moonsea's Profile
Escolar-what is it?
I have read that some fish markets (and thus restaurants) sell "oilfish" as escolar, while it's really a cheaper second cousin of escolar. The oilfish is more likely to cause gastric distress. Read some of the comments on this blog post http://beyondsalmon.blogspot.com/2006/03/escolar-fish-with-caveat.html
visiting Coral Gables/MIA, your thoughts on my choices so far?
On Friday when you fly in, go get your Versailles experience with a cafecito, but move on after that. Try Tinta y Cafe. It's at the eastern tip of Little Havana and their sandwiches, coffee, croquetas, etc. are great and nice ambience. The archetype of Versailles politically (they have a poster of Obama with a Superman S on his chest!).
I agree with Frod about Sunday choices, definitely change. I can speak for Copas y Tapas, Taberna Giralda and Miss Saigon, but I think Copas is closed on Sunday.
South Florida "Foodie" or Dining Club?
here's the link to the Miami Cooking - Laughing - Wine and fun group on meetup.com
http://cooking.meetup.com/450/
DOLORES, BUT YOU CAN CALL ME LOLITA
Tried their lunch special a couple months ago. Wouldn't try it again even if it was free. They serve Seattle's best coffee, but the coffee across the street at Perricone's is much better.
South Beach/Downtown Recommendations for a NYer
For lunch, I would highly recommend:
Bin 18 (18th and Biscayne Blvd)
Tinta y Cafe (this typifies laid back Miami Cuban)
Garden of Eatin' (this is a vegetarian, no-menu dive in Little Haiti, but it has fantastic vegetarian food. $10 cash for a giant plate of everything made by the cook that day)
Belated Miami food report
Wow, I could have written your post, and I have lived in Miami almost 40 years! Think Icebox is totally overrated and service lacking. I liked Sardinia when it first opened, but they quickly changed the menu, raised prices, have long waits and cramped tables, totally not worth it to me. And stone crabs, you can take 'em. I'd rather have a nice piece of pompano too (very hard to get even down here!). And, I too am looking forward to trying Michael's Geniune!!
Your favorite sandwiches in Miami, Miami Beach?
Tinta y Cafe has an "Italiano" sandwich with prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil, roasted red peppers on a baguette and grilled in the press that's really wonderful. W wine Bistro has a croque monsieur that is so rich and delcious you might need cardiac valve replacement surgery immediately after eating. And for probably the best bread in town for any sandwiches, Perricone's take out (Tuesday special 2 sandwiches + 2 drinks for $11, cheaper than nasty Subways). I am not a pork eater, but my friends tell me the deconstructed Cuban sandwich at Bin 18 is great, and for a real authentic Cuban sandwich, try El Pub on Calle Ocho,
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Tinta Y Cafe
276 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33130
Perricone's Marketplace & Cafe
15 SE 10th St, Miami, FL 33131
Bin Number 18
275 NE 18th St # 107, Miami, FL
W Wine Bistro
3622 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33137
El Pub
1548 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135
Miami- What is the best Tapas bar?
Copas y Tapas (Miracle Mile one block west of Douglas) is good, really nice atmosphere like a trendy restaurant in Spain. Taberna Giralda has very good food too and is hopping at night. Live music and people dancing between the tables.
Coffee/Bakeries in S. Florida?
Then you definitely must get a cafe con leche from Tinta y Cafe (268 SW Eighth Street, just east of the I95 exit). Also, if you are indeed driving down to the Keys from Miami, there's a french bakery in the Kings Bay shopping center at US1 and SW 144 Street that has coffee like in Paris and very delicious sweets and french baguettes.
Pizza in Miami
You guys must try Pieducks, just recently opened and I tried it last night. It's on South Miami Ave, one block west of Brickell at 14th St. in the One Broadway bldg. It's wood burning, really fresh and high quality ingredients (including the cheese). The management is VERY customer oriented, they will even bring the pizza to your car if you pick it up so you don't have to worry about parking or wearing your PJs. Open 11 to 11 daily. I loved my pizza (I got a margherita)
biscayne blvd eats
The breakfast of champions at UVA for about $6 is really good. You can't even get a BK Whopper combo for that money!
Indian Lunch Buffetts in Miami?
My friend just went to Imlee about a month ago and had the lunch buffet. She said it was amazing. I am dying to go there, it's been years, but it's excellent.
Best cheese/wine shop in Miami?
I really like the Crown Liquors down near the Falls (nice cheeses and speciality meats) and Grazianos Market on Bird and 97 Ave. has a vast wine selection. I also recently went to La Estancia Argentina Gourmet Market right across from Merrick Park in the Gables, and they had some decent wines. Didn't check the cheeses though.
A Find on Miami's Dining Past
Oh gosh, I totally forgot the name of Key East until you said it -- their Caesar salad was so good that I begged the chef for the dressing recipe. I had it up until a few years ago - lost it in a cookbook and stupidly never put it on a computer!
