This chicken parm in Miami was named best in the U.S. Does it live up to the hype?
If you listen to its fans, which include national food websites and a big chunk of Miami, Crust restaurant and pizzeria has the best chicken parm on the planet.
How one determines the truth of this claim is tricky. Does the answer lie in the bubbling sauce? The gooeyness of the cheese? The crunch of the chicken breast? Or is it a mysterious alchemy, all three elements working effortlessly together to mesh into a masterwork of the greatest comfort food ever?
There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to put on your eating pants.
When you arrive at
Crust, you will notice that there is nowhere to park. Do not be alarmed. This is Miami. There is never anywhere to park. You can valet for $15 unless you get lucky with street parking, and if you get that lucky you might want to hit up the nearest 7-Eleven and grab a few Mega Millions tickets after dinner.
You can eat outside or in, but wherever you sit, the way the world loves Crust these days, you’re going to want a reservation before you go. The restaurant, which is owned by chef Klime Kovaceski, is on the Miami River. It is not on the same side of the road as its fancy neighbor Kiki on the River, so you banish all dreams of floating up on a yacht before your chicken parm frenzy.
And that’s OK, because nobody here cares about your boat. They care about getting to the bottom of this chicken parm situation. The restaurant is defiantly unpretentious, with a cozy, friendly atmosphere. This is not a place to see and be seen; it’s a place to relax with friends or family or significant others and eat more than you think you should. (You won’t eat lightly here. Bow to the inevitable.)
Kovaceski’s wife, Anita, will greet you when you enter, ushering you to your table, where you should order garlic rolls redolent of butter and Parmesan. You won’t be sorry.
You aren’t required to order the chicken parm, of course. You can order meatball or shrimp parm instead, but much like the dish, the menu is big, with small plates like savory shrimp cakes with sautéed mushrooms, lemon-horseradish mayo and tomato coulis, plus the usual fried calamari, grilled octopus and beef carpaccio. Kovaceski may be Macedonian, but he’s got an Italian soul, at least when it comes to food.
There are salads, risottos, pastas, and the pizza has its own fan club (in 2022, Yelp called it one of the best pizza spots in the country). You can order a classic pepperoni or margherita pizza, even a Hawaiian pizza, and no one will make fun of you. But it pays to get fancy.
The funghi pizza comes not just with white mushrooms but portobellos, goat cheese and white truffle oil.
The true standout, though, is the Brussels sprouts and bacon white pizza with crumbled goat cheese, which is so flavorful it might ruin pizza for you forever. Thought you hated Brussels sprouts? Guess what — you don’t.
But about that chicken parm: Listen, what did you think we were going to say? It’s good. Of course it’s good. Kovaceski uses lightly breaded chicken tenders atop the linguine because, he says, they’re “less stringy,” and he substitutes Alta Cucina tomatoes for the more obvious San Marzano. The real trick is using panko instead of Italian breadcrumbs, which gives the chicken more of a crunch.
Kovaceski credits his Macedonian background for the changes. “I don’t have to do my grandmother’s recipe,” he told the Miami Herald last year. “Sometimes not being authentic to the region is a good thing.”
The serving is also huge, which is part of the appeal. Thanksgiving dinners for a family of four are smaller than this dish. But don’t be daunted. You can take some home, because it reheats nicely. Kovaceski says that since the pandemic a big part of his business is takeout, and he has perfected it.
You may think you will be too full for dessert.
You’re not. Order a slice of the limoncello cake and graciously accept the small shot of port Anita brings to each table at the end of every meal. It’s a tradition Kovaceski started at his first Miami restaurant, The Crystal Cafe, in 1994. Turns out the serving of hospitality you’ll encounter at Crust is as big and hearty as that chicken parm — and just as welcome.
CRUST
Where: 668 NW Fifth St., Miami
Hours: 4-10 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday; closed Monday and Tuesday
Information and orders: crust-usa.com or 305-371-7065
Connie Ogle: 305-376-3649, @OgleConnie