THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Tongue & Cheek

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Tongue & Cheek Restaurant Review:

If you remember Geoffrey Zakarian’s South Beach restaurant Tudor House, you’ll likely find a few dishes here that jog your taste memories. That’s because Zakarian was one of SoBe’s many absentee celebrity chefs; the actual cook in the kitchen was Jamie DeRosa. Tongue & Cheek is a neighborhood-friendly eatery, with décor that’s cheeky (figuratively) and some food that’s also cheeky (literally): unctuously bold-flavored beef cheek burgers with sharp cheddar pimento cheese on a homemade brioche bun; fish ‘n’ chips featuring fried grouper cheeks. Since dishes are ingredient-driven, the menu changes constantly with just a core of signature staples: a take on Canada’s ubiquitous poutine with tender braised brisket and cheddar sauce over complexly pastrami-spiced thick-cut fries. Whatever changes the market dictates, in any case, are met by DeRosa’s flexible imagination; creamy but delicate pea soup (a Tudor House signature) may be garnished with the original pea tendrils and pea-lookalike house-made lime marshmallows, or may have more substantial stir-ins that are equally tasty discoveries: halibut cheeks, heirloom beets and fleshy miners lettuce. Desserts, by pastry chef Ricardo Torres, range from items like salted pretzel ice cream to chocolate torrejas (Latin America’s ultimate french toast) with pistachio ice cream, strawberry soup and citrusy sorrel leaves. As for drinks, the ingredient-driven mixology program tempts but prices are high; personally, we’d hit happy hour, but otherwise stick with wine and beer lists that also demonstrate creativity, with plenty of boutique/artisan producers.