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Meaghan

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Joe's Stone Crabs, of course! Though stone crab season doesn't actually open until October 15th...

Being a native South Floridian, Joes is a must stop during every visit in season. Awesome stone crabs and Manhattan clam chowder. The wait can be ridiculous as they don't take reservations. If the maitre'd knows you it definitely speeds up the process.

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Being a native South Floridian, Joes is a must stop during every visit in season.  Awesome stone crabs and Manhattan clam chowder. The wait can be ridiculous as they don't take reservations. If the maitre'd knows you it definitely speeds up the process.

A strategically placed $20 makes you instant best friends with the maitre'd at Joe's.

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If you go to the Delano, go out by the pool, it is beautiful. Though, the drinks we had there were terrible. We had some small plates of food, which was good (better then our drinks) though expensive.

a MUCH better bit of advice, try:

Tap Tap

819 Fifth Street

305.672.2898

It is a very cool Hatian restaurant, slightly off the South Beach strip. Very good, very reasonable. MUCH better drinks and food then the Delano, and a 1/4 of the price! Big portion, and great drinks. We had their version of the Mojito, and it was the best one we had in Miami. Setting is very funky, with bright color, miss matched chairs, etc. There was live music the night we went and it was really a blast.

Cheers.

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Maybe we should rename the thread "Miami")

Here are some recent food and drink highlights:

In the Brickell Village neighborhood, The River Oyster Bar is a casual gem with a nice breath of metropolitan. The oysters are right up there with the best I've ever had, the service was on the ball--our server knew the menu inside out and was efficient, yet very friendly.

Here's a look at the menu (click me!)

I had the frisee with the calamari, the short ribs, a variety of raw oysters, and my friend had the grilled skirt steak. All very nice and reasonably priced.

For those of you heading that way, they have a happy hour from 4:30-7 p.m. every day, featuring half price oysters and drink specials. And they were recognized this year by Wine Spectator, so you're bound to find something that suits your taste.

For a cheap lunch or dinner on Lincoln Road that's less catered for the tourist's palate, check out Le Bon for the mussels and some decent Belgian beer. In my experience, it's best to stick to the mussels; I had an excellent oriental preparation with coconut milk and the like and also tried their signature pot, which was much more mild, but the bacon in it worked somehow.

Last night I had dinner at Vix at Hotel Victor

(busy menu)

and drinks later at the new Setai Hotel

All I can say is that tandooori ovens and ambiance are big in South Beach. Gotta catch the plane, but I'll go into more detail later. I felt like a puppet at Vix and wasn't wowed at all, but honestly didn't expect much--I was just there to have fun.

Just because...

Here are some pictures from The Setail, where I did not eat, but with this looksee, you can almost feel the Las Vegasness of the place.

post-26-1128875912_thumb.jpg A Setai bartender uses a ladder to access all the overpriced booze.

post-26-1128876178_thumb.jpg Mmmmm.

post-26-1128876250_thumb.jpg Champagne and Caviar Bar, I believe.

post-26-1128876419_thumb.jpg Pastry station.

post-26-1128876499_thumb.jpg

The beautiful and couchy courtyard where I downed a few martinis, an expense the same as one-way airfare from Dulles (if you're not careful <hiccup>)

One last thing, Miami (or maybe it's just Dade County) is a city like many, where restaurants automatically add 18% gratuity (no mater how small the party), and it's up to you to adjust accordingly. So, you've always gotta look hard at your check...

Edited by Meaghan
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Prime One Twelve

This place is amazing! I went there in May with my S.O. We had the Prime One Twelve Signature Salad (HUGE), the Porterhouse for 2 with Truffle Butter, loaded Salt Baked Potato, and Creamed Corn. The food is amazing, rich, juicy, and plentiful. Supposedly it is a star sighting restaurant (Jamie Fox and Salma Hayek has been seen(. The service was impeccable the atmosphere gets pretty lively once all the tables were seated. I guess one thing I didn't like about the place was that it was really loud.

Most definitely a place to go when you are in South Beach

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Prime One Twelve

This place is amazing! I went there in May with my S.O. We had the Prime One Twelve Signature Salad (HUGE), the Porterhouse for 2 with Truffle Butter, loaded Salt Baked Potato, and Creamed Corn. The food is amazing, rich, juicy, and plentiful. Supposedly it is a star sighting restaurant (Jamie Fox and Salma Hayek has been seen(. The service was impeccable the atmosphere gets pretty lively once all the tables were seated. I guess one thing I didn't like about the place was that it was really loud.

