Chef Greg McGowan has worked in some top kitchens. Prior to being part of the team that opened the Hyatt Centric Las Olas in 2020 in the 100 Las Olas Tower, the city’s new tallest building, he’d been executive chef at another Fort Lauderdale landmark hotel, Pier 66, since 2010. He’s opened hotels, setting up high-end hotel restaurants, throughout the country. But he’d never done anything quite like Room 901.
“This concept really came out of hard times during the pandemic,” he says of the evenings that take over a room of the hotel for a set-menu experience for a small number of diners. “We had the idea to reach out to the top speakeasies throughout the country, to have them come down, initially as a pop-up.“
A bartender would come down for a week and prepare a menu with them. This was when bars and restaurants in much of the country were still shut down completely; here, places were still operating at partial capacity. The idea, McGowan says, was to “let them be able to shine a light on their property as well, let people know that they’re still active.”
But a funny thing happened as the country began opening up again – the concept took off. They started doing it with their own team. “From there, we were able to really put more special touches to it,” he says.
The nights are for 12 to 14 people. “We love it,” McGowan says. “It’s a very intimate setting. We have a lot of flexibility with the food that we do. We’re able to create something very special and unique with the food, with something special to South Florida.”
The food might be special to South Florida, but the reach of 901 has been national.
“We’re getting calls from different parts of the country, people who are coming down and want to get into 901,” McGowan says. “There’s such a strong demand right now, we’ve got about a 90 person waitlist.”
The Dish: Pan Seared Spanish Octopus with Ginger Carrot Puree, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Smoked Pimenton, Creole Sauce
Ingredients:
Spanish Octopus
- 2 to 3 pounds of Spanish octopus
- 1 bunch parsley
- Tops of fennel bulb
- 1 large carrot
- ½ Spanish onion
- 1 sprig oregano
- 2 to 3 green onions, rough chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ginger Carrot Puree
- 1-pound carrots rough chopped. About 2 cups
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Creole Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onions (about 1 medium)
- 1/2 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 medium cloves)
- 3 vine ripe diced tomatoes
- 2 cups low-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce (such as Frank’s or Crystal), plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- 1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Method:
Spanish Octopus
1. First, you’ll need to tenderize the octopus. Lay the tentacles out flat, cover with plastic and lightly pound it with a meat tenderizer or the back of a small pan.
2. Next place the parsley, fennel fronds, oregano, green onions, carrot, onions half of the paprika, 2 cloves smashed garlic and the bay leaves into a pot. Then cover with water 2 inches over the vegetables and bring to a boil. Then dip the octopus slowly in and out of the stock 3 times to let the tentacles start to curl up. Then fully submerge the octopus in the stock. Cover the pot and cook for 90 minutes to 3 hours, on a low simmer depending on how large and tough the octopi are. I typically shoot for 2 hours. Don’t worry about the lack of liquid in the pot; the octopus will release enough to make a flavorful broth.
3. When the octopus is tender, remove from the pot and cut into serving-sized pieces. Coat with some of the olive oil and either grill or broil until you get some char marks, about 4 to 6 minutes.
4. Toss the octopus with the olive oil, chopped garlic, the paprika, smoked paprika and cayenne. Add salt and black pepper to taste and serve at room temperature or slightly warm.
Ginger Carrot Puree
1. Bring carrots and milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and stir in sugar and next 3 ingredients. Simmer, stirring often, 25 minutes or until carrots are tender.
2. Transfer mixture to a blender, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Add butter to carrot mixture, and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add reserved cooking liquid, if necessary, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and process to desired consistency. Serve immediately or chilled. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.
Creole Sauce
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, celery, and green peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Stir in tomatoes, stock, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer until sauce slightly thickens, about 20 minutes.
3. Remove and discard bay leaves. Add butter and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in parsley and green onions. Season with salt, pepper, and additional hot sauce to taste. Sauce will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Toss potatoes, garlic, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss again until evenly combined. 3. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and heat until melted. Add potatoes; cook and toss until evenly coated with butter, about 2 minutes. Move the skillet to the preheated oven. 4. Roast in the preheated oven until soft, 15 to 20 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from oven and top with parsley.
Assembly
Spread the carrot puree along the bottom of the plate. Then arrange your potatoes on top of the puree. Next, place seared octopus over the potatoes. Then spoon the creole sauce around and over the octopus. Garnish with chopped parsley, olive oil and smoked paprika.
