Taste of the Town: Coconut Grove's The Key Club
MIAMI - Tucked into the ground floor of the now fully renovated Cocowalk shopping and dining complex in Coconut Grove is The Key Club.
It is the latest restaurant concept by Groot Hospitality.
The Key Club is a modern and colorful take on a classic American bar and grill.
It features more than 6,700 square feet of dining space with an elegant 60-foot wrap-around center bar.
Billy Yoder is General Manager.
"The inspiration really comes from that rich history of Coconut Grove around the 1960s with a particular nod to that pretty Brazilian architecture of the 1960s," said Yoder.
The Key Club is participating in this summer's Miami Spice program which offers some 3-course menus for up to, or more than, 50% off.
On Saturdays and Sundays, it's $28 per person for brunch with some of these offerings.
And on Sundays through Thursdays, The Key Cub offers Spice 3-course dinners for $45 per person.
CBS4's Lisa Petrillo asked Yoder how important the Miami Spice program is to them.
"It's very important," he said. "We're really looking to drive value here. It's really important to us that we invite a whole area of people that wouldn't necessarily come to Coconut Grove. We really want people to feel the energy and the value."
Back in the kitchen, the chef prepared some items from their Miami Spice brunch menus.
Petrillo began her tasting with the cool and fresh snapper ceviche appetizer with crispy plantains.
Then it's time for the 'drool-worthy' cinnamon crunch French toast.
"So the center is just fluffy, light, and moist and then the crunch of the cinnamon toast crunch will make you wake up with a smile," she said.
Another option for brunch is The Club Burger with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, and their secret Churchill sauce.
They both grabbed their napkins.
"That's a sign of a good burger when it's messy like that," said Yoder.
"Completely messy juicy, beyond juicy, so much flavor and I love whatever that Churchill sauce gives it a sweet-savory, " said Petrillo.
The final brunch entree option? The truffle cheese omelet.
"We have ricotta, mozzarella, and fontina cheeses and then we have the addition of the black truffle for only $10," said Yoder.
"It's so flavorful. The cheeses just go together perfectly. The truffle for the extra $10 gives you a little extra something, but honestly, it's beautiful with or without the truffles. I think it's just a really lovely omelet," Petrillo said.
They ended with one of the brunch dessert offerings. It's the dreamy, creamy creme brulee.
The Key Club is open every day for dinner.
Brunch is on Saturdays and Sundays.
Each participating restaurant in The Miami Spice Program has scheduled days of the week they offer those menus.
Not all offer the Miami Spice Program on weekends.
To see more on Miami Spice including the list of restaurants, menus, and days available, click here.
For more information on The Key Club, visit their website here.
