Suggestions walking distance from Hampton Inn Miami-Coconut Grove/Coral Gables (2800 SW 28th Terrace, Coconut Grove, Florida, USA 33133)

Did French Kiss move from the old Bird Ave location? I drive by there everyday and it still looks very much closed. Their telephone number has also been disconnected.

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Caribbean Food Better than Bahama Breeze S.Fla?

Sango on 160th and US-1 for Jamaican and Caribbean Delite next door to it for Trinidadian Roti. Haven't had a bad meal at Sango and it's the closest to food from back home that I've found in Miami. Try the jerk pork with rice and peas on the weekends and the red pea soup when available. Don't be put off by the fact that Sango has a Chinese menu as well since that's very common in Jamaica due to a sizable Chinese community. Both places are heavily supported by the Caribbean community. Hole in the wall establishments in a strip mall but the food is authentic and yes, I've considered moving closer.

Sango's Jamaican
9485 SW 160th St
Palmetto Bay, FL 33157
(305) 252-0279

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Fresh blueberry pancakes in Miami-Dade

Had decent ones at Le Bouchon in the Grove recently.

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Any recommendations in Coconut Grove?

I understand slow food prep and service in a new place and I can even forgive an off dish, but there was not a single redeeming item served. The place was not packed on Saturday night due to the rain and I believe they have been open since May so they're not spanking new. If they don't get it right now, then when? I live in the Grove and really am pulling for local places to do well, but bad food is bad food. I hope you have a better experience when you go.

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Any recommendations in Coconut Grove?

One place to avoid is Le P'tit Paris. I tried this French cafe/bistro for dinner after reading a glowing review by Urbandaddy. Unfortunately "Daddy" does not always know best. The evening started out with great potential as my party was seated immediately upon arrival in the warmly lit and cozy dining room. The rich red tones and elegant place settings were welcoming, especially with the pouring rain outside. Unfortunately by the end of the evening the prospect of walking in the rain to eat a Taco Bell burrito somehow seemed like a better option. We had been seated for an hour before having to ask for a basket of bread to appease our now growling stomachs. We should have known that the meal would go downhill from the bread, which was more suitable for use as pothole fillers. There's something almost sacrilegious about a French restaurant serving really bad bread isn't there? Noting our obvious discontent the manager sent over a bottle of champagne to apologize for the slow food service, and though it was a nice gesture, the champagne was unpalatable (and yes, I know it was free but still...). Our appetizers finally arrived and in spite of our hunger, they were disappointing and unsatisfying. I opted for the crab "croquettes" with aioli, which were actually 4 hockey puck-looking discs. They were mostly dry and bland with the aioli adding nothing more than much needed moisture. Others in my party had the crepes and foie gras, which I didn't try, but that left them unimpressed as well. After clearing our table, we were in for another wait before our entrees arrived. I chose another app of jumbo shrimp with pastis and garlic for my main course, accompanied by a side of creamed spinach. The shrimp was overdone to the point of being rubbery and if I were intended to taste any flavor other than an excess of salt, then the chef had failed miserably. My creamed spinach appeared to have been made in a microwave with a pint of half and half and something from my grocer's freezer. The French version of a German Flammkuchen (essentially a thin crust pizza topped with creme fraiche, onions and bacon) ordered by one of my tablemates was bland, with a pool of oil floating atop a largely uninspired soggy crust. We skipped dessert after 2 unsatisfying hours of dining. The pricing at face value seemed fairly reasonable until you consider the poor quality of the food presented. We could have had a far more satisfying meal at Jaguar down the street for far less than we paid here. To be fair, the service was pleasant, if not attentive. I really wanted to like this place since it is in my neighborhood and the space has such potential, but "Little Paris" is a big disaster.

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biscayne blvd eats

Two recent trips to Biscayne resulted in vastly different dining experiences. We started with lunch at uva 69 for something light.Our friendly though slightly disheveled waiter recommended the La Minuta beer battered Mahi-Mahi with cilantro aioli, caramelized onions, fresh tomatoes and avocado on freshly baked focaccia. The sandwich was perfectly toasted to a light crunch and the flavors balanced perfectly with the crisp fish and smooth avocado. Served with a delicate mesclun, this was a perfect midday meal for less than $10.Divine!
Much later that night we headed over to Kris Wessel's Red Light where the insanity began. Upon approaching the parking entrance which is clearly marked with a valet board, we stop in anticipation of someone approaching to take our keys or direct us to parking. Instead there is a slight man in flip flops off to the side watching us, but making no attempt to call our attention. As we proceed to park in the Motel Blu lot, descend the car, lights off, the same slight fellow approaches to state he is in fact the valet and informs us that he will have to park our car across the street. In response to his snide remark that we just ignored him, I told him I am not in the habit of handing over my car keys to guys standing on the street corner, well away from the designated valet spot who makes no attempt to identify himself. He responded with the following question,"Do I look like the type of person you think I am standing here in hot white havaianas and with this fierce tan? Of course I'm the valet." So having just been given a course in crackhead couture, I am already wary of the schooling I am liable to get inside. Our party of three was quickly seated at a, how can I say this delicatley--intimate booth.Shoulders together we are greeted by our waitress who appears to be reading the menu alongside with us for the first time,over the top of her glasses, stopping midsentence to walk off down the bar for affirmation of her menu 101recollections. When asked for recommendations, she essentially recited the menu. We ended up ordering 2 orders of bbq shrimp (best of the plates we had), the lemon preserved shrimp (ok, but not spectacular), goat cheese salad, the corvina ceviche with quinoa (slighly raw first bite but overall palatable) and a mango tart for dessert(pleasant and light). The order of plating was somewhat questionable and the drink orders were a disaster. We ordered 2 plain lemonades when we were initially seated and about halfway through dinner we were presented with what looked like lemonade, but which in fact carried it's own octane rating. When we asked our waitress if this was the plain lemonade we ordered she responded with an"oh hell no it's got liquor." Would have been nice if I wasn't on antibiotics and what I had actually ordered.So as I watch her return to the bar, sipping on the drink I just returned, I wait for the lemonade I ordered as the spicy bbq sauce dances on my palate. Fifteen minutes later the lemonade appears with the quote, "better late than never, teehee.'' The highlight of the night was when it was time to split the bill. We handed her 3 credit cards, asking that they be equally split, which must have been more than she could process. She ran out the front door, 3 credit cards in hand, toward the crack-chic valet, only to return 10 minutes (and 3 creditcard holders on the phone to their security lines) later with her glasses now on and the oddly calculated but ultimately correct checks. Back to the valet to whom I return the half of a torn blank credit card slip that I was given as my key check to hopefully retrieve my car with rims intact. The loungey vibe of the restaurant definitely has potential, but the food is not definitive enough to return for further interaction with the assorted freaks and geeks.I suppose if you like it you just call it eccentric.

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Caribbean Themed Party

Mini "cocktail" Jamaican beef patties from Sonia's in Kendall are authentic, delicious and easy to serve. http://www.soniaspatties.com/

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