Dining Out: Spillover

My parents moved from Boston to Miami in 2005. I fly down to visit them four or five times per year, insisting we try at least one new restaurant every trip. 

This past weekend I arrived in the 305 to celebrate both my 33rd birthday (oh boy) and Yom Kippur. On Friday afternoon, after a blissful experience at Jurlique Spa at the Mayfair Hotel, my cousin and I met my mom for lunch at Spillover. 

For those who know Miami well, the team behind Spillover also runs Lokal (a few streets over) and Kush in Wynwood. Spillover is located in a charming courtyard, perfect for sitting outside with visitors who crave Vitamin D. 

I squealed with happiness when I saw that Spillover puts out biscuits and water for pups. Not just any water either, ice water! My heart longed for Scout in that moment. 

We decided to sit inside since it was 90 degrees and ridiculously humid. A neon sign with the restaurant's name glows over the dining room. 

I am obsessed with this blue wall that says, "Welcome to Coconut Grove." Holy Instagram bait! 

We were seated at a large table with a retro collection of items for the centerpiece - a rotary telephone, hard cover books and a collection of wooden spoons and spatulas. 

Our waitress popped over with menus and I was excited to take a look. 

It took me less than 15 seconds to spot the buffalo cauliflower and insist that we order it. It arrived with a knife sticking straight up out of the center. 

I am going to guess they poured an entire bottle of blue cheese dressing over this head of cauliflower. 

It was completely drenched and I was grinning from ear to ear. After all, there is no such thing as too much blue cheese. 

For the main course, my mom decided on the fish sandwich, which was grouper topped with lettuce, red onion, dill pickles and house made fish dressing. 

After a few bites she said, "The honey whole wheat bun is very fresh and sops up all the delicious dressing. The fish is tasty, too." 

Instead of a side of French fries, she went with the heirloom tomatoes, which she described as, "Perfectly ripe and the ideal garnish alongside the sandwich."

My cousin went with the bababooey burger, which is a burger patty topped with bacon, brie, caramelized apples, grilled onions, honey mustard and cinnamon butter, all on a challah bun. I know. 

When I asked if she was enjoying it, she replied, "I give this a five out of five. It's absolutely fantastic. The challah bun is so yummy and the toppings pair amazingly well together." 

The best part of her order was definitely the mix of fries - both regular and sweet potato. I stole many a sweet potato fry and dunked them in the honey mustard. 

I chose an option called "veggies from the farm" which allows you to select any four veggie sides as your entree. I picked the the brussels sprouts, the portobello mushrooms, the butternut squash and the grilled asparagus. 

The sprouts usually come with bacon, but they were kind enough to make me a meat-free version. I was worried removing the bacon might also remove the flavor, but they were excellent. 

The portobello mushrooms were cooked perfectly. The squash was drizzled with maple syrup, which had me craving the Thanksgiving meal. The asparagus was a bit tough at the end of the spears, but they were coated in a mustard dressing that was so tangy and addicting. 

After the plates were cleared, we considered dessert (especially a slice of cake called Sexual Chocolate) but we ultimately passed. 

Before heading out, I walked to the back of the restaurant to use the ladies room. They have decorated the hallway with wacky art work.

Inside the women's bathroom it looks like you've entered the set of a game show! 

On my walk out, I noticed this mirror across from the bathroom door. Oh, the selfie potential! 

As we walked back toward the front door I noticed another neon sign above the entrance that I hadn't seen when we first walked in. It reads, "Please don't go!" How cute! 

I really enjoyed our meal at Spillover. The decor is cheeky and fun, the wait staff are attentive (but not bothersome) and the food is excellent. That buffalo cauliflower is a must!