Any thoughts on South Beach,
I have booked,
DeVitos (New Year's Eve
The Forge
Torch (x-mas dinner)
Yucca (I want some cuban)
Prime 112
El Rancho Grande (I want some Mexican)
Azul (at my hotel the Mandarin Oriental)
I will go to Joe's Stone Crab
and I have to choose between Casa Tua, Quinns or Escopazzo for one night

any thoughts or other suggestions, nothing is written in stone.

Most appreciated. Thanks

Skip Joe's Stone Crab

I live in South Florida. Not to be the bad guy but some of your selections are not what they used to be.

The Forge - quality is nothing like it was 10+ years ago...ever since their fire it has been a different place. it is VERY loud for the type of restaurant they are, or used to be.

Joes is WAAAAY over hyped, and if you don't know somebody there I would truly say good luck

Prime 112 is awesome, but as with Joes and the Forge, open your equity line of credit now.

try going a bit north of Sobe to such places as Mark's. Chef Allen's, and for probably some of the best cuisine and a great wine list try Cafe Maxx in Broward County (well worth the drive)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: inky,

Before I answer I have to know: is money no object? I have a lot of reasons for asking, but it's not really relevant to your question.

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the replies so far, keep them coming. I hope to get a broad perspective.

I'm hopeing that the concierge at the Manderin will get me to Joes. Ok, I want the stone crabs.

I'm not sure how to answer the question about money but let's just say that I'm not looking at a price list for the meal.

I heard Mark's was really good, but not knowing the area at all we are not going to drive around to much for dinner. My hubby won't be a happy camper if he has to drive far for dinner as he will do most driving during the day for his photography.
What about Touch?

I should say I am going to try Versailles for lunch.

If you are set on Joe's you will need to have a $100 bill handy to tip the maitre d' to get a table in any type of reasonable time.

As for other to suggestions, I try to avoid the overhyped, overpriced nonsense that is south beach. Plenty of good suggestions for a different type of experience, but it seems you are looking for the "typical south beach" stuff.

Also, heard Nobu is phenomenal.

Miss Margaux,

Absolutely skip Joe's, no atmosphere at all. If you want stone crabs you should go to Captain's Tavern...not on the beach, but an excellent wine list and prices. And they source the stone crabs from the exact same place and you'll pay 50% less. I know money is not the issue, but it just makes sense. I can provide directions if you like.

Like others have said the Forge has declined. Prime 112 is excellent.
Azul in hte Mandarin is excellent as well.

Touch is good.

The Blue Door at the Delano is good.

The restaurant at the Setai is excellent and a beautiful setting.

Also Barton G's on the beach is very good.

Good luck.

Hi everyone,

First I will say that I have not been to Fla since I was 10 years old which is a good # of years gone by.

MonaLisa, I'm not sure what I'm looking for other than a good time with the hubby so please offer up some suggestions. I have an open mind.

I will admit that a place on the beach overlooking the water is preferred but as I said we have an open mind.

I'm grateful for the Joe's advice.
I will skip Joe's, doesn't sound like our thing as neither of us like to line up for food. I was going for the crabs. I think I will look at Captin's Tavern as per Flaco.

I go to Nobu when I go home to NYC so not sure I want to go there. I just ate at Nobu about 10 days ago in NYC but thank you for that one.

Flaco thank you will look at The Blue Door and Barton Gs too.

How about Quinn's? Anyone know of them?

Thanks so much and keep em coming. I'm open and we don't leave for a little over 6 weeks.

Most appreciated and thank you to all for your help and advice.

I personally would stay out of SoBe for dinning. Escopazzo is a good place in SoBe though.

The Mandarin hotel is in a nice area (Brickell)
Azul and Cafe Sambal at the Mandarin are good places with a nice view of the water.
There are some other places around that area with good food and affordable like Perricones and I am told that Rosa Mexicano is good for mexican food I have ot tried it yet (the original one is in NYC)

In my opinion the best places for dinning in Miami are in Coral Gables which is pretty close to your hotel. Two excellent french places are Pascal's on Ponce and Palm d'or at the Biltmore hotel. They both have great food but the atmosphere at the Biltmore is outstanding.

For Italian the courtyard also at the Biltmore.

Grazianos in Coral Gables has great steaks (argentinean style), they also have great pastas, risottos and empanadas and the wine list is excellent.

Casa Juancho for paella and seafood is excellent, located in calle 8.

There are better places (more traditional) for mexican than rancho grande. Two of the more typical mexican restaurant in Miami are off the beaten path. Los tres amigos across the street from Jackson Memorial Hospital. The other one is on calle 8, I can't remember the name now. Both restaurants serve good mexican food, but do not expect anything fancy!