Most definitely a place to go when you are in South Beach

Actually, I heard the exact same thing from some locals, there seems to be a lot of buzz. It was merely my own mood that deterred me, but I'm glad to hear it's worth the trip. It's also right down the street from Joe's in case you're vacillating.

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Joe's Stone Crab is expensive. Because almost everything in South Florida is casual there are three top end restaurants which you should consider: Chef Allen's, Norman's and Mark's South Beach which is Mark Militello's restaurant-he is considered by some to be Florida's greatest chef. The first two, Allen Susser and Norman Van Aken have either been nominated for a Beard award or won a Beard award (Van Aken) while Militello-if he is in the kitchen-has the capability of delivering the dinner of a lifetime. Neither Chef Allen's or Norman's are near South Beach (Mark's is) but are "worth a journey" to Aventura or Coral Gables.

If you can get in and he is there, go to Mark's. You'll have a memory. I should also add that all three of these are enormously popular and difficult to get into. All three are on the level of, say, Citronelle. But, again, you could go dressy casual.

Edited by Joe H
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Cafeteria

560 Lincoln Rd.

Miami Beach

305.672.3663

Went there for brunch. Their Chicken and Waffles were amazing. The fried chicken did not have too much batter on it but crunchy and perfectly seasoned. The meat was moist and tender. The waffles were just right and the maple syrup au jus was light adding a delightful subtle compliment to the waffles and the chicken. I was dipping the fried chicken into the maple syrup. With it's contemporary decor and situated in main shopping area, it's a great place to people watch and enjoy the South Beach style.

For dessert? Head up to the gellateria nearby, forgot the name but you will know which one I'm talking about because it's bustling with customers.

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Cafeteria and Sushi Samba are both from NYC, and I had been to Cafeteria already.

I like Sushi Samba for what it is, and I like how much sake they have on the menu and all the imaginative and tasty cocktails they have. I actually did end up going there one day last week and had a fine snack and two awesome Mangomentas.

Mangomenta  10.00

Finlandia Mango, muddled shiso, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice & splash of orange juice. :lol:

Edited by Meaghan
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Joe's Stone Crab is expensive.  Because almost everything in South Florida is casual there are three top end restaurants which you should consider:  Chef Allen's, Norman's and Mark's South Beach which is Mark Militello's restaurant-he is considered by some to be Florida's greatest chef.  The first two, Allen Susser and Norman Van Aken have either been nominated for a Beard award or won a Beard award (Van Aken) while Militello-if he is in the kitchen-has the capability of delivering the dinner of a lifetime.  Neither Chef Allen's or Norman's are near South Beach (Mark's is) but are "worth a journey" to Aventura or Coral Gables. 

If you can get in and he is there, go to Mark's.  You'll have a memory.  I should also add that all three of these are enormously popular and difficult to get into.  All three are on the level of, say, Citronelle.  But, again, you could go dressy casual.

I agree with Joe that Mark's is solid. I haven't been to Chef Allen's in years though, but I hear it still gets consistant praise.

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If you go to the Delano, go out by the pool, it is beautiful.  Though, the drinks we had there were terrible.  We had some small plates of food, which was good (better then our drinks) though expensive.

i don't think i said the drinks were good, but my goodness, the interior of that hotel is beautiful that i think it's worth just walking around. plus, the hotel is in this book.

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I thought Lario's was suprisingly good for a celeb owned restaurant. The garlic chicken I had was to die for. It was very tender and had the right amount sauce.

Mango's- for great mohitos

Avalon- supposedly the best Key Lime Pie. However I liked, Joe's key lime pie because it had the graham cracker crust.

Joe's is great. If you don't want to eat it at the restaurant, they have the take out option. We did takeout and ate right in the market to the side of the restaurant. Their baked tomatoes with cheese and spinach was to die for. Sides are really big servings. They are also known for their lyonnaise potatoes, but I thought it was just okay.

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Actually, I heard the exact same thing from some locals, there seems to be a lot of buzz. It was merely my own mood that deterred me, but I'm glad to hear it's worth the trip. It's also right down the street from Joe's in case you're vacillating.

Recently there myself. The food was outstanding (from the appetizers through desserts). The scene was just as good (and as entertaining). While we had to wait for past our reservation by a half hour so, the bar was great and so was the service.

