Too Will Do

The South Miami Two Chefs, like any capable restaurant, employs experienced workers and time-tested systems that allow it to run smoothly almost by rote. The North Miami branch, like any restaurant with only a dozen weeks under its belt, needs to be nurtured and worked on — hard — until the kinks (in the dining room and the kitchen) have been ironed out. So how come Jorgensen wasn't there during our three trips? For that matter, where was any management?

There is a full bar offering cordials and after-dinner drinks, but Two Chefs Too doesn't exactly boast the best single-malt collection in the Southeast; that distinction belongs to Two Chefs, which houses approximately 1,000 bottles of spirits. Still, the wine menu here is extensive and diverse, if a bit short on bottles under $50. And a peerless beer selection features 16 samplings from small American breweries, considerately categorized from lightest (Native Lager, "a light-tasting golden lager" from Melbourne, Florida) to richest (Dogfish Head Minute with "malt backbone; raisiny, citrusy").

The cheese listing, too, is as user-friendly as you'll find. Each of the dozen selections is described in some detail ("Purple Haze: goat's milk; soft; Cypress Grove, California; flavored with fennel and lavender; serves two; 9 oz.; $15."). Two cheeses go for $15, three for $21, a quartet for $26, and diners get to choose one of a dozen highly creative condiments per each cheese ordered. These include buttermilk biscuits, brioche French fries, brandied peaches, celery escabeche, and pickled baby vegetables. There is simply no better restaurant venue in town for indulging in wine and cheese.

Nor, perhaps, for soufflés, which have always been a Two Chefs specialty thanks to textbook texture and a wide array of flavors — such as Granny Smith apple, wild berry, and brandied Georgia peach. The last was a blast, even if the crème anglaise and caramel sauce poured through the poked hole on top was too much for the subtle attributes of the fruit. After the saucing, our waiter divvied up the dessert and placed portions on each plate — but left all of the peach slices at the bottom of the serving dish. I had ordered a scoop of cinnamon ice cream to go along with the soufflé, but it never came; by the time I got the waiter's attention, the soufflé had been devoured.

With its wide array of distinctive food, wine, beer, and cheese, the new Two Chefs Too can do. But it can also do better.