Hope this helps.

Hard to me to state specifics, since I haven't lived down there for 5 years....but I'd head up to Broward and hope for Mona Lisa Vito to invite you over!

It doesn't get any better than that...Maybe Cafe Maxx, but MLV allows and in fact encourages BYOB

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Flaco:
If you want stone crabs

you should go to Captain's Tavern... I can provide directions if you like.


Would you please?

Hi, Thank you all again for the info.

Yes, please, I would love directions for Captain's Tavern. I hope it's not to far.

I ate at Mexicano Rosas when in NYC about 10 days ago. I've been there a few times. It's very good the guac is fanatastic but to be honest a little to over the top gourmet mexican. I was hopeing for a good tamale kind of thing with a nice black bean soup.
What I like for mexican is real good traditional mexican and not the fancy stuff.

Casa Juancho sounds good thank you. These are some awesome recommendations.

Very very much appreciated. If anyone has anything else, please feel free, I'm open.

I'm a bit confused about Mona Lisa, does she have a restaurant or do y'all know her and just hope to be invited to her home because she is a fantastic cook? If she has a resto, please tell me.

No restaurant (thank god) - WS poster (see post above), host of offlines, and my beautiful and wonderful wife

You people are too funny! It sounds, though, like someone is fishing for an invitation (which is odd, because you pretty much have a standing invitation, Chile).

No restaurant, I just like to cook. A lot.

Anyway, late December is often a time when we do have a South Florida offline... anyone interested? (I know, wrong forum, whatever. If there is interest I can start another thread in the appropriate place) Board-O? Emilio? Rothko? Bueller, Bueller...

Count us in. We'll be down there our usual time and I bought a wine cellar last trip down there. It's stocked with mostly short term holds, but I'll be bringing down a case of ageable and aged stuff with me.

I don't like to impose on you. I love to cook but never have made a dinner in Florida in all the time we've spent there. Maybe a meet up somewhere in the middle? Whatever has happened to Rothko, Emilio, and gary44? I hardly ever see them online. I guess Emilio's busy with the new baby. Chile, can we drag you over to the East Coast?

No imposition... this is starting to sound like a good idea... Maybe the 26th (of Dec.)? Does that work? that should be before the masses start arriving for New Years.

Whatever date is good for you and the others will be fine for us. I just need to know a couple of weeks in advance so I can make some other plans. We can make any date from the 22nd to the 30th. I'm arriving on the 19th and my wife two days later, so whatever I bring can be standing up undisturbed for a while.

Great, MissM - sorry for the thread hijack, but let us know if you are intereseted...

Also, all of you other south FL folks - Flaco, MiamiAtty, inky, Red - let us know if you are interested.

And Chile, time for a visit. Make it work.

Red Knife & Miss Marguax,

Direction to the Tavern:

Location is 98th street & US HWY 1. From the north or from the Mandarin, just head south on US1 and you will run into it on the left hand side just prior to 98th st. Just past Dadeland Mall. Phone # is 305 666 5979.

Really great seafood, but you can find so many other things, like great curries, asian influences as well as Jamaican.

Intersting about an off line...never attended one. Lurked here forever. May not be in Miami the end of December, but will keep watching.

Cheers,

MLV - I would be interested in attending an offline with some of the folks from the board. I'll look for a post when you finalize the date.

quote:

Also, all of you other south FL folks - Flaco, MiamiAtty, inky, Red - let us know if you are interested.

MLV that is so kind, I am interested.
I may be out of town around those days but not sure yet.

I should be around, keep me informed...

Hi MLV, no appologies necessary, it's fine and I don't mind. I'm very easy about most things and wow, I'm not sure if you just invited me and my hubby or just the others. It's all ok, no issues, you don't know me and I don't expect an invite.

I'm not fishing for an invite, never was I hope you didn't think that. Honestly.

I'm so confused. I don't know what to say so I'm just going to say thank you for all the good recommendations and the directions to Captains Tavern. Do you know if they take ressys and if not is it crowded?

If anyone else has any recommendations please feel free. Y'all are so nice and I just want to say thank you for all the help. It really is most appreciated.

I'm confused, embarassed and well just totally finger tied.

quote:

I'm not fishing for an invite, never was I hope you didn't think that. Honestly.

Nah, I was referring to Chilepepper with that one...

Thread started in the offline section. Dec. 26. Post there if you want to come.

MissM - feel free to join. Really. We are about a 40 minute drive north of Brickell. Maybe 30 minutes during the holidays.