Route 9 - Coral Gables

It seems I've already had a good bit to say about Route 9 without actually giving my own opinion. After New Times came out with a mostly negative review (subsequently corrected for several factual errors), and the Miami Herald gave it a three star review the same day, some people asked which I thought was "right." To which I initially responded, "I actually can get where both are coming from. I contain multitudes." Upon which I expanded: "if you were to ask me right now, I'd tell you that it's neither as good as the Herald review makes it sound, nor as bad as the New Times review makes it sound."

It's actually somewhat remarkable - and perhaps a bit unfair - the degree of attention that's been directed at Route 9. This was not some highly heralded, loudly trumpeted celebrity chef opening. It's a small-scale place, run by a young, first-time restaurateur couple, that had been open less than two months when both reviews dropped. But the trope is that any publicity is good publicity, and that would seem to be true here: the place was busy and bustling this past weekend, when I went in once again to see what's been going on.^[1]

The young, first-time restaurateur couple is Jeremy and Paola Goldberg, and the name "Route 9" comes from the location of their alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Though their prior work experience includes time spent at local restaurants including Timo, Johnny V and Escopazzo, they both look barely old enough to drink at their own restaurant. They took over a spot along the more northerly end of Ponce de Leon Boulevard in Coral Gables that was previously occupied by the unheralded Mexican restaurant, Don Chile. With some paint and elbow grease they've turned it into a cozy, clean-lined place for which they've assembled a menu of mostly straightforward, comfort-food style dishes with some Latin and Mediterranean touches.

The selections lean more heavily toward starters and small plates than entrées, particularly if you include the "charcuterie and cheeses" section that leads off the menu. Here you will find, among other things, an item described as "Roasted Hebrew National Salami with Spicy Mustard." And it is pretty much exactly as described: a thick round of old-fashioned Hebrew National salami, scored deeply with a hedgehog pattern, given a bit of a sweet glaze, roasted till warmed through, and served with some spicy deli mustard. It is something of a nostalgic pleasure, bringing back fond memories of salami and eggs at Rascal House. But while technically accurate, it is also something of a stretch to call this "charcuterie" - and to charge $13 for it, for that matter.

A better value is the guacamole and chips, listed among the "sides" (all $6), which brings ramekins of both a creamy guacamole studded with diced tomato, and a pleasantly ruddy, thick salsa, with an almost pesto-like texture and an assertive but not overwhelming dose of spicy heat. Freshly fried, crisp and ungreasy tortilla chips are provided for scooping (and they're glad to bring more if you just ask). Even better still is the grilled feta salad, with hearty chunks of tomato, cucumber, and red onion, well-dressed in a pitch-perfect vinaigrette punctuated with oregano, all crowned with a big cube of nice feta cheese that's been seared on the grill and warmed through.

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Another fine way to start is with the poblano pepper stuffed with smoked mahi-mahi. The creamy, smoky fish dip plays well against the subtle heat of the poblano, and it comes with more of those tortilla chips for scooping.^[2] And you can make an entrée out of the mussels, a generous bowl of small, plump Prince Edward Island mollusks, steamed open in a broth of white wine and tomato, and flecked throughout with bits of chorizo, a slab of crusty grilled bread riding sidecar for dipping. The mini-meatballs in marinara sauce were decent but unexceptional; the grilled baby squid, served over a stew of lentils and roasted peppers, offered a nice combination of earth and sea flavors, but the squid were a touch bouncy.

Among the entrées, the standout for me was a perfectly grilled pork chop from Palmetto Creek Farms in Avon Park in Central Florida. It had a beautiful burnished exterior, the fat crisped on the edges, the meat still juicy. An apple "chutney" on top could have used some more spice to merit the name, but this really needed nothing more. Everybody's got to have a burger these days, and Route 9's comes topped with bacon, balsamic-marinated mushrooms and sharp provolone cheese. It was a fine burger with good toppings (some might object to the tang of the balsamic in the mushrooms, though not me), which would have done better with a slightly smaller bun more in proportion to the patty.

Fish tacos, with cubes of sautéed cobia graced with some of that salsa and guacamole as well as a scallion sour cream, were not very much like any "traditional" fish tacos I've had, yet still a decent combination of flavors; but the fish is sort of unappealingly wet and drippy, and the tacos are a questionable value at $17 for 3, with no accompaniment (a lunch order came with 2 for $12).^[3] A roasted bone-in chicken breast was a generous portion - actually both breasts, on the bone - but was lacking in character and flavor.

Vegetables, either as tag-alongs to the entrées or as side orders, could use improvement. Mashed potatoes which came with the pork chop had been overworked to the point of gumminess. The hand-cut french fries that accompanied the burger could have been crisper, though the pleasingly garlicky mayonnaise helped make up for it. Cauliflower gratin had good flavor but left behind a puddle of unincorporated cream; a mac-n-cheese which accompanied the roast chicken suffered the same fate (and was bland to boot).

Service, meanwhile, is already clicking on all cylinders, with Jeremy a welcoming and attentive host and the rest of the front of house (primarily Alan, a server who covers a lot of ground) following suit. The wine and beer lists are equally inviting: the selection of roughly 50 wines, diverse both as to geography and varietal, features as many bottles under $40 as over, generally at about a 2x retail markup (i.e., Mas Doix Salanques Priorat for $50), and the food-friendly beer list also focuses on small, craft producers (Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA, Belgian Saison Dupont).

Having now been to Route 9 three times over the first three months, my opinion is exactly as I said a couple weeks ago: it's neither as good as the Miami Herald review made it sound, nor as bad as the New Times review made it sound. You can choose to focus on the things it does well, or on the places where it comes up short, and either way I think you'd be missing the whole picture. It's a comfortable neighborhood place where you can get some simple, unfussy foods along with some good wines and beers. It's run by an earnest young couple who are taking their first shot at running a restaurant and are eager to please. Only three months in, the inexperience sometimes shows, but they're on the right track.

Route 9
1915 Ponce De Leon Boulevard
Coral Gables, FL
305-569-9009

^[1] I'd already been in for one dinner very early on as well as a lunch, and also had met Jeremy and Paola before they'd opened up shop.

^[2]Though there's nothing wrong with this dish as is, I'm inclined to agree with Lee Klein that it could use one more component to round it out.

^[3]For comparison purposes, the very fine Ensenada-style fish tacos from Jefe's Original will set you back $2.35 a piece. If comparing to a truck is unfair, then consider the 4-to-an-order "Estilo Baja" tacos from Mercadito at $14.50 with made-to-order tortillas.