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S and S Diner is a throwback-sitting across from a cemetary, on a seedy stretch of NE 2nd Ave, you step back in time for a real diner lunch. While construction cranes hover everywhere like enormous birds of prey, this corner landmark goes about its business with a staff and kitchen that seems to have been frozen in time, although which time is long forgotten. Soon it too will succumb, as a developer has bought the property-plans for the new development include S&S, but we shall see. Plenty of free parking in the back, and as you walk past the open door to the kitchen, the aroma that seeps out the screen door is a familiar one-gravy. Once inside, the horseshoe counter, with about 15 seats, surrounds an afternoon telanovela, starring 'Tina Turner' and 'Shakira', two waitresses that make their running commentaries an alternative entertainment to the TV. The crowd is decidedly mixed-in every way. Rich, poor, suits, artists, young, old, black, white, etc, etc. But the food is the same every day: comforting. You like meatloaf, they got meatloaf-I don't ordinarily order meatloaf, but it looked so good and I needed something to pour that gravy over. The liver and onions were fresh-creamy and well-textured, not cooked to death. Also, the salad is fresh and crunchy, dressed with S&S's homemade salad dressing, which is made with BEEF STOCK-YEAH!

However, the king of the menu is the 'shank'-done perfectly, served in its stewed cooking juices over nicely done yellow rice, plus two sides-two nites later I had an upscale version of this which was 'Osso Bucco' over saffron risotto with a big slab of butter and parm on top-very delicious, but certainly not any more deeply satisfying than S&S's version. Diner prices help-that shank was like $6.99, icluding mashed potatoes and a salad. Throw in some strong black coffee served in a thick ceramic mug, and you are ready to go back out and move some earth. You will be eating a late dinner tonight!

Open 'til 6PM-NE 2nd Ave at 20th St

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I was back at The Royal Bavarian Schitzel Haus last Monday for happy hour and had some gigantic German beers and a plate of suasages. There was an amazingly interesting crowd at the bar, not your typical Miami scene, but still somehow VERY Miami. The chef, Alex Richter, was behind the bar, telling tales, and I was reminded of a Christmas Eve dinner my wife and I ate there 2 Xmases ago, which I posted elsewhere. Begging your indulgence, I am reposting it here in anticipation of the coming Christmas.

There is nothing like a Christmas Eve goose dinner, and nowhere better to celebrate Christmas than in sunny Miami FLA. All thoughts of the North Pole drift away on the warm ocean breezes, and the palm trees sway along Biscayne Bay, where some sailboats are sliding under the raised drawbridge. They say that people in Miami don’t mind waiting in traffic for the boats to glide under the drawbridges, because everyone imagines that someday that will be them sailing by.

In a small restaurant just off the water, if you look around and listen to the languages being spoken, you might be surprised, since this is Miami, NOT to hear Spanish, but German and Turkish. It’s as if Miami were a small German town near the water; and the aromas from the kitchen and the big black beers on the bar complete the illusion. It doesn’t hurt that the owner and chef, Alex Richter, is a hearty man, big and bald, and charmingly gap-toothed, a la Schwarzenegger, who stands behind the bar in his packed, yet comfortable, place, and chats amiably with friends and neighbors who sit at or near the bar. “Tesekur Ederim,” he waves to an older babushka-wearing woman, who is visiting from Turkey. Her daughter, Tuva, is the waitress here, and, as Mr. Richter waves his thanks, she explains that she hasn’t seen her mother in five years. A nice Christmas reunion.

My wife and I happen to be lucky enough to live around the corner from The Royal Bavarian Schnitzel Haus, but it is the kind of place you must seek out, whatever the location. You are not going to leave the ‘Haus hungry, or thirsty, and you will remember your visit as warm and toasty, even if the weather outside is not ‘frightful!’ The special Christmas Eve menu included a “Portion of fresh crisp oven roasted Goose”, and we are lucky to get the last ‘portion’. It is a huge leg attached to a piece of breast (goose breasts don’t have an awful lot of meat), and it is the kind of thing that, even though it is as big as your forearm, you know that at some point you will have to pick it up and eat directly from the bone. When I do this halfway through the meal, the leg almost snaps off the breast (I swear my hands are15 inches apart holding this thing), and I envision it flying through the air and smacking a gentleman at the bar across the face. He must have seen it coming, too, because he flinched and ducked when the bones snapped. But let me start at the beginning, and of course that means the sausage.

