MaryGold's Florida Brasserie

We wanted MaryGold’s to be the restaurant that could bring some much-needed sophistication to Wynwood. And they do—to a point. The hotel restaurant has an enormous marble bar with globe lights on a bent track and tall ceilings. Guests eat in a beautiful dining room and on custom plates while drinking delicious cocktails created by the Broken Shaker team. Sauces are poured tableside and desserts are flambéed. But presentation is everything here—and flavor takes a backseat.  

The menu has all the promise of a stupendous meal. You'll wiggle in your seat with anticipation after you recite your order. But imagining how the food will taste is unfortunately more satisfying than actually eating it. 

photo credit: Courtesy MaryGold's

photo credit: Courtesy MaryGold's

Nothing exemplifies this disconnect better than the chicken and the egg—a multi-step dish. First come two eggshells filled with soft scrambled eggs placed on an egg-carton-shaped plate. It looks intriguing, but the eggs taste like truffle mac and cheese. Then a small young chicken is presented at the table. It sits on a nest of burning hay that bathes guests in a sweet and sour smoke. After it’s whisked away, out come two tiny chicken breasts stuffed with pâté—sauced tableside with jus. But for all the drawn-out pageantry, the final evolution of this bird is bland and a little dry. The actual star of the dish is the yukon potato puree that comes as a side.

Fortunately, not everything is flavorless. The grouper al pastor is cooked perfectly, with sweet cashews and finger lime pearls. And the tagliatele with pomodoro sauce is worth taking home for leftovers. There’s a pattern: the simplest dishes are the tastiest.

A lot of thought was put into presentation, but the majority of MaryGold’s food is unremarkable because it’s either under-seasoned, lacks acidity, or is nearly tasteless. MaryGold’s would be a great option for folks seeking a mature Wynwood restaurant that prioritizes food and service—if only the food lived up to the menu’s promise.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Courtesy MaryGold's

Beignets

A Krispy Kreme doughnut is fluffier than these dense beignets. Jerk oxtail, coconut-gouda, and green onion are sort of just plopped on top. And the oxtail is only “jerk” by name—it has no spice or smoke. The only flavor that stands out is the coconut gouda.

Royal Red Carpaccio

Thinly sliced royal red shrimp are covered with olive oil, black lemon salt, and chives. Also on this dish, for some reason: a churro—which sounds super metal. But the carpaccio is begging for some acidity, and the savory churro has about as much to contribute as a kazoo at a rock concert.

Fennel Pollen Caesar

This salad comes with trout roe, and unlike other dishes, it does have flavor. But because it's completely overdressed. And all you can taste is the buttermilk-peppercorn vinaigrette.

Hand Cut Tagliatelle

The sauce for the tagliatelle is made with Homestead pomodoro tomatoes and gjetost crema. The gjetost cheese adds a tangy, caramel flavor to the tomatoes. And sweet crab hides between the tagliatelle noodles. It’s a slightly sweet but balanced pasta dish.

photo credit: Courtesy MaryGold's

Chicken & The Egg

We’ve already talked about this dish, but what we didn’t mention was the $72 price. And that’s some foul play. Because with all of the parts combined, it’s as much scrambled egg as you can fit in a pair of empty eggshells, two small breasts (which is what we were served) of stuffed chicken, and a tiny side of mashed potatoes.