Norman’s 180

I’d been dying to try this place since it opened. I had walked by a couple of times and been blown away by the ambience. For one reason or another, I didn’t get around to dining there until months after they’d opened, and left wishing I hadn’t.
The whole experience was bizarre. Gone was the music that had initially drawn me to their door. Instead, it sounded like some Ultra Festival dj had printed out the wrong map quest directions. The lighting was terrible and better suited for some blind taste test challenge. There was also a lot of red accent lighting, which, in conjunction with the music, made me feel like I wasn’t eating fast enough.
There was an army of waiters with nothing to do. And, although our waiter seemed to be a nice enough guy, he was forgetful and tried too hard to be funny. If I don’t laugh, is he going to spit in my food? Is it too late to pretend I don’t speak English? Is it rude if I prefer to eat my food in the bathroom stall where this guy can’t speak to me? All things I shouldn’t have to be thinking about while dining.
The menu sounded great, but the food, though not bad, was forgettable. The drink I ordered, an Old Fashioned, was terrible (side note: Morton’s, which is just down the block, makes a great Old Fashioned).
I wouldn’t go back for dinner, but I wouldn’t discourage others from checking it out. Maybe I went on the wrong night…
I’ll try them for lunch sometime and report back.

Been here for dinner and for happy hour with the girls. Both times it was empty and I’m not sure why. It’s a pretty central location in the Gables. The food is good, the drinks are good. The décor is very nice and I love the large central bar. The service was OK. Most of the servers were just standing around talking to each other instead of attending their tables. I liked the place, but I’m not sure if I’ll be back… I need some more people around me to liven up the ambiance.

Came to Norman’s today for a business lunch and although I probably chose the wrong dish, everyone else’s looked great! It was definitely very quiet inside, but I think that’s because many people don’t think to go inside a hotel for lunch (inside the Westin Colonnade).
I was surprised by how affordable most of the lunches were for being such a nice place. I expected most entrees to start at $ 15, but the majority were between $ 10 and $ 15 and all sounded amazing! I went with the Adobo Seared Ahi Tuna Salad. I definitely thought the portion was going to be a little bigger than what I ended up getting, it looked like an appetizer! Oh well, I guess that’s good since it is bikini season. :) The tuna was delicious, though, and served with a piece of watermelon topped with feta, alongside fresh tomatoes and arugula, and was served with vanilla ponzu dressing.
My co-​workers ordered the lunch special, which happened to be tempura-​battered mahi fish tacos served with a choice of soup, salad or fries. They have a daily lunch special for $ 12. Their dish looked much more like a lunch to me, and they all enjoyed it! The gentleman we were were having lunch with ordered the shrimp ceviche for an appetizer, and had the «White-​out» pizza made with truffle oil. It looked delicious, but since it wouldn’t have been professional to ask the man we were having a business lunch with to try his pizza, I was forced to stare at it longingly and wonder what it tasted like! :)
Since my salad was teeny, I not only had room for dessert, I needed it! That, however, did not disappoint! I went with the fried plaintains served with vanilla ice cream, tropical fruit salsa and crispy wontons, all of which were topped with a chocolate-​chili flavored drizzle. It was AMAZING, I definitely won for best dessert! So much for bikini season comment, but I guess it was a balance since my lunch was so healthy, right? :)
I need to go back on Thursdays when it’s Ladies Night for free champagne!

The breakfast menu is so bare bones it is hardly worth the visit. The service was terrible (Eduardo). He asked what kind of toast I’d like with the $ 6 omelette and then later put on the bill $ 2 for one slice of bread. Insisted it was wheat when I know it was white. When I asked for a manager to complain, another waitress just said I could complain to my waiter (who I was complaining about in the first place) beause they don’t have any managers. No wonder they don’t have good service either. Will not be back. There are WAY too many other options in Coral Gables. Norman is riding on his name while others are winning customers one plate and smile at a time.

