Need restaurant recs. for Miami area, please
 

Wife and I will be at the Ritz in Key Biscayne for 4 nites the first week in October. We have never been there, and I would very much appreciate some restaurant recs.in the Miami area. Both upscale and casual. Thanks.

Joe's Stone Crab is a Miami institution. Known for its fresh stone crabs, good service and wonderful key lime pie. Maybe a Miami local will let us know if Joe's is still a good choice.

I'm not a Miami local, however, I am down there on business periodically and I'll second the recommendation for Joe's. It really is an institution--and one not to be missed! Great bar, great food (you will have to have the stone crabs--if they're in season--also, the Manhatten clam chowder is a must!) and excellent service. Be prepared to spend a little money but it's worth it!

Expect a 2 to 3 hour wait at Joes, even on weeknights. I heard you can tip the Maitre D' for a faster seating

Tantra Restaurant - need to make a reservation several days in advance. Quite expensive, but worth every penny. <BR>http://www.tantrarestaurant.com/

Tides outdoor dining on South Beach for American cuisine. Yucca (or is it Yuca) on Lincoln Avenue for Cuban food. Both are upscale. This was a business trip. Thanks.

Here's the scoop from a long-time local.The Rusty Pelican on Key Biscayne is really great...eat there one night. If you've got plenty of dough and you like stone crabs...Joe's is great...otherwise skip it. Take a taxi to south beach one late afternoon and wander Ocean Drive until sunset. There's 50 restaurants and just pick one that looks good. Yes I like the Tides too. By the way, the Miami Sea Aquarium is on Key Bicayne too and it's pretty cool.

The Rusty Pelican is great (technically its on Virginia Key) and the Sonesta on Key Biscayne has a great Sushi night (I havn't been in awhile, I think it is still on tuesdays. The Redfish Grill in Matheson Hammock is excellent, if you can find it! Also, from Key Biscayne you will be just as close to Coconut Grove and Coral Gables as you are to South Beach. Norman's in Coral Gables is an expensive but world-class restaurant. And although the food is pretty standard fare, Scotty's Landing and Monty's (both on Bayshore Avenue in the Grove) offer nice casual outside waterfront atmosphere. Enjoy.

Love having breakfast at the Tides on Ocean Dr. Think Joe's Stone Crab is amazing. Just tried Suva on Lincoln Road and enjoyed it very much. Think Tantra has incredible food and is quite the experience. Have heard that Breeze at 15th & Ocean is extremely good. Looking forward to trying that out.

Joe's is "the" place to go IF you like seafood. I don't so I've never been there. It's very expensive and yes, you do have to tip to get in quicker but you're dealing with big tippers so don't expect $5 to move you up. South Beach is for tourist. I've eaten at many restaurants there and also feel foolish. They are expensive and the food is rarely good. There are some exceptions. It's a place to go and pay for the ambiance. Yuca's is very good for gourmet latin food but expensive. Most of those places are good on an expense account. Rusty Pelican is a tradition down here and one of the few with an ocean view. The food isn't so good any more for the view is so pretty. If you're staying at the Ritz you're probably looking for upscale restaurants. A few of our best places are a short drive out and worth visiting. BBQ go to Shorty's on US! (the other locations aren't as good). It's by Dadeland. Flemings also on US1 and SW 136st. is great food, huge portion, need reservations, nice, a local special treat. We have so many types of restaurants. Norman's is the other high end gourment restaurant but again very over priced. Unusual creations and good. Coral Gables has zillions of restaurants. The dependable ones are Christy's, St. Michel, Los Ranchos ( one of their nicer locations), there are so many. On Key Biscayne there's supposed to be a good sushi restaurant. South Miami also has some nice restaurants and it's a slower pace. It's a little older (40-50's, local crowd. Hope these help.