Home Food Brasserie Central Launches Afternoon Glacerie

Brasserie Central Launches Afternoon Glacerie

Opened in late November 2014 and already drawing acclaim and loyal fans by virtue of award-winning Chef/Restaurateur Pascal Oudin’s affordable, authentic and amazing casual French faire, Brasserie Central, located at The Village of Merrick Park, announces the launch of Afternoon Glacerie, just in time to help beat Miami’s sweltering summer heat. Served daily from 2p.m.-6:p.m., indoors and on the enchanting courtyard, the Glacerie is a sweet menu of ice creams, crepes and waffles, offered as a delightful snack to accompany an afternoon tea or coffee.

Deeply embedded in French tradition, afternoon glacerie is much the same as British afternoon tea, with colder and creamier accoutrements than cucumber sandwiches and the like. Thought to date back to the 18th-century when Queen of France Marie Antoinette, a known lover of sweet delicacies, enjoyed serving said afternoon delights to friends and family. The phenomenon spread and evolved through history, but still holds true to the same basic human need for a snack and beverage to reenergize between lunch and dinner.

With Oudin to thank for bringing this indulgent convention to the people of Miami, Brasserie Central’s Glacerie menu (8-$10) includes Crêpes Suzette – paper thin pancakes filled with a sauce of caramelized sugar and butter, juice of an orange, and zest, topped with Grand Marnier and flambéd; La Gaufre à la Chantilly – a warm Belgium waffle topped with creamy Chantilly and chocolate or caramel sauces; Poire Belle Hélène – vanilla ice cream, poached pears, chocolate ganache and Chantilly;Peche Melba – vanilla ice cream, poached peaches, raspberry sauce and Chantilly;Pot De Crème Gourmande – a trio of custards infused with vanilla, coffee and chocolate; Fraise Tout Paris – strawberries, vanilla ice cream, raspberry sauce and Chantilly; Café Liegeois – coffee ice cream, espresso, Chantilly and chocolate sauce;Chocolat Liégeois – chocolate ice cream, chocolate ganache, Chantilly and chocolate;  Patisserie Maison – a flaky layered Mille-feuille or Baba au Rhum (rum cake); andCafé Gourmand – a hot espresso served with housemade petits gâteaux (small cream filled chocolate cake); among others. To wash down the delights, Les Boissons, orDrinks, ($3-9) include a menu of steeped teas, coffee drinks, fresh juices, water, sodas and spiked Irish Coffee for a kick. The regular full menu is also on offer.

Executive Chef Fabien Micard’s bona fide French menu displays time-honored techniques and traditions, geared to please the palates of the many moods of life. Using high-quality imported and local goods, Brasserie Central dishes out delights such as housemade sausages, pate and charcuterie; artisanal cheeses; full raw bar; traditional hors d’oeuvres, salads, sandwiches, and main plates; classic stove-to-tablecocotte stews; and et Patisserie, or dessert. Sporting a casual, rustic elegance, Brasserie Central is Old World meets New World with exposed butcher block tables, bistro chairs, a 14-person communal table, large indoor/outdoor bar (seating 18) and le comptoir – the intimate oyster and raw bar. Along the walls, antiqued mirrors display the 24 regions of France and their signature dishes, while mammoth chalkboards don chef’s specials and cocktails. Modern lighting fixtures lead the eye down the long room, awash in woods, slates and hints of deep red, to an open kitchen and private dining room. Located along the bridge, across from Yard House, the restaurant also offers abundant outdoor seating.

Brasserie Central, located in the Level 1 courtyard at The Village of Merrick Park at 320 San Lorenzo Avenue in Coral Gables, offers window-service breakfast, dailyfrom 8:30- 11:00 a.m.; lunch, dinner and afternoon glacerie (2p.m.-6p.m.), daily from11a.m. – 11p.m. Telephone: 786-536-9386 www.BrasserieCentralMiami.com