It is inconceivable not to start your meal with sausage, and Chef Richter makes his own. The ‘Original “Munich Weisswurst” with sweet Mustard’, is an unusually subtle, pale sausage, whose deep flavor is countered by its smooth texture. A tiny, tiny, dab of sweet mustard is almost more than this juicy wurst needs to disappear, and it is pleasantly light on the stomach. This is followed by a salad of winter greens dressed with warm goat cheese, which is a crunchy palate-cleanser. But the animal awaits.

Sourcing goose in Miami is not the easiest thing to do, and Chef Richter gets his from up north. In fact, as he told me, his meaty and plump geese come from Pennsylvania, and are provided by none other than the Amish! I had previously been unaware of a ‘Miami-Amish connection’. Obviously you can’t just pick up the phone and order. The chef sends a letter to a neighbor of the family who raise the geese. The neighbor contacts the farmer, and he let’s the Chef know when the geese are ready. When Chef Richter had a Mother’s Day special of goose, the spring birds were a little skinny, so he is very happy with the plump winter birds he received for Christmas.

The goose is roasted and served with red cabbage, reduced pan juices, and a potato dumpling the size of a lacrosse ball. All of the flavors are complementary, and, again, everything is substantial, but unexpectedly light. Even the dumpling, which is savory and flavorful, and the cabbage, red and semi-crunchy, have distinct flavors and textures. The goose is perfect, smelling of the oven and the farm; the leg moist and wild, with the meat attached to the bone the most succulent of all, demanding the aforementioned liftoff. It is not easy to gnaw on a goose leg in a crowded restaurant without losing your dignity, but it was essential, and worth it, my face smeared with goose fat, the King of Fat. Luckily, you are provided with a large and thick cloth napkin. All of this was washed down with a black German beer in a huge stein.

The other entrée on the special menu was a baked seafood-stuffed salmon fillet, served with fresh vegetables and mashed potatoes. While not heavenly like the goose, it was nice to have something to eat while I waited for my wife to pass the plate with the bird back to me.

There was a dessert and traditional Bavarian Gluehwein, a hot, spiced wine served in a festive mug, but by this time we had had our fill, and the desserts were graciously wrapped to go. The festive atmosphere and warm-hearted welcome stayed with us, and reminded us of our own Christmas party the night before, where we served traditional Venezuelan treats like pan de jamon and hallacas, and drank the Puerto Rican Christmas drink Coquito. World’s apart, but just around the corner

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Surprised nobody's mentioned any Cuban places. Check out Versailles first, which is something of an institution.
Tell me more, por favor. I'm flying to Miami tomorrow, staying at the Shore Club. I also have a meeting in Coral Gables so if there's anything good there, let me know.
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Tell me more, por favor. I'm flying to Miami tomorrow, staying at the Shore Club. I also have a meeting in Coral Gables so if there's anything good there, let me know.

You can't beat the Cuban pork sandwich at Versailles. And the name says it all about the atmosphere--mirrors abound. You will find that almost all of the customers speak Spanish, but if you don't, it doesn't matter. I have never been to old Havana, but I can imagine a place like Versailles would have fit right in.

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I just got back from Miami yesterday, stayed in Gables. If you want Cuban food, try Havana Harry. It is right on Lejeune across from the Merrick Center. I also like Las Culebrinas in Coconut Grove. If you want really cheap Cuban Fritas (Cuban hamburger made with chorizo), try El Rey de las Fritas. Various locations throughout Miami.

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Hello from Miami. A few quick notes:

Aside from the very modern, somewhat stark rooms, the Shore Club is tres romantic, particularly the garden bar. A shame I'm here solo tonight, and with a colleague tomorrow... The grounds are dark to the point of almost being spooky, but I kind of dig it.

There are two restaurants at the Shore Club and after doing a quick walk down Collins and over Lincoln and not having anything catch my eye, I dined at...both of my hotel's spots. No regrets (other than the bill, perhaps).

First I walked into what I thought was Ago, and ordering and receiving a glass of wine, I asked for a menu. On the cover? Nobu. Oops. A lot of the hotel is that way, poorly marked and near-intimidating. I mean, who wants to ask for directions to a hotel restaurant? It should be obvious, right? :P

Well, it's not. Because I'm not a sushi person (and because I will probably have dinner at Nobu tomorrow night with my colleague and business contacts), I ordered a few snacks before moving on to Ago. I loved my avocado tempura (although I wish it had just a hint of salt). One of the two pieces of asparagus, a medium-thickness green stalk, was delicious; the white asparagus was so tough that I couldn't get through it with my teeth. THAT was awkward.

