Michael Symon's 'Carnivorous Dinner' For The Ages

On Saturday night of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, chef Michael Symon (best known for his Iron Chef status and Cleveland restaurants, including Lola) took over the dining room at Miami's Red, the Steakhouse and served a meat-centric feast that was fit for a king.

He teamed with Red's chef Peter Vauthy, and together they served a five-course dinner to a couple hundred lucky guests. Symon and Vauthy each prepared two dishes, and Vauthy took care of the dessert.

To start, Vauthy served a beef carpaccio, with pickled vegetables and a ginger-citrus vinaigrette. Symon then really kicked the meal into high gear with cured and smoked pastrami-style beef shortribs served alongside an orange and fennel salad that was so tender it could have been eaten with a spoon. Symon followed that with an equally delicious lamb Bolognese with house-made cavatelli. Vauthy then returned to serve a 40-day dry-aged prime strip, with a fingerling potato and asparagus salad and bone marrow butter (left), and for dessert, a chocolate banana torte with raspberry and banana anglaise. All the beef was Certified Angus, and each dish was paired with red wines that complemented them nicely.

For folks who haven't had the opportunity to travel to Cleveland, this was a prime example of Symon's bold, take-no-prisoners style of cooking. The flavors are big, but the style is delicate, letting individual flavors come through while not letting one overpower any others. For those who were able to experience it, it will be a meal not soon forgotten.