Executive Chef Marcelo Marino Marries Nature with Haute Cuisine at Newest Fine Dining Destination
There are several natural food cafés and a handful of organic produce markets here, yet North Dade has no fine dining options for those who want to eat consciously, and eat well. Green House, which opened its doors on September 19th at 3207 NE 163rd St. in North Miami Beach, is an organic and sustainable food restaurant catering to the affluent border neighborhoods of Aventura, Sunny Isles and Bal Harbour. With awardwinning Chef Marcelo Marino at the helm and a focus on avant-garde cuisine, patrons now have an elegant dinner alternative, with no compromise on healthful eating.
“Green House is where nature meets food art halfway,” says Marino, who is also an esteemed educator at Le Cordon Bleu Miami. “I subscribe to the Purist Philosophy – I try to extract the most natural flavors possible from the ingredients while cooking with the least amount of fat. My passion for living and eating well is palpable here. We put great emphasis on creating an atmosphere of consciousness, where people experience cuisine in its most elevated form – from the farming practices to the taste to the presentation.”
To carry out its philosophy, Green House has partnered with The Chef’s Garden (http://www.chefs-garden.com/), an Ohio farm that specializes in growing micro greens and specialty vegetables expressly for chefs nationwide. Chef Marino sought out this farm because of its best sustainable agriculture practices, hand harvesting, and overnight shipping.
Distinctive dishes are an extension of the quality of ingredients. Snapper and tuna are never offered. Instead, uncommon entrees include rabbit, swordfish, and purple truffle pizza baked in a wood-burning oven. Proteins are complemented by ancient grains like saffron rice pillows and exotic greens such as wasabi leaves, lola rosa and callaloo. All breads and cheeses are homemade and meats that are cured and brined in house. Sunday brunch is served all day and designed around champagne, caviar, and quail and ostrich eggs. Finally, wine pairings are recommended for every dish.
The menu is not the only unique feature of Green House; every table is equipped with its own iPad, with which guests may peruse the menu and learn about nutritional values and the sourcing of ingredients with the touch of a finger. The digital menus are presented in six languages to accommodate the international demographic of the area. To add to the high-tech ethos, large flat screen TVs project in real time the chefs working in the kitchen.
“There is a lot of transparency and a great deal of education that will take place here,” explains Marino, who relies on Classic French cooking techniques yet presents dishes with a continental flair. “Part of the culture of Green House is to excite people about good food by sharing my passion.”
Green House will also feature live entertainment on weekends; smooth jazz and blues will set the tone for the meal. The 8,000 square foot freestanding building features indoor and outdoor seating and complimentary valet parking.
Green House is the culmination of Chef Marino’s culinary journey, which spans two decades, and has taken him into the classroom and to every continent. He has worked for international hotel brands such as Hilton and Benchmark, served as executive chef on cruise ships, opened restaurants in South America, and even cooked for the World Ski Cup. A pioneer in education, he implemented Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami inaugural Spanish-language diploma program, the first of its kind in the continental United States. Chef Marino also helped establish five Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami scholarships within the James Beard Foundation.
Green House is located on the north side of NE 163rd St. just west of the beach and east of US-1, adjacent to Ale House.
For more information, visit www.greenhousemiami.com or call 305-949-6787.