With one glass of wine and the previously-described 18% service charge that appears everywhere I have been in Miami to date, my bill was about $25.

At 7, I moved on to Ago just as it opened. Having previously looked at the menu online, I already had a sense of what I'd order and I wasn't about to reduce said order just because I'd had some tempura. :D I started with Ago's burrata which is served with haricot verts, tomatoes and olive oil. The burrata itself gave Dino's a run for its money, HOWEVER I prefer the overall presentation at Dino. Score one for DC (sort of).

Instead of the egg noodles with duck ragu that I planned to order, I was swayed by a special of butternut squash ravioli with butter, sage and asparagus. No regrets there as it was all really delicious (but overall it was a lot of asparagus. For November. Oh well.). Previously I had planned on ordering the cheese plate, however I was too full.

With a glass of wine and the 18% service charge, the bill was ~$66. While not truly expensive, it became clear to me that Miami isn't an inexpensive place to eat. Another glass of wine (the range, I believe, was $10-18 per glass) or a dessert would have made the meal difficult to expense.

I'm not yet sure what I'll do for breakfast as I have deemed room service off-limits. A fruit plate alone is $18 and the french toast + bacon + coffee combo I'd order if left to my own devices would run about $32 (before tax and any service charges). Even paring it down to just oatmeal and water from the minibar (the Shore Club doesn't have a sundries store or any vending machine) would run me ~$18. I could probably pull it off vis a vis work, however it just seems silly.

Still accepting suggestions,

Jennifer

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We were in Coral Gables this weekend and found a great little wine shop and tapas restaurant. Copas & Tapas is located in Coral Gables on Miracle Mile. We had lunch there and had several good dishes. The fried chickpea casserole was excellent on its own or as a spread on some bread. The chorizo empanada was unusual, but good. Instead of the traditional circular-shaped dough patty, the empanada had alternating layers of chorizo and phyllo dough. Garlic shrimp were fresh and there was plenty of sauce left to dip our bread in. There is an extensive list of sandwiches on their menu which looked really good, but we did not try any of them. Their online menu does not reflect all of the tapas that are available. They appeared to have a huge selection of Spanish wines and gourmet foods, although I did not look around too much. If you are in the area, it is a great alternative to the many chain restaurants.

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Day 1 report: it's freakin' 82 degrees here in South Beach! Awesome. After switching back to short-sleeve mode, we drove back to the mainland in search of Garcia's Seafood Grille (398 NW North River Dr., Miami (305) 375-0765), mentioned in Sietsema's postcard. It's a proper riverfront seafood shack, along a relatively industrial stretch of the Miami River, and while we didn't see too many pleasure craft this evening, there were a couple of working fishing boats and tugs heading back upstream past our dockside table.

Garcia's was exactly the way we'd hoped to start our trip. It's a casual place, with a fish counter on the street side, and dining rooms in back, upstairs and outside that are reminiscent of good seafood houses everywhere you find them on the east coast. Fresh catch is listed on chalkboards near the host stands. You'll find fresh lime wedges freely accompanying almost every plate as it comes out.

We jumped into the deep end by starting with fish ceviche, fried cracked conch, a cup of red grouper chowder (sorry Laniloa, I was pretty sure I knew it was on the avoid list after seeing the display at Monterey Bay, but I failed my saving throw :( ), and a pound of large stone crab claws (i.e. four). The conch was tasty and well-fried, but so generously cut that the chewiness was bordering on rubbery, despite actually being pretty tender for conch. The ceviche was superb...very perky, swimming in its fresh lime juice and red onion brunoise. Stone crab is a new experience for me, and whoever prepped these was clearly very experienced at cracking all of the compartments just so, as I really didn't need the cracker tool. The texture is appealing (particularly as claw meat goes), and the meat is moderately sweet, but I didn't find it any more exciting than, say, dungeness. At $26/lb for large claws (rising to $40-something/lb for colossal) it wasn't a terribly good value either.

It was a lot of food, and yet we still (foolishly) had mains coming. I chose one of the daily specials - dolphin (mahi-mahi) in a champagne sauce, with shrimp. The champagne/vegetable sauce, colorful and buttery, added the right amount of spice and juicyness to complement the mahi-mahi, which has that meaty and relatively dry texture of an ocean fish. It worked a lot better than as an unadorned fishsteak in Gubeen's dolphin sandwich, which could have used something moist. For sides we both chose fried sweet plantains (Cuban style, and excellent), and I also chose yellow rice (prepared with a good chunky fish stock). We had no room left for dessert, so we each finished with a strong and delicious cup of café con leche.

