keysrat's Profile
Florida Keys, Great Local Joints
I'm in the Upper Keys- I don't make it to the lower Keys much and avoid Key West like the plague. Worse than the mainland.
How far south are you going to be?
Key Largo restaurants
Flamingo is LONG gone. Several years, at least.
Shipwreck is there now. They have an excellent tuna steak sandwich for lunch.
Royal Castle in N. Miami open again?
I drove by the other day. Employees ( I think) milling around.
Have they reopened? (I hope!)
Key Largo weekend
Strange.
Senor Frijoles and Sundowner's suck, so I don't go there and can't comment on them.
The folks at Ballyhoo's have been great. They give us the local's discount and have always been pleasant.
We were there for the all you can eat stone crabs yesterday. Fantastic!!!
Key Largo weekend
The fish sandwich you mention is a copy of the famous "Harvey's Special" fish sandwich from the Pilot House restaurant in Key Largo, then owned by the late Mr. Ernie Bean. Everybody stole the idea and it is now universally referred to as the Key Largo fish sandwich.
Actually, Ballyhoo's, Sundowners and Senor Frijoles (avoid!) are all owned by the same folks. Ballyhoo's is quite good, the others not so good. Ballyhoo's is definitely a locals spot. Ditto Mrs. Mac's.
Try Calypso's next visit. Creative and very good. Service can be bad, though. Casual.
Hobo's is good but noisy and usually packed. Fish House is OK.
Unless something has changed, Buzzard's Roost is poor. I quit going there when management changed. Besides, Shipwrecks is right around the corner. Decent fish sandwich, but it is more of a beer joint than anything.
Marley's changed hands and the food has suffered. I haven't been back since. Too bad, you sit over the water.
Been too busy trying to finish the new Casa Key Largo to go anywhere new.
Maybe next year.....
Tapas in Miami- where?
I have heard that El Carajo is not what it once was (too bad, I really wanted to try the piquillos stuffed with bacalao). Is Canela the next best place to try? What to order?
Bison Burgers in South Florida?
I make them at home, too.
I killed one in Montana last hunting season. I still have a 100 lbs. or so of ground bison. Excellent stuff.
Culinary Conquest of Key West
Actually, Calypso is at MM 99 in Key Largo.
The butter pecan mahi is one of their signature dishes. I have had most everything on the menu but not this. I'll have to give it a try.
Miami Beach - Good, Cheap & Ethnic
There is a municipal parking garage on 17th Street just west of Washington, and another on Washington at 10th Street. There is a limited number of curbside parking spaces along Washington but they go fast- and first. Better to use the garage/tram combo.
Since you mentioned "cheap" in your criteria, you will need to hunt around a bit. There are some fine ethnic restaurants that are inexpensive but most everything else on South Beach is ridiculously overpriced. Frod and AG post here frequently and should be able to point you in the right direction.
Almost forgot- there are two very good Greek restaurants on the Beach- Ouzo's on Purdy Ave. and Ariston on 71 Street. Not cheap but not terribly expensive either. Try the grilled octopus at Ouzo's. As good as any I had in Greece.
There isn't a Vietnamese place anywhere near MB. The best Indian place around is in North Miami Beach, but it is pretty expensive.
In Miami unexpectedly and looking for suggestions
Oasis Cafe, 976 41 Street is a health food/Mediterranean place that has pretty good fare. Definitely worth a try, very close to Mt. Sinai.
Miami Beach - Good, Cheap & Ethnic
There was a decent Italian place on 41 St. west of your hotel. El Pomodoro, IIRC.
Also Arnie's and Richie's Deli is on 41 Street, though I haven't been there since it changed owners (now called Roasters & Toasters).
Oasis Cafe at the far end of 41 Street is an eclectic joint that has some Mid-Eastern specialties. That is about all there is in that area that meet your criteria.
If You can go south to Lincoln Rd. and Washington Ave. (much too far to walk) you can access the City's tram system, which can really open up your options. I think it costs like $.50 to ride.
Pita Plus at 11 St. and Washington is a very casual Mid-Eastern place with great shwarma, tabouli, etc... Puerto Sagua at 700 Washington has very good, authentic Cuban that is very inexpensive.
I'm sure others here can make many more suggestions.
ISO the Perfect Stone Crab Spot
This is easy.
Ballyhoo's, mile marker 97.8 in Key Largo. The restaurant is housed in a building from a 1930's era fish camp. Sounds like this may the kind of place you are looking for. Flipflops and tanks are the attire here.
Fresh crabs in season (opens Oct. 15) are $30- for all you can eat! Impeccably fresh.
Plenty of cold beer on tap. Fresh oysters at happy hour to for around $4/dozen.
No jukebox, but hey, for all you can eat stones for $30- perhaps that small sacrifice will be worth it.
Asia Grocery (indian grocery) Miami
Indo-Pak Market on NE 164 Street has a good selection. Spices, dals, fresh curry leaves, etc...
There is also a Bangali market farther west on 164 Street, across from the pool supply place, but I have not been in there.
Soul Food in South Florida
AG-
I used to go to the original Goldie's in Nassau years ago. A true "conch shack" on the old harbour on Arawak Cay. Fried whole snapper and "scorch". Excellent. Goldie is a personable guy who sat and chatted with us a while. I have been to his conch house near MDCC- one of the girls working there was a child when I was last in Nassau but she remembered me as I was there often. I wish him success here in the States, I wish his place wasn't so far away!