Now there is more to Norman’s 180 than just fine dining. The restaurant owners have made the daring but wonderful decision of bringing live music to Coral Gables on a weekly basis.
The Lounge at Norman’s 180 will delight music enthusiasts with a variety of wonderful bands every Thursday and Friday night.
Happy hour at The Lounge begins at 4 p.m., Girls Night Out on Thursday nights offers free champagne for the ladies, 50% off cocktails for all and delicious bar bites for $ 6. Finally Fridays offers the same specials sans the bubbly.
The featured band on the night I went by was Elastic Bond. The band mixes funk and Latin rhythms combined with velvety vocals of the lead singer, Sofy Encanto, and topped off with the amazing guitar styling of Buffalo Brown, who happens to be a fixture/​treasure of South Florida’s music scene
.
There are virtually no consistent live music spots in the City Beautiful until now. Thank you, Norman’s 180, for stepping up.

We went to Norman’s 180 the other night and I have been really dying to try it. I have to say that overall, it was good but I wanted it to be «Great». I love Norman van Aiken as a chef and I really wanted the food to blow me away with flavor. We were a party of 9 that love to share, So here is my take.
the Good:
Duck Meatballs — Great flavor, juicy and delicate. the caramelized onions add a touch of perfect sweetness. good balance of flavor and textures
Korean Chicken Wings — very crispy, perfectly cooked and the glaze/​sauce was great, sweet and slightly hot.
Tortilla Soup — wow this was great, Just try it!
Desserts — we tried Key lime pie, Cuban Bread Pudding and Chocolate cake with peanut butter ice cream; all were absolutely amazing. the best part of the meal
The not so great:
Chicken Nachos — Very average. not bad, but not memorable.
Sea Bass — Cooked well, but not very flavorful. It was stuffed with orange slices and herbs. Again not bad but ehhhh
House Smoked BBQ Ribs — These were okay. I wanted more sauce and it wasn’t anything you couldn’t get at a hole in the wall bbq joint. The mac and cheese that it came with was very good though
Wig Burger — This was the one dish I was really pulling for, but I think the cooks that night were allergic to salt and pepper. the Yuca pattie was crisp and golden brown, the ropa vieja was juicy and tender, the burger was cooked nicely and everything looked great. It was grossly underseasoned and the Mojo Ketchup wasn’t very flavorful. Very dissapointed
Churrasco — Good, but could’ve gotten the same thing anywhere and for less $$$$
Beer Selection — Very generic, nothing interesting
Mixed Drinks — no menu (or none offered if there was one), no specialty drinks
Service — The server was average at best. I work in the industry, and we were only one of maybe four tables in the restaurant (BTW Morton’s next door was packed, not a good sign). You would imagine the service would be amazing, or at least personal. Again just a bit disappointed, not bad but not good
I wanted sooo bad for this to be great. I was very inspired by Norman Van Aiken’s story and cookbooks when I was in culinary school, and this was my first experience at one of his restaurants. I guess next time I’ll have to go to Normans (not 180)

I went to Norman’s 180 yesterday and had a great meal. Before I talk about what we ordered I must talk about the new manager Alex. He was very friendly and welcomed my party with open arms! We had the broiled oysters and tuna tacos to start– fantastic beginning to the meal. Then I had the baby back ribs, the meat fell off the bones!
I definitely recommend the new menu items and the happy hour is like no other in the Gables.

We have not had a full meal yet but my wife and I have stopped back for drinks several times. Unfortunately the wine list is not as good as it was when they first opened. Fortunately they stopped the foolish, two different size wine pours, and are pouring a decent sized glass of wine.
Each time we were there we were two of eight or ten total people seated at the bar.
Each time there was between five and eight wait staff wandering around and behind the bar.
Each time it took more than five minutes for us to order a drink and an additional five minutes or more to actually get the drink.
Each time we wanted to order some appetizers to have with the drinks, the first time it took over ten minutes to get a waiter to come by and take an order, the second time we just gave up after ten minutes and left when we finished our drinks. Now we just go for a drink and leave.
This does not bode well for Norman’s.

another one bites the dust. wow, how many things can go wrong in such a short time. besides walking into an empty… at 7:30p…restaurant, the service was slow. how in the world can a restaurant be slow with one table. is norman still involved? sad, because the menu was so full of promise.

Came here with my boss on a business trip… He just loved it (went there 3 times during our visit!) while I just thought it was OK… We ordered several appetizers ‘tapas style’ but the only dishes I remember eating were the ceviche (good) and the pizza (boring!) That said, the service was excellent, with very (almost too) attentive servers.

