CMHH: Get Social @ OTC

It’s been a while since I got social at OTC with my Unilocal buddies, but the intimacy of the evening is one of those unforgetable evenings with my Unilocal family.
It’s rare that you will find me out and about on a weeknight, more especially a Monday, however, once in a while something triggers in me and I feel drawn to having a night with the people who I love hanging with and Unilocalers are THE best social group the whole world over.
So, we get there and get a ticket for a drink on the house so I opted for the Wynwood beer, La Rubia which was just perfect to hit the spot after a long day at work. My «long time no see» old co-​worker and Unilocaler Jeniffer C. arrived and we settled down to catch up on two years of gossip and taste the new menu.
When the tuna poke arrived we first of all kinda were taken aback by what seemed to be saltiness, but then we tasted more and it turned out it was the spiciness of the chili hitting us. Taken with the cool avocado and unusual chips it turned out to be a hit.
The Thai wings were the bomb!!! Super hot, sweet and tangy with a delicious coleslaw.
The mac n cheese was the winner!
On the downside (but not really down, just not appealed to me)…the frito lay chicken dish was just blah for me, it was like something you would get at your neighbor’s house for SuperBowl. A-​okay, just not something I would order. I wasn’t tempted by the sliders either. They missed a certain flair which I’m sure the staff at OTC could bring to them. Dare I say it but those two dishes were boring.
On the upside, we ordered some fish n chips after the event ended and OMG… that curry tartar sauce was just PERFECT with the goujons of deep fried fish… sooooo good.
Thank you to Johnny T and OTC for such a fun start to the week.

Had a great time at this Unilocal event. Met some really nice people, drank some great beer, and ate some delicious food.
The OTC staff was really nice, helped explain every plate in detail. The Unilocal crowd was very welcoming, especially for being out of the loop for as long as I have been. It was an intimate, but perfect sized event for the location.
The food was great, my favorites from their tasting were: Ahi Poke & Thai Chicken Wings… they both were very tasty, and fun food for a happy hour. I would definitely head back to OTC (especially with a free drink voucher)!
Thanks to Johnny and the Unilocal team for putting this on, and the invite. Thanks also to OTC for hosting!

Dammit, we got here late! But, the food was great, servers were awesome, and Unilocalers were loud and fun. We’ll be on time next time, y’all!

After longing to try OTC for quite some time, I finally had no more excuses. Johnny’s brilliant CMHH presented the perfect opportunity to come mingle with some of my favorite Unilocalers while unwinding with a drink, and sampling some of the new menu.
Oh, and what a menu it was. OTC really managed to give more commonly found food items a bit of flair. The silken tuna tartare was perfectly juxtaposed with the crunchiness of peanuts. I have to admit that my inner-​green-​eyed-​monster had a very tough time relinquishing control to share with the rest of the table. On my next trip this may have to be one of those «I’ll get my own and you get yours» items. Another favorite, the Frito pie was an fun twist on the standard nachos, with heaping portions of tender meat subduing the saltiness of the chips. The wings were also stellar in a slightly sweet, Thai-​inspired glaze that had a really great flavor. The Philly Cheese Steak Sliders and the Mac and Cheese with cauliflower and veal meatballs were additionally interesting.
As for the drinks, OTC has quite a fair range of wines and beer. The beer menu varies from local options to further reaching choices. I was also elated to discover they plan to host some very cool sounding Tap takeovers and beer-​pairing dinners in the near future. I strongly suggest following them for details and trying to snag seats to some of these events before they sell out. Furthermore, with half off happy hour pricing, this is one of the most reasonable spots in town, especially considering they have one of the more interesting beverage selections.
I really learned a lot about OTC, and I’m looking forward to becoming a regular. I’d really like to thank them for their generosity, and also, to thank Johnny and Flor for putting this wonderful event together.

With his events, our Miami CM, Johnny, is consistently good at getting me to come out Monday nights to eat and drink more than I otherwise would have — and the CMHH at OTC was no exception to that trend.
Flor gave us a ticket at the door for one free beer or wine. I went with the hometown La Rubia from Wynwood Brewing with my drink ticket, then noticed the Hinterland pale ale on nitro-​tap. Not on the approved $ 3.50 happy hour list? I don’t care, the idea of a pale ale on nitro appealed to me. Plus, the ordinary prices on beer here aren’t so punitive. Both were easy-​drinking flavorful beers that were exactly what I would have wanted on a Monday night.
OTC chef Jacob Anaya has a pretty good reputation, and the bites his staff brought out for us to sample lived up to it. While I wouldn’t turn any of these bar bites down, the one I feel that is worthy of superlative mention is the tuna tartare. What sets this dish apart from your garden-​variety raw tuna preparation is the fresh avocado, strong flavors of peanut, and a pleasing chile heat in the background.
I’d been to OTC for one other happy hour, and would likely come back for others, brunch, or dinner. It’s the kind of place Brickell needs — just a small, low-​key chef-​driven neighborhood joint with great beer… there are already more than enough places to see-​and-​be-​seen. For me, OTC would have to be near the top of a fairly short Brickell list. Thanks to OTC and Johnny for hosting us!

