.

But don’t think that this is your typical nouveau cuisine with portions the size of olives. Southside doesn’t skimp.

Take, for instance, their Florida Crabcake appetizer, with two huge cakes stuffed with Indian River crab, and garnished with tiny, not-too-soft-not-too-hard, azuki beans mixed with mamey. Sure, it would have been nice to have more of the mango and habanero pepper sauce that complemented it so nicely, but that is really nitpicking. Given the healthy size of the portion and its reasonable price ($8.25), particularly for such an intricate dish, these complaints seem unfair.

Chef Michael has certainly brought his wealth of experience to bear on this establishment’s menu. Educated at the prestigious CIA (Culinary Institute of America) in Hyde Park, he eventually ended up (after many stops along the way) at Epicure on South Beach, where he started that establishment’s Spa Cuisine. Working at Epicure, he also was able to explore some of the more exotic ingredients available in South Florida, and was able to experiment with the exciting New World cuisine pioneered by South Florida chefs.

The rack of lamb dinner entrée ($21.95) exemplifies the adventurous nature of Southside’s cuisine. The delicious chops were cooked perfectly and cooked with a delicate rub marinade, accompanied by pistachio polenta and delicious, fresh goat cheese. The seasoned chops, tangy cheese, and sweet, nutty, creamy polenta came together in a surprisingly effective medley of tastes. The Fuji apples and sweet-onion compote was a soothing accompaniment to the rest of the flavors on the plate. It’s like there’s a party in your mouth and everyone’s invited.

"We really don’t think of ourselves as having any peers. We can offer young professionals, individuals that come home from work and don’t want to cook, a great meal at a nice price," Chef Michael explained.

"What we offer is a good amount of food for the price, creatively prepared, and always of the highest quality. Our produce is the freshest possible and our salads never pre-made. Our fish and meat come from the highest quality suppliers in Florida, and our pastas are made fresh daily."

Southside even has a dedicated pastry chef — something of a rarity in South Florida. Ricardo Ayaviri, formerly of the Hotel Sofitel and Andalusia Bakery, offers a spectacular variety of desserts, including the chocolate tort ($4.95), made with four different types of chocolate and served with several sauces that were quite complimentary. Even if you’re stuffed, you should get at least one dessert for the table with enough forks for everyone to share.

The Café also has a nice, somewhat predictable wine list, and it could use more offerings by the glass, but, have no fear, Chef Michael said it will be expanding and diversifying soon.

The restaurant is designed to support a happy hour crowd too, and already on Friday and Saturday evenings it does tremendous business. It has a gorgeous, handmade solid mahogany bar, set right in the middle of the restaurant as its centerpiece.

In fact, as you look around the restaurant, from the stucco yellow walls to the muted blue on the ceiling, it is evident that attention has been paid to every detail in the tastefully appointed restaurant.

The Southside Café is open Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. through 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday until midnight. However, these times aren’t set in stone, because if they’re busy they’ll stay open (bar license until 4 a.m.).