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Hopefully I will remember to take my camera and get some pictures of the scenery and the food--I haven't been there since before the renovation took place!
Pier 66 Puts New Spin On Brunch
By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley
Food Editor
You may remember taking the glass elevator to the 17th floor of the tower at
Pier 66. That's the resort so named because it was originally owned by Phillips
66 petroleum company. You disembark in a room that rotates 360 degrees every 66
minutes.
It had its heyday in the late 20th century as a restaurant and
lounge. Then, in 2005, the Pier Top at Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Resort and Spa was
closed to the public.
After a $30 million renovation to the resort, the
restaurant was reopened in 2006, but only for private functions. Recently,
however, the public was welcomed once again for Sunday brunch.
"We have
such a beautiful room we wanted to make it a place people could come to
celebrate," says Shai Zelering, area food and beverage director for Luxury
Resorts and Hotels.
But if you can visit the resort, take the scenic
elevator ride to this room with its magnificent view of Port Everglades, the
Intracoastal Waterway, Atlantic Ocean and Fort Lauderdale skyline. It's the
perfect place for those who want to impress out-of-town guests or just enjoy
what's beautiful about where we live.
And the buffet brunch is designed
to impress, too.
"You cannot fool people in Fort Lauderdale," Zelering
says. "They want quality, not quantity; this is a no-spin zone."
So to
keep the clientele happy, executive chef Miguel Santiago has created a buffet of
entrees, salads and ceviches, as well as breads and danish.
"We are
constantly changing things. It's a work in progress," the host tells us as we
arrive. Don't think all-you-can-eat groaning board of food. Instead, think small
plates. That's because instead of chafing dishes of eggs Benedict or platters of
smoked salmon, food is presented on carefully garnished plates with from one to
four portions each. You get a menu listing the day's offerings.
This
makes the buffet labor-intensive; nine chefs produce this feast. They also are
in the dining room making chocolate chip pancakes and waffles with berries,
carving rack of lamb or rib-eye and serving pasta with your choice of sauces.
The turkey Bolognese and fennel fondue are popular.
There's also a sushi,
nigiri and sashimi station, manned by a chef.
"Some places call these
'action stations,' but we call them 'fresh cooking, '" Zelering says.
On
an outdoor patio, chefs grill chicken, fish and beef entrees, some of which are
placed in small iron skillets so you can take a portion from the buffet to your
table.
Try the Pier Top Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts With Brava
Potato Salad. At the restaurant, Santiago bones the chicken before it is cooked
under bricks on a grill.
These grilled selections change every week, so you can't count on
what you'll get. "We consider ourselves a special-occasion spot, but if every
Sunday is a special occasion and you keep coming back, we don't want to bore you
with the same entree," Zelering says.
This will be my first course!!
A dessert bar in the center of the
room includes a chocolate fountain as well as a bit of food chemistry in the
form of dulce de leche foam served with flourless chocolate cake. And some days,
tastes of Key lime pie are served in individual glasses that resemble shot
glasses. It's a new take on an old favorite.