We spent $118 plus tip for the two of us...but over half of the food total accounted for the rock crab and my daily special. If you choose with even a modicum of care, you can eat very well for not a lot of money here - a fish sandwich and beer can be had for under ten bucks.

I sense I'll be eating a lot of seafood in the coming week, and yet the Cuban food here is compelling...it's been a long time since I've had its like. We'll see what tomorrow holds, although I suspect we'll be driving south to check out the Miami-Dade Redland Fruit and Spice Park.

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We jumped into the deep end by starting with fish ceviche, fried cracked conch, a cup of red grouper chowder (sorry Laniloa, I was pretty sure I knew it was on the avoid list after seeing the display at Monterey Bay, but I failed my saving throw :( ), and a pound of large rock crab claws (i.e. four). The conch was tasty and well-fried, but so generously cut that the chewiness was bordering on rubbery, despite actually being pretty tender for conch. The ceviche was superb...very perky, swimming in its fresh lime juice and red onion brunoise. Rock crab is a new experience for me, and whoever prepped these was clearly very experienced at cracking all of the compartments just so, as I really didn't need the cracker tool. The texture is appealing (particularly as claw meat goes), and the meat is moderately sweet, but I didn't find it any more exciting than, say, dungeness. At $26/lb for large claws (rising to $40-something/lb for colossal) it wasn't a terribly good value either.
No apologies necessary-- there are many things about that list I don't agree with. The real risk is that you paid for grouper but didn't get it. There has been a big crack down on false sales Gulf-wide. And by rock crab, I think you mean stone crab. We're not having a good year. Spoke with some of the folks from the Keys and despite trap limits, the catch per unit effort is down this year. While both stone and dungeness are both sweet, the big difference for me is that stone shine cold with lime while the texture of dungeness works better for me when hot. Regardless, enjoy. If you take a ride to Key Largo and want to see fish politics in action, the Fish and Wildlife Commission will be meeting on Wed and Thurs.
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I got my stone crab fix from the Fish Peddler (on Commercial east of Federal) when I was in Ft. Lauderdale last weekend. We ate em at the hotel, instead of going out, so it was under $20/lb, which is much more palatable a cost. If you add sides, a pound is plenty for one person for dinner. And their mustard sauce is great!

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No apologies necessary-- there are many things about that list I don't agree with. The real risk is that you paid for grouper but didn't get it. There has been a big crack down on false sales Gulf-wide. And by rock crab, I think you mean stone crab.

Oops, you're absolutely right, and thanks. I had rock shrimp on my mind, and got my wires crossed. Edited to correct :(

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We were in South Beach in August and it continues to fascinate me: Mark's South Beach is an outstanding restaurant yet on a Friday night it was only half full. Driving around South Beach there was not a line anywhere. In fact South Beach seemed to have been virtually abandoned with few if any tourists in town and the locals seeming to shun any restaurant whose entree was more than, say, ten dollars.

The first of December, of course, is different. I hope.

Anyway, Mark's South Beach is Mark Millatello, a Beard winner from many years ago who helped put South Florida on the map with his landmark Mark's Place in North Miami Beach. Later he opened Mark's Las Olas in Ft. Lauderdale and then a number of years ago followed this up with his South Beach spot. It is not as good as my memory tells me that Mark's Place was. Still, having said this, it is on par with all but one or two restaurants here-it is truly excellent. (Mark's Place, in the early '90's, was a GREAT American restaurant-one of the best I have been to on this side of the Atlantic.) With Norman's gone (speaking of Coral Gables-Norman Van Aken's WAS the standard by which all others were judged after Mark's Place closed) Mark's South Beach is now the last stand for what some would consider to be great South Florida cuisine. It is worth a visit.

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In fact South Beach seemed to have been virtually abandoned with few if any tourists in town and the locals seeming to shun any restaurant whose entree was more than, say, ten dollars.

The first of December, of course, is different. I hope.

I hope so too. We just got handed another budget cut for my program. Come spend!

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We were in South Beach in August and it continues to fascinate me: Mark's South Beach is an outstanding restaurant yet on a Friday night it was only half full. Driving around South Beach there was not a line anywhere. In fact South Beach seemed to have been virtually abandoned with few if any tourists in town and the locals seeming to shun any restaurant whose entree was more than, say, ten dollars.

The first of December, of course, is different. I hope.