I had been wanting to eat here for past couple of months and finally I went there. It was very romantic they sat us towards the back section of the restaurant for total privacy.
First I started with Tortilla Soup it was amazing! (one of may favorite soups I will go back for it again). Then we just went for a few appetizers since we couldn’t decide what to get. We had Fish Tacos, Duck Meatballs (Yummy!) Yuca Stuffed Shrimp and a Seared Tuna salad.
I will say this place is pure class, we both had a very memorable evening from service, décor, menu, and quality of food. Need to go back for desert. I highly recommend this Restaurant.

Man, people love to hear themselves write. This place is GREAT. If you’re expecting Norman’s circa 2000 on Almeria, forget about it. If your expecting a change of pace from everything else in the Gables, make yourself comfortable.
I’m been to 180 several times now. Duck meatballs, conch chower and whatever fish is on the menu. Do it. It’ll melt your face.
Great beer selection.
Instinctively, people are going to compare it to Houstons. Probably because of the geographic proximity. They are two different places.
A metaphor: Houstons is like the popular kid in school who is isn’t that cool. Norman’s is the new kid in town who everyone will soon like. The popular kid will soon be glaring at the new kid from across the playground.

Treated my parents to dinner here a couple weeks ago and we had a wonderful time. The food is inventive and fresh, and the atmosphere is upbeat.
This is a great alternative to the craziness of Houston’s across the street.
Word to the wise: Their house Cabernet is excellent and a great value by-​the-​glass!

The greeting and service at the bar was so poor that I had to leave. From that experience, I would not be surprised if they don’t last long. Too bad as I think Chef Norman is very talented.

Food was good. Service was slow and our waiter wasn’t sure what some of the entrees were. We had the wig burger which was great, the muscles which were a tiny portion, the charcuterie plate which was unseasoned and boring, and finally the route pizza which amazingly sucked. It had cheese and fried green tomatoes but the sauce tasted like they opened a can of tomato paste and smeared it ontop. It ruined the whole pizza.
Overall, the food was ok. There were other things on the menu that seem worth trying. I would go back for the burger. It was great but it was also $ 16.

NORMANS 180: Shockingly mediocre. Way back when, Norman Van Aiken was the man and ran one of the best restaurants in Florida. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Norman’s on Almeria Avenue. What Norman Van Aiken is doing at his new restaurant is kinda shameful.
Was there last night with five other friends and was able to give the small (and uninteresting) menu a good going over. Summary: C+. Grouper pad thai? Ho hum. Tuna tartar? Barely edible. Ceviche? Shameful. Southern Fried Chicken? They managed to deliver something ultra high in calories and sadly lacking in flavor. The mashed potatoes were good. Cauliflower au gratin? Could have come straight out of a box.
Service OK but not great. Ambiance? Hmmm. OK.
Frankly, I’m shocked Norman Van Aiken is associated with this restaurant. Is he really?

Was a fan of Normans, a was looking forward to this opening up ! LOVE the décor inside (including the open kitchen), and we went on an off night, so it wasn’t overly packed. Don’t let the different flavors in the menu descriptions throw you; chef Norman knows how to combine the right flavors together, no matter WHAT they are. We just tried a sampling of the ‘interesting’ items… Duck meatballs, mussels with pot stickers, yellowtail snapper w buerre blanc, and the pork tenderloin. All were fantastic! Always have accompany food with drink, so seeing they had Gavi we went with that. Unfortunately had to skip dessert.
If I had any complaint at all, it’s that the service was just a touch slow; but since we weren’t in a hurry, it didn’t affect much… the whole staff was still very warm and friendly. I’m sure once the kinks are worked out on this new opening, it will be even better.

