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NOTHING IS NEW AT THE BAL HARBOUR BISTROTHINGS PRETTY MUCH STAY THE SAME AT THE POPULAR BAL HARBOUR BISTRO--AND THAT’S THE WAY THE LOYAL DINERS LIKE ITby Madelyn Miller
Things got even better in 1986 when her partner Pat Cantor, a Colombian native, joined her. In addition to a renovation of the premises the name was changed from Miss Grimble to Bal Harbour Bistro and the menu became more extensive offering an array of lunch and dinner items in addition to the fabulous desserts. (Yes, you can still get the world renowned Gimbletorte at the restaurant.) One of the reasons for the change was to become more “male friendly” since the original name seemed to make men think this was a ladies only cafe. It was a smart decision and business improved immediately. What the Bal Harbour Bistro offers is a European-style cafe with very high quality food and friendly service in a relaxed intimate indoor-outdoor ambiance. Most people opt for the delightful outdoor garden area surrounded by plush greenery that is the best location for beautiful people watching and informal modeling that takes place daily at the mall. Weather is not a deterrent in the garden since a screen shields diners from the sun and a rain cover is over the entire area in case of a sudden Florida shower. Some of Executive Chef Michael Russell’s best sellers are the famous French onion soup; his original seafood combo which consists of shrimp, scallops, lobster in a champagne sauce and served over linguine; snapper Bal Harbour topped with Canadian crab meat and shrimp in a white wine sauce; the very popular curried chicken salad and chunky chicken salad made with a yogurt based dressing; Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame, two classic French offerings; a vegetable omelet pie and side salad; as well as a delicious variety of salads, pastas, sandwiches, and specialty coffees. There’s often live entertainment at dinner and it’s also a place where you can dine with your dog.“ We are dog friendly,” says Carol, however she quips, “only well-behaved dogs are welcome.” |
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Carol Cantor, owner of the Bal Harbour Bistro, came to South
Florida from Montreal in 1976 and opened Miss Grimble in the Bal Harbour Shops
two years later. Although at the time her only restaurant experience was
working for a family owned resort in Montreal, Carol had the moxie and confidence to approach the
owners of the exclusive Bal Harbour Shops to let her open a dessert cafe that
would feature the popular Miss Grimble cheese cake, a New York City favorite.
She was given a six month lease to prove herself and was so successful
that she has been at this location for
more than 20 years.