Just kidding. There's plenty of room for both in the Design District, and to prove it, I ate (and drank) at both the other night. At Sra. Martinez I went with the Tortilla Española, and a $4 glass of Borsao red. It is an amazingly cheap glass, that drinks very well, and the tortilla was moist, a little bit loose, and glazed with mayo. A very gutsy take on the traditional presentation, although it definitely needed some salt and pepper. At Michael's Genuine, I went with the chicken wings and a $13 roasted pepper martini. The bartender Ryan, uses the juice from roasted peppers, muddles some basil, some lemon vodka, and maybe a lemon? (My notes are unreadable.) Really great taste, subtle yet definitely adding an unexpected smoothness. Chicken wings are something I almost never order outside of say some sort of Shuckers or Kingdom drunkfest, but these are classed up by a great hot/sweet glaze, and a cucumber yogurt sauce on the side. The juiciest damn chicken wings-fresh, and obviously from a great chicken.
(For more on the Bernstein croqueta battle, see
http://www.miami.com/culinary-cage-match-croquetas-article . When will Schwartz enter the croqueta fray?)
Sra. Martinez Berkel Hand-Cranked
The Tortilla
Michael's Wings
Both places were packed, by the way, and the chef-and-spouse eye-candy quotient was high...
Sra. Martinez's now-infamous Croquetas (Mushroom and Melting Manchego)
Duck and foie gras sausage with white beans in a port reduction (by request)
