Ok. I did it. I gave Gigi another chance. I went with a friend and my boyfriend after finishing a late night of dancing at The Pickle. I had spoken to a few other people after my first visit and was armed with a list of different dishes to try that would hopefully change my low opinion of Gigi.

We ordered the melons, the fried chicken skin and the meatloaf. When the melons arrived, we were all shocked at the amount of fruit on the small plate. Between the three of us, I think we each had a portion of one and a half pieces. There was some spiciness sprinkled on top that added a nice little kick but it would have been nicer if we had more fruit.

We decided to get the fried chicken skin because that is one of the best parts of fried chicken (and we all know how much I love fried chicken!). We received a mountainous heap of this stuff, which made it look pretty unappetizing. After eating a few pieces, it just seemed kind of gross. Since there was so much, it felt like we were eating scraps of other people’s leftovers.

The meatloaf, on the other hand, was AMAZING! So tasty and delicious. The meat was cooked perfectly and the sauce was a great balance. But it definitely was not a dish meant for sharing. Two forkfuls each and it was gone.

I ended my meal with a cute little cone of the daily flavor of ice cream, which was black cherry. My friend Phi told me about their tiny cones so I had to get one and they were only $1! The ice cream was light and flavorful.

My friend got a brownie and a side of ice cream, which was pretty good.

My boyfriend got a rice krispy treat. I feel like rice krispy treats are one of those safe food items that you think,  “Eh, they can’t really fuck it up” like rice or salad. But boy, did they fuck it up. They must have used a box of Rice Krispies from when they first opened because that shit was stale! We complained and my boyfriend got a lemon poppy seed cookie instead. It turned out to be a much better choice.

This second visit to Gigi has made it clearer to me the type of place it is. It isn’t a restaurant made for eating. It is made for snacking. The menu is set up for you to order a variety of plates for sharing but the portions are small so it’s like a tease. Gigi is basically that girl in the neighborhood that will dry hump the shit out of you but won’t let you touch her underneath her clothes. HOWEVER, the meat, like the meatloaf and the pork buns, are GOOD! They are very well done and sauced up to perfection. And the ice cream – yummy. So those are the only things I will order there – pork, beef and ice cream. The Gigi trinity.

A new restaurant, Gigi, opened up in Midtown (on N. Miami Ave and 35th Street) advertising “Noodles…BBQ…Beer” all over their windows. Yes, yes and yes, please. Located on the same block as Bardot, Gigi has a really modern, hip feel with high ceilings and a chill atmosphere. I had heard really good things about the food.

All of the items my boyfriend and I ordered were highly recommended by the hostess, server and all the people who raved to me about how great this place is.

We started off with the roasted pork Gigi buns.

This is what showed up. My first thought, “This isn’t a bun..this is like a taco.” But then I tasted it and it was soooo good. The pork and the sauce were really yummy.

Next was the roasted corn with tofu shmeer. 

It looked nice. But I wasn’t that impressed. The tofu shmeer was supposed to mimic butter - I get that. But did it add anything special? No. The seasoning that was on the corn was a little spicy and a little tasty, though.

For the main dish, we shared the slow braised curry duck leg with coconut risotto.

Eh. It wasn’t spectacular. It was just curry. I felt like the duck was lacking that magical element that makes you want to eat more and more. The coconut risotto wasn’t that great of a match either. I felt as if someone was like, “Coconut is good with curry. It will help with the heat. Let’s do it.” It didn’t really work out.

For dessert, we had the Gigi Bar - Ovaltine dusted on a layer of chocolate Bavarian creme which sits on top of a layer of chocolate rice krispies and chocolate.

It was pretty good but nothing mind blowing. And it was tiny. Like it could be consumed in 3 spoonfuls. 

I really, REALLY wanted to like Gigi. I truly did. The space and decor was cool, they are open really late and the prices aren’t crazy. But the food didn’t convince me. I’m willing to give it another try but I hope it’s worth a second chance.