review: por fin restaurant and lounge, coral gables, fl

we were in miami for the christmas holiday and, again, ate and drank too much...it was a vacation, after all. we also tried a new restaurant, por fin restaurant and lounge in coral gables. our friends had raved about por fin (which literally means "finally" as it's opening took longer than expected) but we had also heard mixed reviews so we headed to xixon (another spanish restaurant with good reviews) instead but it was closed on new year's day. too bad as we ended up at por fin and it really disappointed.

the service was actually very good and the ambiance and decor pleasant. the food, on the other hand, left much to be desired. we decided to have a tapas-style dinner instead of ordering the traditional appetizer and main course. the huevos por fin (basically, runny fried eggs mixed with serrano ham, potato chips, potato foam, and truffle oil) were excellent and the best dish we tried. the jamon iberico "fermin" (pata negra) was divine as well although this required no preparation other than cutting the ham. the boquerones (spanish white anchovies in raspberry vinaigrette) were simple and tasty with no overpowering raspberry flavor. the gambas al ajillo had just the right amount of spiciness and was one of the better dishes. the croquetas de jamon served with aioli and fig jelly (which tasted eerily similar to the store-bought dalmatia fig spread) and the arroz negro were average at best. the special of the day, duck risotto with foie gras, was a big, bland disappointment...and the foie gras was undetectable in this dish...should have known better after we were told that they were out of the foie gras with green apple appetizer even though they assured us they had foie for the duck risotto.

for all the hoopla and fanfare this restaurant has received since it's long-awaited (por fin!) opening and the pedigree of it's executive chef, marc vidal, who's resume includes working at el bulli and a couple of 3-star michelin restaurants, por fin came up disappointingly short.