Cocktails and Dinner for 50?
If Bin 18 can accommodate that many, try it there.
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Bin Number 18
275 NE 18th St # 107, Miami, FL
River Oyster House - metrorail question
River Oyster Bar is a great restaurant. If you don't want to take the Metro Mover, getting off at Brickell Station on the Metrorail is fine. The best route would be to get off the Metrorail and head one block east on either 10th or 9th. Then head north on Miami Avenue untl you hit 7th street and you'll run right into River Oyster Bar. That route takes you through the Mary Brickell Village area, which is perfectly safe even after dark. You will have one block of just sidewalk b/w 8th and 7th, but there are lots of cars around, so it's not like it's deserted. On your way back, have coffee at Perricone's on their outdoor patio (at 10th and Miami Ave.) - their cafe latte is great!
S. Beach lunch place needed
Big Pink is fun for lunch. They have an extensive menu, not very expensive, and fun crowd.
http://www.bigpinkrestaurant.com/
TOP SALAD IN FLA
I had the 1905 salad at the Columbia about a month ago. That's the one where the waiter prepares the whole thing table side, right? Good stuff, although I can live without ever having iceberg lettuce again in any dish!
Where do you get your tea?
I get my gunpowder green at Asian markets and add ginger, cinnamon stick, clove, cardamon pod, orange rind to my infuser. I drink a giant pot of it every morning -- I never get sick!!
Plymouthtea.com has the greatest yerba mate blend, coco latte. http://www.plymouthtea.com/yerbamatz.html
In addition to uptontea.com mentioned in one of the posts, I really love virtuousteas.com. Their House Assam is the best I've ever tried and their customer service rocks. They also carry Earl Grey Creme, which is very good in the afternoon w/milk and sugar!
There is a Teavana close to me, but I haven't been to the store yet. I heard their teas are nice.
TOP SALAD IN FLA
the Cobb salad (my salad of choice for a meal!) at Bin 18 on Biscayne Blvd. is very good. Carmelized onions, avocado, grilled chicken, tomatoes, eggs, bacon on mixed greens. Yum!
Michy's, Talula, or Sardinia?
On Saturday night, Sardinia will be super noisy and overcrowded. Talula's is good, much quieter. I haven't been to Michy's but am dying to try it. The neighborhood is totally different at Michy's, it's in an area on Biscayne Blvd just north of downtown Miami that is currently undergoing a nice transformation, but it's not South Beach.
Maison d'Azur Lunch
I was one of the three new faces at our "Farewell 2007" lunch at Maison d'Azur. Because I really appreciate well done renovations of old Miami Beach buildings, I have to say the Hotel Angler and the restaurant are both beautiful. The decor in the restaurant is lovely, all in golden yellow and blue with lots of fresh flowers, fresh white linens and I think the floors are reclaimed old wood planks.
That being said, the food is fine, but for the prices, no. I had a small piece of good french bread with the olive tapenade accompaniment , but I did notice the rosemary butter was hard as a rock. I had the salmon salad ($16) , which was lettuce, sliced hard boiled eggs and tomatoes and about 3 oz. of salmon. Good, but I can make a better grilled salmon salad! I took a nibble of the seafood soup and vichyssoise (yes, the seafood soup was oversalted) and the sandwiches (duck confit and chicken) of two other guests, and enjoyed them.
We had a nice two hour lunch and I really enjoyed meeting everyone in the group. I hope to meet more South Florida chowhounds at the next outing.
The desserts are $12, which only one of our diners tried. I took a taste of the pistachio ice cream filling one of the profilteroles, and as much as I like pistachio ice cream, it had a texture that seemed a little powdery.
Sunday brunch at Marcanio's (Jimmy Cefalo's place in Coconut Grove)
Hi, has anyone tried Marcanio's? I saw a sign driving by there about their Sunday brunch and it's such a pretty setting, I thought it would be worth trying. Anyone tried it?
Miami, south of Kendall- what have you got?
There's a Colombian place way out on Bird and 127th Ave (NW corner) called Las Cabanas Paises. We live on Brickell and we head out there about once every couple weeks so my boyfriend can have their churrasco. I am not into Latin food at all, but I will eat theirs!
Rehearsal dinner recommendation in Miami?
I was not impressed with Parilla Liberty at all, I know it's gotten good reviews in New Times, but we've been to better parillas in west Kendall.
Matsuri in South Miami
Just went there for lunch yesterday! Nice renovation, nothing fancy, just a well needed stylish redo. The box lunch is still there, somewhat expanded and up to $8 (from $7.50ish). All was good, the place was about 40% Asians, so you know they're doing something right :-) The cats on the sushi bar are all gone.
"I can't believe I haven't been to..." (SoBe/Miami)
Grazie was great when it was down in Pinecrest, but I haven't been to the MB location.
Prime 112
Devito's
