Miami Restaurants

[hazardnc]

My SO will be in Miami next week and asked to to poll egulleteers for suggestions for good seafood (crab claws) and Cuban. He's been to Joe's and would like to try something new for stone crab.

He specifically asked for comments on Joe's Seafood (not Stone

Crab), Garcia's, Versailles and Las Culebrinas.

He will be staying at the Four Seasons - taking cabs everywhere

[ecruz1026]

Personally, I think Joe's is overrated. It's better to just get stone crab claws at a fish market and do-it-yourself at home. Considering the location of the Four Seasons, Garcia's would be a good bet. It's very divey but what do you expect from a fish market on the river. A little more upscale seafood can be had at the River Oyster Bar. Not necessarily on the river (close enough) it has a good happy hour and focuses on seafood. Between Versailles and Las Culebrinas I'd pick the latter. Although there are two locations, the original being the better of the two; however, it is located in a possibly sketchy neighborhood. Both would be a good cab ride away (make sure you have the name and # of a cab company to pick you up since cabs are not necessarily prevalent in either area). I'd also recommend Havanna Harry's for Cuban; however, it's a hefty cab ride away unless you're willing to take Miami's oft neglected Metro.

Good luck.

[Jason Perlow]

We had very good stone crabs at Billy's Stone Crab Market and Seafood Restaurant in Hollywood on A1A (400 North Ocean Drive) several years ago. Beautiful view of the Intercoastal Waterway as well. Not cheap, but you should know that going in if you are going for Stone Crabs, anyways. You pay to play.

954-923-2300

[robyn]

Ecruz - Have you tried Ola? I haven't - but it's on my "to-do" list in Miami. That would be on my radar screen if I were staying at the Four Seasons and taking cabs. Acqua (at the Four Seasons) wouldn't be on my radar screen. Have you been there?

BTW to Jason - not much reason to take a cab from Brickell Avenue to Hollywood and back for stone crabs. That's a pretty hefty cab bill - especially when Joe's is a lot closer.

BTW to Hazardnc - Unless Miami cabs have improved a whole lot since I lived there - they are kind of dreadful. Not all that clean - or all that air-conditioned - and - most of the time - the drivers don't speak much English or know where they're going. I'd definitely check out a transportation service (like Carey) before taking a long cab ride in Miami. Also note that travel distances and travel times can be quite daunting in the Miami Metro area. The Metrorail doesn't run that often at night. To the extent that people use it - they use it mostly for commuting to work - or special events.

I would also check out the restaurants in Merrick Park (relatively new upscale outdoor type mall with independent restaurants like Mundo) and establishments in Coral Gables. There are some pretty good restaurants there. Perhaps not the best stone crabs - or ethnic Cuban - but I frankly can't see driving or taking huge cab rides to get either crabs or Cuban food. I usually stay at the Ritz Carlton in Coconut Grove (it's close to where I have to do business) - and I usually wind up eating a lot of meals in Coral Gables due to its proximity to Coconut Grove. Since I won't stand on line at Joe's - if I can't do take-out at a friend's house - I don't do it. Robyn

[ecruz1026]

robyn - I've been to OLA a few times. It's one of the few restaurants in my up-and-coming neighborhood but I'm glad that if we only have a few that OLA is one of them. It's the type of place that you would think would have opened in Coral Gables; however, it probably would've been lost in the pan-latin crowd (Ortanique, Cacao, etc.). It's about 5 miles north of downtown and would be a hefty cab ride, but at least it's a straight shot up Biscayne Blvd. I went to Acqua once and liked the atmosphere more than the food. Given a choice, I'd rather hang out and have tapas at Bahia on the same floor as Acqua.

I agree about the cabs, they're touch and go. A cab ride to Hollywood would be outrageous and not worth it. As for Merrick Park, Mundo (the Norman van Aken restaurant) and Pescado have closed. Pescado will be replaced by OLA Steak (see, I told you OLA was the type of place that would open in Coral Gables) and the ovens at Mundo are still too warm to have gotten a replacement. There's an outrageously expensive Italian osteria (Villa "something") which I don't see lasting very long, Chispa, which is Robin Haas' place (haven't been, heard mixed reviews), and another Italian restaurant which I forget the name but is probably the least expensive of the restaurants in the area. From what I've heard, the mall in general is not doing very well.

[robyn]

robyn - I've been to OLA a few times.  It's one of the few restaurants in my up-and-coming neighborhood but I'm glad that if we only have a few that OLA is one of them.  It's the type of place that you would think would have opened in Coral Gables; however, it probably would've been lost in the pan-latin crowd (Ortanique, Cacao, etc.).  It's about 5 miles north of downtown and would be a hefty cab ride, but at least it's a straight shot up Biscayne Blvd.  I went to Acqua once and liked the atmosphere more than the food.  Given a choice, I'd rather hang out and have tapas at Bahia on the same floor as Acqua. 

I agree about the cabs, they're touch and go.  A cab ride to Hollywood would be outrageous and not worth it.  As for Merrick Park, Mundo (the Norman van Aken restaurant) and Pescado have closed.  Pescado will be replaced by OLA Steak (see, I told you OLA was the type of place that would open in Coral Gables) and the ovens at Mundo are still too warm to have gotten a replacement.  There's an outrageously expensive Italian osteria (Villa "something") which I don't see lasting very long, Chispa, which is Robin Haas' place (haven't been, heard mixed reviews), and another Italian restaurant which I forget the name but is probably the least expensive of the restaurants in the area.  From what I've heard, the mall in general is not doing very well.

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Wow - that's interesting news. When we were in Miami last spring - we tried both Mundo and Pescado. I wrote relatively mixed reviews here. But we had decent meals. Didn't see them coming and going in a heartbeat.

I haven't been to Chispa either. Was mentioned to me as good - but basically meat and pork - and more meat and more pork. Not my idea of a great meal in Miami when it's 85 outside.

You know something. I lived in Miami for over 20 years - and went through enough incarnations and reincarnations of everything to think that it wasn't particularly a destination restaurant kind of place (except perhaps for the South Beach places and the crowd that manages to tolerate their high priced mediocre food served with lots of "attitude"). And this reinforces my impression. But I'll keep looking - if for no other reason than I go to Miami once year to visit my accountant <smile>. Robyn