Anyway, Mark's South Beach is Mark Millatello, a Beard winner from many years ago who helped put South Florida on the map with his landmark Mark's Place in North Miami Beach. Later he opened Mark's Las Olas in Ft. Lauderdale and then a number of years ago followed this up with his South Beach spot. It is not as good as my memory tells me that Mark's Place was. Still, having said this, it is on par with all but one or two restaurants here-it is truly excellent. (Mark's Place, in the early '90's, was a GREAT American restaurant-one of the best I have been to on this side of the Atlantic.) With Norman's gone (speaking of Coral Gables-Norman Van Aken's WAS the standard by which all others were judged after Mark's Place closed) Mark's South Beach is now the last stand for what some would consider to be great South Florida cuisine. It is worth a visit.

Nobody wants to be in South Florida in August. Blech.

In Lauderdale, Mark's Las Olas is still great, as is Johnny V's.

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Since we didn't have an available evening this trip, Gubeen and I walked the few blocks over to Mark's South Beach (1120 Collins Ave., Miami Beach) for lunch today, and the roughly 76-seat dining room was occupied by us and one three-top across the room. We chatted up our server a bit, and the bottom line is that the South Beach market is so heavily focused on see-and-be-seen beachside restaurants(*), that lunch traffic at a place like Mark's is simply nonexistent, even on weekends. They wouldn't even be open for lunch, if not for contractual obligations with the Hotel Nash. And that's a shame, because Mark's prix fixe lunch is a steal. For $22, you choose from two starters, about four entrées, and two three desserts. If it doesn't tickle your fancy, a somewhat more extensive à la carte menu is also available.

I had the baby lettuce and pear salad, an interesting twist on the Waldorf using poached pears slices, candied spiced pecans, crispy bits of pancetta and dressed with a creamy gorgonzola. A slice of dehydrated sweet pear decorates the top. One of those salads that, after clearing your plate, you're left feeling a little bit guilty that maybe it still wasn't the healthiest choice :( The pan-fried arctic char over English pea and "farro risotto", pea shoots and beurre rouge was flawlessly executed. Nice crisp sear on the top and bottom of the arctic char, but barely medium rare on the interior. Pea shoots seasoned with a dash of salt brought a welcome touch of bitterness and crunch to the whole dish. Gubeen, who ordered à la carte, chose the conch chowder, the conch fritters set in a saffron-hued chowder with a good vegetable base and a touch of curry. I wrapped up with the sampler of housemade sorbets - peach/pineapple, apple/celery, and rosewater. Service was very good yet unpretentious, the only marks against being that our server didn't already know what the daily sorbet and crême brulée flavors were, and that they ask the leading "bottled still or sparkling" water question.

Mark's deserves your business. It's a small and quiet enough space that if you're seated towards the rear of the room, you can hear the cooking going on in the kitchen, and they bring their 'A' game even when there are only going to be five covers midday. Dinner attire is at least business formal but they're rather laissez-faire at lunchtime, although I'm not sure I'd go in full-on beach bum mode.

Yesterday, we drove down to Homestead to visit the Fruit and Spice Park, operated by the Miami-Dade parks department. This 27-acre park is an arboretum for mainly exotic fruit varieties, with a walled garden area for herbs. There is a modest admission fee. Despite the name, there are few spices being grown at the moment, apart from a nifty border hedge of bay rhum. You're permitted to eat any fruits that have fallen, but not to pick off the tree, and in any case you can't take any with you. The plantings are arranged roughly according to continent of origin. Bananas, plantains, atamoyas, soursop, eggfruit, sapote, guava, passionfruit, African "sausage fruit", carambola, etc etc etc. The guided tram tour, offered once or twice a day, is worth hopping onto, and lasted about 90 minutes in our case.

Enroute to the park, we needed a spot of lunch, so we reconnoitered the stretch of of US Route 1 just beyond the turnoff for SW 248th St that heads to the park. Along the east side of US 1 just south of 248th are three Mexican eateries; we chose the distal one, Hidalgo's, a mom-and-pop joint which says it serves dishes typical of Hidalgo state. Mom doesn't appear to speak much English at all, so try your best to pronounce the menu with a Spanish accent. Her taco platters (3 tacos on corn tortillas with rice and frijoles on the side for $6) were excellent, filled with meats that were a far cry from the soggy items you settle for from a taco truck. Gubeen chose the flavorful lengua, and I went with the al pastor, which was nicely moist. A small dish of homemade salsa picante accompanies the tacos. Skip the desserts; the tres leches cake come pre-fab from a supplier in Miami.

