We were so displeased with the food at “International Smoke” — a joint venture headed by chefs Ayesha Curry and Michael Mina over at the Aventura Mall — that we decided to skip dessert. (There’s only so much torture a human can bear.)
And, luckily, just a short walk from the restaurant (inside the mall itself), you’ll find “Rosetta — The Italian Bakery,” which has some four other locations throughout the Miami area.
It describes itself as having a “cozy and homey space where customers are able to choose foods directly from display, interact on community tables and experience the entire production processes thanks to a laboratory with a transparent window. Atmosphere is rural, cozy, definitely country-chic.”
Forget the atmospherics. Go for their sweets! They are lip-smacking good.
On the day of our visit, we picked up some “Almond Cake” ($9) — which is really more like a cookie.
This gluten-free option uses ground up almonds as its base and is typically made without flour or any flour replacements.
While slightly dry, we loved the nutty, crunchy texture, and appreciated that it was firm, yet not overly hardened or unpleasant to bite into. The citrusy flavors added a nice zing, and enhanced our overall enjoyment.
Yes, it was a bit “heavy,” and wasn’t perfect by any means.
But because a little went a long way, we still awarded this somewhat pricy, yet pleasing, dessert an admirable “B+.”
Follow Lucas on Instagram: @lucasaferrara