Okay, before I get started I have to say that the ONLY reason why this restaurant gets three stars instead of four is becaus of the dismal service.
Once we arrived, we were seated at a table and offered our drinks. Once we got our drinks and ordered an appetizer, we were completely forgotten for about 25 minutes until a manager noticed our drinks were empty and offered us another. After that the waitress decided to come around and say, oh is that a new beer? what kind is it? in order to go ahead and put it into our tab… vs saying I apologize for not paying attention for you AT ALL.
Moving on to the food, appetizer we had the arepa — quite delish! its’ a traditional colombian arepa but has black beans on the bottom, arepa, cheese on top and corn to top it off. Quite yummy!!! Finally another 20 minutes after that we ordered our food. I ordered the WIG burger and my hubs ordered the fried chicken with a side of mac and cheese.
After about 20 more minutes waitress said that because the kitchen was a «train wreck» (Yes, she said it was a train wreck)… that the food would take a little longer… no prob. FINALLY the food came. my wig burger was DELICIOUS! It was a burger with ropa vieja and yucca with MOJO ketchup on the side. The cole slaw was also very good. THE MAC & CHEESE was excellent… My husbands fried chicken was really good as well and the garcliky mashed potatoes were well worth the calories.
The place is a bit pricey but the food is excellent… just the service kinda ruined the experience… and the whole «train wreck» comment turned me off — wasn’t THAT packed to have to say that.
Worth giving another shot cuz the food made up for lack of service. :)

I went the day after inauguration and really surprised me, very well.
What I really really liked,
* A wide selection of wines by the glass, eclectic but balanced wine list,
* Menu’s printed daily, this translates that you order only what they have /​fresh stuff.
* They have 4 dessert wines, I loved the madeira (rare find)
* Price /​quality /​quantity ratio is very good. Great value here for your money.
* The Fettuccine, one of the best pastas I’ve tried. 100% recommended.
* Theres a bar in the middle of the restaurant too, in case you have to wait.
What I liked,
* The décor, warm and cozy, but also modern and clean. The cinnamon on the table looks fantastic.
* Attention from our waiter. Great service really.
* A very professional looking /​pristine cuisine in THE MIDDLE of the restaurant.
* The soon to be open «Kitchens Table», great concept.
* The sides were great, not cheap but great as small dishes.
* Location in Coral Gables, you can park yourself on the street or at the valet parking.
What was OK:
* Spicy food that is very hot, so be careful or ask your waiter. I ordered a Conch Chowder that was too hot for me. The waiter apologized and didn’t charged for that. Besides that, everything went perfect.

Made it in pre-​dinner yesterday and perched myself on a bar stool. Some very good things going on here.
The space has gone through multiple incarnations throughout the years, though I remember it most fondly as a delicious Italian restaurant. It’s last appearance was as Hoja Nueva, which was run by the hotel and served an uninspired menu at hotel prices. Norman’s 180, I believe is going to break that cycle.
The space was always nice. Big, open sweeping with the smooth marble just making you believe the whole world could flow in one door and out the other. Norman’s has added a few touches, including a nice slate floor, to slow that feeling down a bit. They also opened up the kitchen and the general feel is both open and intimate at the same time.
The bar itself is quite comfortable. it is a nice-​sized square station from which to dispense their drinks. They are not fully equipped or organized yet, but things were nevertheless moving smoothly. I spoke to no less than four bartenders with varying degrees of experience while I was there. They were all very nice and happy to serve. Prices, finally, were approachable. Most cocktails (I had four, bought two more and two glasses of wine) were in the $ 10 range, meaning you can feel comfortable ordering more than just a round. I would not say they were the best cocktails I have had, but they were well made. My last, a great Manhattan with Michters’, was stirred instead of shaken and completely balanced. When I didn’t have a bartender in front of me, I could see the scotch selection on the wall. A couple MacCallan’s, 3 Glenfiddich (es?), 2 Balvenies (yes!), Dalwhinnie, and Oban. Nice.
Wines seemed well positioned, with several bottles as low as $ 25, several in the $ 30s and slowly creeping up there.
As for the food, we only tried to dishes, the duck meatballs and a pizza. The pizza was perfectly made, and a nice size for $ 12, though there was no «aha» moment at any point. Still, sometimes a proper pizza is it’s own reward. The duck meatballs, tasted like authentic meatballs, if meatballs were little clouds you could eat. These were about as close to perfect as smaller sized meatballs can come.
Overall, I look forward to trying this place again and making a full review of the food. The ambiance, service and quality they are putting out at that price point deserves a lot of attention. I hope Norman’s 180 sticks around for some time.