(*) they're playing on a whole different level of bling here. Only in South Beach have I now seen five Bentleys relegated to second-class VIP parking so the guy with the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 can have the rockstar spot.

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One of the most enjoyable meals I've had in 2008 was at Michael's Genuine.
Great recommendation, thanks! The Design District was dead on Monday night, but this place was filled to capacity. The chargrilled octopus with gigande beans was fantastically tender after 7 hours of slow cooking in oil before a quick flash in the brick oven to provide some deep smokiness. Wines-by-the-glass list was a touch short (I think a third of their whites were CA chardonnays), but there was an Australian Grenache that I very much enjoyed.

Nice Frank Bruni write-up here.

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We are staying at the Tides in South Beach. 3 ladies in late forties on a girls weekend. I don't know South beach at all. I find there are not as many resources to follow for dining as say new york, so for help so I am relying on my fellow rockwellians.

Thursday night (we want casual, fun fine food): Michaels Genuine: Is this close to South Beach or an expensive cab ride?

Friday Lunch (we are going out later that night so we want a 2p.m. or so fun, festive lunch with either people watching or water view) : Bistro One in the Ritz Carlton or Il Dido in the same (this seems weak, so a better idea would be appreciated)

Fri Eve Clubbing: Setai bar or the Shore Club

Saturday Dinner: Vix

Sunday Dinner: a casual Cuban place: please name a good one

Monday lunch: Joe's Crab Stone House

How am I doing.

Thanks to all.

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We are staying at the Tides in South Beach. 3 ladies in late forties on a girls weekend. I don't know South beach at all. I find there are not as many resources to follow for dining as say new york, so for help so I am relying on my fellow rockwellians.

Fri Eve Clubbing: Setai bar or the Shore Club

Thanks to all.

While I can't speak to clubbing, I do stay at the Setai when in Miami (three trips last year, one coming up next month). The bar at the Setai will be much more sedate than the Shore Club, and less crowded. I think that the atmosphere is "swankier" (for lack of a better term) than the Shore Club, which will be louder and more of a party scene. The two are very close together, so if one doesn't suit, just walk down two blocks (or up, if at the SC) to the other.
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I don't really know South Beach all that well, having grown up in the Lauderdale suburbs, but I do know that Joe's Stone Crabs is only open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday, so you're out of luck there.

That said, while stone crabs rock, Joe's is kind of over-rated. There's nothing to really distinguish one place from another when it comes to stone crabs (as long as they cook them properly) except for the mustard sauce, and theirs is nothing special. And they're really expensive there! I've never been for lunch, so I can't speak to the lines there, but at dinner the wait is looooooong, and they don't take reservations.

I must admit that when I go home (even staying in a hotel), we don't go out for stone crabs, but do takeout from a seafood store instead, and do a picnic on tables by the pool. We go to the Fish Peddler in Ft. Lauderdale, but that's far from South Beach. If you don't mind eating at the hotel, maybe you could try finding something close to you?

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Prime 112 on Ocean is a great "modern steakhouse" in the Brown's hotel. Awesome steaks and hip vibe.

Regarding Joes, I think it is totally worth it to eat there for the fun old-school feel of the place. In addition to the Stone Crabs, the sides, Manhattan Clam Chowder and salads are great. Yes, there are a lot of tourists who go there, but a lot of locals as well and as a native South Floridian, it is a must stop when I am down there as long as it is season.

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I don't really know South Beach all that well, having grown up in the Lauderdale suburbs, but I do know that Joe's Stone Crabs is only open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday, so you're out of luck there.

That said, while stone crabs rock, Joe's is kind of over-rated. There's nothing to really distinguish one place from another when it comes to stone crabs (as long as they cook them properly) except for the mustard sauce, and theirs is nothing special. And they're really expensive there! I've never been for lunch, so I can't speak to the lines there, but at dinner the wait is looooooong, and they don't take reservations.

I must admit that when I go home (even staying in a hotel), we don't go out for stone crabs, but do takeout from a seafood store instead, and do a picnic on tables by the pool. We go to the Fish Peddler in Ft. Lauderdale, but that's far from South Beach. If you don't mind eating at the hotel, maybe you could try finding something close to you?

thanks for the heads up on the timing of joe's. Also thanks for the heads up from rocks on the taxi ride for Michaels Genuine..I was afraid of that.

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