Shipwreck-Key Largo
This little-hole-in-the-wall offers a good meal at a great value.
Run by the fellow that operates the local marine towing/salvage business, Shipwreck is an appropriate name.
VERY limited menu- sandwiches, baskets and such. I had an excellent tuna steak sandwich- inch thick tuna steak, medium rare, with steak fries. Tough to beat.
Where in the Keys can you get a tuna steak sandwich, fries and an imported draft for less than ten bucks? If you know of a place, post it here!
Located in Garden Cove, MM106, Oceanside. Exit as soon as you get off the new bridge in Key Largo. Go past Buzzard's Roost (Blech!) and head toward the ocean. Just across from Captain Slate's dive boats.
Place was rocking last night. A bigger, better menu is promised down the road, but if they are already packing the place, we'll see.
Key Largo?
Glad you liked Num Thai. Num (that's not his name, but his real name is hard to pronounce, so everyone calls him Num) had a second restaurant in Key West, but sold out to his partner. Definitely a family affair- nice folks. Next time order your food "Thai style". Not bland!!!
If you didn't try Mrs. Mac's, you owe it to yourself to try it next time. Had breakfast there again this AM.
Running the boat over to Bimini in the AM. Staying for four days before lobster mania grips the Bahamas and the Keys. Gonna hunker down during mini-season until the mainlanders all go home. This place is a zoo during mini-season and many locals leave until it is over.
Places to eat in Inverness?
Thanks for the rec.
We are going there to do a little hunting. Turns out it is the same weekend as the "Cooter Festival". Interesting.
Places to eat in Inverness?
We will be in the area the third week of October. Any recommendations?
Any oyster bars, smoked fish joints?
Roadside/Trailer Ribs in SFLA
Sir Woody's in Florida City, in the vacant lot across from City Hall.
Weekends only.
Lunch at Barbeque Beach in North Miami
I fled the Keys over the weekend due to an invasion of relatives.
I didn't feel like cooking when I got to the NOMI house, so I ordered takeout from BB.
I asked how long. She said, "5 minutes".
It was ready in 5 minutes.
But they can't get it to a table inside the place in 40 minutes.
Lovely.
Navarre Beach/Fort Walton/Destin
I went up to the Destin/Navarre Beach area as part of a search and rescue team following Hurricane Opal.
Destin got hammered and Navarre Beach was wiped out.
There was a guy in Destin that had a big restaurant who fed us like kings. There was no power and his freezers were melting down, so he fed us whatever he had. We ate steaks, shrimp, lobster, you name it. He had big gas fired outdoor cooking units he used for catering to prepare everything. We searched over 1,000 structures in the Destin/Navarre Beach area and were probably each burning 6000 calories a day.
Thank goodness for the fine man who fed us or we would have been eating MRE's for 10 days.
Can you imagine what MRE's do to you after 10 days?
Czech food
A little farther south, the Czech-Slovak American Club in North Miami is open to the public on Sundays for lunch. Authentic and very good!
Which one would you pick for lunch in south beach?
I'd would skip all of them and go somewhere off the beach, like Gourmet Diner in North Miami. The money you save in parking alone would likely pay for half your meal.
Key Largo
Calypso's at MM 99 oceanside is really good. Mrs. Mac's Kitchen on the bayside is a great lunch spot. Don't miss it. I had breakfast there this morning. I had been up all night swordfishing and went there for some coffee and grub. I looked bad and smelled worse but they treat you like family regardless. The Greek omelette is very good.
No swords, BTW. Going again tomorrow night.
Key Largo?
Num Thai at MM104 has pretty good sushi, best in Key Largo.
Second that on Mrs. Mac's- consider it a must.
Health food type places don't exist here. But some, like Hobo's,will serve you up some broiled or grilled fresh fish with a side of steamed veggies on request. No big deal.
Gyro King has falafel and such. Nice people.
Both lobster and stone crabs are out of season so if you order it, it will be frozen/thawed.
Lunch at Barbeque Beach in North Miami
Pluses- Good food, huge portions.
Minuses- Service.
My wife and I ordered a bowl of chili to split as an appetizer, with sandwiches as a entree.
We received (eventually) a huge bowl of chili chocked with beans and smoked meat. This was large enough to have served as lunch for both of us.
Mrs. 'Rat ordered the blackened salmon sandwich (yeah, why order this in a BBQ joint?) with a side of fries. I ordered the Memphis style pork sandwich with slaw on top and mac & cheese.
Then we waited... and waited... and waited.
Finally the food comes out. They bring my wife the salmon plate, not the sandwich, (which we sent back) the fries and my lunch.
The pork sandwich was quite good and I would certainly order it again. The mac & cheese was OK. The basket of fries was huge, cooked to perfection. Excellent.
My wife's sandwich finally came out- they had taken the fillet from the order we sent back and placed on the bun and sent it back out. A large fillet for a sandwich and well prepared.
So the food was great and I will certainly go back, but the service needs work. Our waitress looked absolutely frantic most of the time and the place not that busy.
Source for cuttlefish?
Where would one find cuttlefish in South Florida?
I see that Canela offers it as a tapas but I prefer to prepare it myself.
Sambal Aceh in S. Fla
Most of the Asian markets on 167 St. carry Sambal.
I prefer Sambal Oelek but you should be able to find what you need.
You can also check CMC Company online.
