Photos By Ricardo Mejia
Sandy Sanchez and Benoit Rablat could easily be protagonists of a Hollywood movie.
Imagine a heartfelt romance featuring a duo running a unique French bistro in a working-class Cuban neighborhood in Miami. She’s Hialeah-born and he’s a Parisian. Their love story began in Los Angeles, in a fine-dining setting where they both worked, and eventually led them to Miami to manifest their dream restaurant, La Fresa Francesa.
Their combined passion, dedication and genuine love for their craft propelled their establishment to become one of Miami’s most sought-after French restaurants.
Dishes like bacon-wrapped dates with blue cheese and duck leg confit, attract a diverse clientele – from Miami’s elite to local abuelitas.
While no movie discussions are on the horizon for this power couple, this incredibly talented and charming duo work hard to bring their culinary vision to South Florida diners. Apart from La Fresa Francesa in Hialeah, they’ve introduced Silverlake Bistro in Buena Vista and a gourmet store, Normandy Gourmandy, in Miami Beach’s North Beach neighborhood.
La Fresa Francesa, which opened in 2015, is their baby and by definition holds a special place in their hearts. Sanchez is quick to thank her sister for suggesting both the location and the idea for her and Rablat, 46, to open a French restaurant there.
“I thought that [idea] was kind of ludicrous. And then I thought about it and was like, ‘We might be able to pull it off because there’s nothing like that in Hialeah and while it sounds a little crazy, I do think that there is a market for it,” Sanchez, 47, reflects.
The couple bought the place sight unseen, arriving to a major fixer upper. While Sanchez wondered if Rablat, who’d never been to Hialeah, would run, he merely observed, “We have a lot of work to do.”
Money was tight and the couple got creative with the design, patching together a homey feel from mismatched vintage plates, furniture and art. Then, customers became involved. Now, the ambiance mirrors the allure of their dishes.
“I feel like the space is constantly evolving. What’s most beautiful is people bring me their heirlooms,” Sanchez says. “They [the objects] have a soul coming from other people’s lives and I think that fills the space with their stories. It’s really cool,” she adds.
Silverlake Bistro, named after the area in LA the couple lived in, opened in 2018 with the intention of creating a comfortable neighborhood restaurant.
“There’s a little bit of everything: we have an outstanding burger, there’s a little pasta, there’s some French things on there,” Sanchez says.
Normandy Gormandy, which opened its doors this past July, was sparked by a customer’s insistence on having a local wine shop.
For them, intuition and compatibility are vital (“Ben and I’s love language is starting projects together,” Sanchez admits). Their endeavors focus on breathing life into neighborhoods.
“We always open in random places that don’t have any commercial stuff because we love a neighborhood, and we love injecting a neighborhood with these little souls and tiny little places,” she says.
In their venues, you’ll often see Sanchez with her radiant smile, engaging with patrons, while Rablat is busy working his magic in the kitchen.
“The biggest compliment you could give Ben is ‘it tastes like my grandmother’s cooking.’ It’s that kind of food. It’s not two peas on a plate with one ounce with,” she stops midsentence, breaking out in hearty laughter.
From French onion soup to oxtail to warm crepes, their offerings resonate with Miami’s diverse crowd.
“I love that. I love walking into the restaurant and seeing all of the community there: the old little Cuban people, the Instagrammers, the couple on a date, the table of tourists that were near the airport and found us and were like, ‘Oh my God, great restaurant!’ I just look around and I’m like, ‘This is it!’” Sanchez says.
Eggs En Cocotte
Serves 1
A French classic, Sanchez adds, “You can do it for breakfast or lunch or even a casual dinner. It’s a great appetizer if you put a little truffle in it.”
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon of truffle butter
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
¼ teaspoon of chopped chives
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper
2 tablespoons of shredded cheese
PROCESS:
• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Spread the truffle butter at the bottom of an 8-ounce ramekin (glass or ceramic).
• Crack open and add whole egg, then add egg yolk. Discard the egg white of the second egg.
• Add chives, salt, pepper and heavy cream.
• Top with shredded cheese.
• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 8 minutes.