Johnny T. has done it again this time at Brickell’s OTC! Big Big Kudos brother! Living this « Unilocal Life» keeps getting better and better. Since I work close by, I was the first one there, shy of my husband’s presence since we drove separately from work. It’s funny how I’m not recognized very well by my Unilocaling buds without my tall, dark and handsome king by my side lol. The ubiquitous comment I received was «Oh I almost didn’t recognize you without your husband!» Hahaha… well I guess that’s a good thing; we go better together!
Well the night began with the usual beer and wine icebreaker. We received drink tickets for a complimentary dose of «happy juice», and if we wanted more, we paid the slapping good happy hour price of $ 3.50 per drink. They will soon have my favorite beer on tap: Wynwood Brewery’s own La Rubia. Can’t forget about my red wine (Malbec) too: the red wine selection is excellent and doesn’t taste corked and cheap. The staff were extremely friendly and down-​to-​earth, which is something that I think is always important in customer service. I’d rather be served by humans than by robots :)
Now on to the food: The Thai Wings were fabulous, and tasted like it came straight from the farm to the oven. The sauce was sweet and spicy just like I like it. It came with a tasty cabbage slaw that almost everyone at the table reckoned with. What really shocked my senses was the Frito Pie. Now first of all I hate Fritos. But a Frito Pie (with chicken, cheese and avocado-​tomato salsa)? Come to mama! You can bet I will be getting that dish again! The Philly cheese steak sliders were pretty good, but the steak wasn’t shredded enough for me to really feel like I was eating a cheesesteak. And lastly, I tried the Mac and Cheese with meatballs. I’m really didn’t care for the meatballs (veal) but the cheese sauce on the noodles was pretty good.
Like I said, GREAT event. It’s always a good time with these Unilocaler Delpers.

My first CMHH! What a great time!
As always, it’s great to see familiar faces and make new friends. The set up at OTC was great as we were seated in small groups which gave us the opportunity to focus on the people at our table.
I’ve recently become quite the beer connoisseur (not really, but I’m really loving craft beers) and OTC is the best location if you’re looking to sample new releases. They change their taps for new brews each time their supply runs out which can be as soon as 2 days! And they’re always releasing rare brews. I’m looking forward to coming back to sample something new.
The food was great… Tuna Poke, Mac&Cheese with meat balls, Philly cheesesteak sliders, and Thai wings. I can’t wait to try other items from their menu.
The staff was great… so attentive and friendly. They even gave us free drink tickets for the next time we decide to visit!
Thank you to Johnny for hosting a happy hour and to the staff at OTC for making it so enjoyable!

Great way to spend a Monday night!
After picking a Cigar City Jai Alai out from a line up of beers and wine, I did what I do best, mingle at the bar. Of course, bartender and staff and Unilocalers all converged and the party was on it way to a fun debauchery, but before we got out of hand, a miraculous voice of reason called us to have a seat to enjoy some bar food.
At the table, I sat with two lovely couples, one official and one unofficial. We were served a tuna poke, spicy and fresh, with some chips and avocado, followed by a Frito pie, or a twist on nachos that uses Frito chips, chicken and cheese. This dish was also a bit spicy. Then came some chicken wings in Thai sauce, which were very good. After that we were served Philly Cheesesteak sliders, I liked the sweet cheese sauce, and finally a mac and cheese and meatballs, which was also good, specially the cauliflowers that came with it (got to eat my veggies!). All was very good and served in tapas style, to share.
My favorite was the mac and cheese and meatballs, although I didn’t like the meatballs but anytime you give me pasta with a cream sauce, you got me, because fettuccine Alfredo is one of my comfort foods, even if you put a meatball in it. And like I said before, the cauliflowers were really good.
The staff at OTC was on point also. Quick, attentive, very professional and knowledgeable about the dishes they were serving, they provided excellent service, and really, this event showcased top notch service along with bar food, which are kind of opposite, but who would have know?
It all comes down to a round of applause for OTC, the great staff, the good food, and of course the master newly baptized «Headcleaver» Johnny T.
Thank you Johnny T. S/​O to Flor C.

This was my first CMHH and I had a great time while meeting some wonderful Unilocalers!
OTC’s entire staff was extremely attentive and helpful, answering any and every question we had about the dishes we were served. Our first drink was free– either beer or wine, I decided to go ahead with Funky Buddha’s Floridian. OTC had other great beers on tap but I decided to keep it safe this time around.
We were served, one at a time, Tuna Poke, Thai Chicken wings with slaw, Fritos pie, Cheesesteak slider, Mac and cheese with meatballs. The chicken wings and tuna poke were my favorite. The Thai chili sauce that the wings were tossed in were so delicious and sweet. The tuna poke had avocado in it and a nice zest to it. The Fritos pie was good too, although it was a tad salty for my taste. The cheesesteak slider and Mac and cheese were both very good too.
Thank you to the entire OTC staff for having us & treating us so well during our event. Thank you Johnny and Flor for setting up this event, I look forward to attending the next CMHH already!

