Casa Vigil: where the best of Argentinian cuisine meets local soul. In Miami
There are two Casa Vigil’s in the world – one in Mendoza, Argentina and one in Miami, I wish there were more.
Casa Vigil is part of Upper Buena Vista, a quiet, quirky neighborhood just north of down Miami. Bodhi, a 130 year old banyon tree, sits at the center of Upper Buena Vista and sets the tone for the surrounding stores and restaurants: hippie with a global twist.
The tree is like a magnet; it draws you in. It’s got shade and benches, sure, but also a mystical energy all its own. People believe it has the power to grant wishes. Hard to know, but it feels good to write down your wish and pin it to a branch.
Casa Vigil fits right into this slightly eccentric neighborhood.
Alejandro Vigil is the star behind Casa Vigil.
He comes with a mind-blowing resume. He owns two restaurants, one in Mendoza and this one in Miami, as well as an international reputation as a wine maker. Some call him the Messi of Wine.
The Mendoza Casa Vigil has a Michelin star and it’s listed as one of the “Fifty Best Restaurants in South America”.
He is also the wine director of Catena Zapata, one of the world’s best vineyards. His own boutique winery holds the highest rating ever given to a pure Cab Franc by Robert Parker.
He is a former “enfant terrible” who grew to focus his passion on food and wine.
Casa Vigil reflects Alejandro’s creative and allegory-seeking approach to food and wine.
You can see his rebellious, creative, thoughtful and vaguely religious spirit at play throughout the restaurant and the wines that he produces.
When Alejandro began work on his Miami restaurant, he sought out a design that references Dante’s Divine Comedy, an after-life story of a soul’s journey to achieve divine justice. The allegory describes three stops on the journey: Hell, Purgatory and Paradise.
In a neighborhood where other stores have names like Aura Portal, the Contesta Rock Hair, Peek-a-Treat ice cream and the House of Findings, a reference to Dante’s Divine Comedy feels right at home. I admit I’m struggling with how to apply the allegory to the restaurant’s design, although it does have three distinct areas (a main dining room, and outdoor terrace and a rooftop terrace).
At Casa Vigil, “mi casa es tu casa”.
That’s Alejandro’s motto. The space feels warm and embracing and the staff is friendly, knowledgeable and delightful.
We tried three menu items:
Beef Carpaccio. This version is carpaccio in its purist form. There’s no arugula in sight, no attempt to turn it into a salad-y thing. Just mild, buttery soft, tender-as-tears thinly sliced and pounded beef sprinkled with grated parmesan. It melts in your mouth.
Roasted Cauliflower. The vegetable lands on the table as a plump, ripe flower. It’s perfectly cooked in the Josper, a special charcoal fired oven that can roast as well as grill and allows the cook to have total control over the end product. This cauliflower has just the right amount of softness in the center and crispiness outside. It tastes like it was literally injected with the perfect amount of butter; it’s neither heavy nor oily; it’s simply an addictive blend of butter and cauliflower, sitting on a a bright sunchoke puree and parsley sauce and dribbled with a few fried chickpeas.
Branzino. Another product of that Josper I covet. Look at that crispy skin; you can practically hear the crunch. Inside, the fish filet is buttery soft, without a bone in sight. The sauce was a mixture of pureed pumpkin and ginger.
Enimigo Wine: naturally fermented and a great value.
I ordered a glass of one of the signature wines: El Enemigo Malbec, 2020.
It’s medium body, full of black fruits and cherries, with a long finish. I love it. And so do the professionals. Vinous rates it 94; Robert Parker and James Suckling 92.
The winery itself is high and dry, in the mountains of Mendoza. Vigil is an experimenter and ferments the grapes with no added yeast. The wines taste as much like the land the grapes come from as possible. They rest in Alsatian oak barrels, the kind of barrels used in wine making 100 years ago.
The techniques – and the care it takes to implement them - produce unique, drinkable and, surprisingly affordable wines.
The brand name, Enimigo, means Enemy in Spanish. It’s another mystical reference; this time to the internal battles that we fight with ourselves, when we are trying to bring our lives and visions into the world. It also the battle over our own soul (hence the Divine Comedy association!)
“At the end of the journey, we remember only one battle: the one we fought against ourselves, the original enemy, the one that defined us.”
Enimigo Winery motto.
It’s all a bit heady, but so is the wine. And I love a good story!
This particular bottle sells retail for about $25 a bottle. The price makes it a great buy for the taste experience.
What we spent: $158 (including tip) for two. $79/person.
2 glasses of El Enimigo
A beer
Beef Carpaccio
Roasted Cauliflower
Roasted Branzino
Where to find Casa Vigil:
Casa Vigil
5020 NE 2nd Ave,
Miami, FL 33137
Mondays closed
786.803.8460
One of my favorite neighborhoods! I will try this one next.
It sounds like a cool place. Would like to know more about the menu. I will search it up. Thanks for the review.