Thank you OTC for allowing us to get social with your incredible new menu!
We arrived right on time where Flor & Johnny graciously greeted us with our name tags and explained what was going to take place over the next two hours. We have been fans of OTC so we were excited to see the menu changes. First I grabbed a glass of wine with my free drink ticket and mingled with some great Unilocalers.
The dining area was set so nicely for us. The entire staff was excellent. They took such great care of us. Chef Ayala came out to explain his world travels and how excited he was to be able to bring so many dishes he created to OTC, all inspired by his travels. Super cool and delicious food.
The Owner/​Manager did a little speech informing us about the beer and wine dinners they offer as well as Happy Hour, Monday through Friday from 4−8pm. They have a fabulous Happy Hour.
We sat with lovely people at our table and the excitement began. I believe they brought out five different dishes. The Tuna Poke was so enjoyable. This was my favorite dish, with the Thai wings a very close second. The spice and flavors mixed into the Tuna with the heavenly chips was pure perfection. Then those Thai wings, oh did I ever have to compose myself. The sauce was so delicious I so wanted to lick the plate. Can’t wait to go back and devour a plate of these delicious wings with no one watching me make a mess of myself.
The Frito Pie was good, it could have used some spiciness to it. I somehow missed the sliders as I was busy mingling. The Mac n Cheese was delightful and the creamy sauce was very good. It was such a wonderful evening of tasting their new menu items.
Thank you so very much for allowing us to taste your wonderful food in such a nice setting. Really enjoy that you are doing the table service now as well. Thank you OTC, your wonderful Chef and staff and as always our amazing Johnny for setting this great event up. It was a fabulous night at such a wonderful restaurant.
Thanks to Allen with his after-​party that was also a huge hit and I am feeling the effects today. Oh what a Monday evening, such a fun time!

Simply wonderful!
We were welcomed with a drink ticket from a selection of beer and wine. I chose to go a different route than usual with a Spanish Albariño. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by it! After that, drinks were $ 3.50…not too shabby!
We mingled for a bit and then participated in a seated tasting of some of their new menu items. I had NO idea that the Chef was Ayala (formerly of Azul). Culinary greatness right there folks! First up was the TUNA POKE. Where do I even begin? This had all sorts of texture and in depth «kick.» It looked so simple, but it was anything but! The yuca chips it was served with were perfectly crisp, and a nice vessel for the tuna.
Up next were the THAI WINGS. Did you say Thai chili sauce? yes please! Was I not supposed to lick my fingers? Ooooops. Oh well! I did try eating the second one with a fork and knife and somehow, it was not as satisfying as digging in with my fingers the first time.
The FRITO PIE was probably my second favorite after the tuna poke. Yes, it was very salty. Perhaps overly so. However, I loooooooooved it. Chicken, cheddar cheese and an avocado tomato salsa! Everything about this screamed «perfect» to me!
How do you follow up a Frito pie? Well, that’s easy! Throw in some PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SLIDERS! These were actually quite delicate and somehow evenly seasoned so that all ingredients worked in unison, without any of them taking over.
Although I did enjoy it, the last dish was my least favorite. That’s surprising given it was a MAC & CHEESE with MEATBALLS dish. I think it had to do with the order in which it was presented. Its flavors were not as explosive as the other courses and probably why it fell a little flat for me. That being said, it’s pasta– I had to eat it!
By the time we were done, I was happy to sit there in food bliss and ready to start again but, alas, it was time to go home. Oh well… That only meant one thing: SUCCESS! I am now an OTC fan. They are officially on my radar!
Thank you OTC for so graciously hosting our Unilocal family.
Thank you Johnny and Flor for setting everything up so effortlessly as usual.

Kind of like that kid that shows up late to class and asks a bunch of questions… I arrived after everyone was seated, fork and knife in hand. Instead of getting punished I was rewarded with a face full of food including Hawaiian Tuna Poke, Thai Chili Wings, Mac ‘n Cheese Meatballs, and a gourmand’s version of the MidWest classic, Frito Pie.
I never look a gift beer in the mouth but damn. how are you supposed to choose between a greatest-​hits selection of brews on tap? You don’t. Goose Island Sofie Saison, Wynwood La Rubia Blonde Ale, and Funky Buddha Floridian Hefeweizen at the extended happy hour price of $ 3.50 that’s significantly lower than anywhere on Brickell.
If you’ve read Beowulf, OTC is kinda like the mead hall, Heorot, but with less wenches and arm wrestling. We are lucky that they was able to throw this 4 course feast for us and that we have each other to lean on and break bread with, such are the benefits of the Miami Unilocal community.