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Steve H

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Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / Key West, suggestions please.

by Steve H » Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:06 pm

Greetings!

Me and me sweetie are taking a leisurely B&B/automobile tour of the southeast Florida Coast and Keys. I humbly submit this request to the Forumites seeking any recommendations of must-see, must-do, and obviously, must-eat attractions. Any off-the-beaten-path suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
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Brad Keeton

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Re: Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / Key West, suggestions please.

by Brad Keeton » Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:34 pm

Steve,

For upscale dining in Key West, try:

*Cafe Marquesa (http://www.marquesa.com/cafe-marquesa.htm). This was probably my favorite.
*Louie's Backyard (http://www.louiesbackyard.com). At the least, go here for a drink on their deck at sunset--breathtaking.
*Rooftop Cafe (http://www.rooftopcafekeywest.com). Eat outside--great views of the downtown area.
*For a VERY special dinner, try Latitudes Beach Cafe at the Westin Resort (http://www.sunsetkeyisland.com/food.htm). You have to take a boat (included with dinner) to the Westin's private island, Sunset Key, and the restaurant is all outside--each table has it's own little area in the sand. It's very $$$, but good, and you cannot beat the atmosphere.

*For breakfast/brunch, definitley hit up Blue Heaven (blueheavenkw.homestead.com). Very funky, very good.

*For good Cuban food, try El Meson de Pepe (http://www.elmesondepepe.com) or El Siboney (http://www.elsiboneyrestaurant.com)--both are a little hole-in-the-wall-ish, but the food is great.

We spent a week in Key West last summer, and it was tons of fun.
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Brad Keeton

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Re: Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / Key West, suggestions please.

by Brad Keeton » Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:36 pm

I should add that if you're looking for the small hotel/B&B experience, you might consider staying at the Marquesa Hotel (the Cafe is the restaurant). (http://www.marquesa.com/). It looked charming, though we didn't stay there.
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Re: Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / Key West, suggestions please.

by Robin Garr » Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:02 pm

Brad Keeton wrote:*For good Cuban food, try El Meson de Pepe (http://www.elmesondepepe.com) or El Siboney (http://www.elsiboneyrestaurant.com)--both are a little hole-in-the-wall-ish, but the food is great.

We always go to El Siboney when we're in Key West and just love it. I'd call it a little more than a hole in the wall, although definitely family style. In size and mood, it reminds me a little bit of Louisville's Cottage Inn but with a Cuban accent. ;)

Used to be a fairly nice upscale seafood place called Seven Fish, a bit off the tourist path on Simonton (I think) a block or two west of Truman. Not bad if you want something other than fried fish. We haven't been to Key West for a couple of years, though, so I can't testify to its current status.
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Re: Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / Key West, suggestions please.

by Robin Garr » Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:03 pm

Moved to the Travel Dining section, but I left a signpost in the general forum so it won't get lost.
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Kevin Graves

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Re: Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / Key West, suggestions please.

by Kevin Graves » Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:31 pm

For Key West, I recommend SaraBeths for dinner. The food is great and the owner is awesome. http://www.sarabethskeywest.com/

For breakfast, I recommend Banana Cafe. It is a french cafe that serves amazingly delicious crepes. Blue Heaven is also good.
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Re: Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / Key West, suggestions please.

by John Greenup » Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:18 pm

Two suggestions for the Ft. Lauderdale area:

1. Greek Isles (on Hwy. A1A) - Informal, family-owned restaurant w/an excellent Greek menu and AWESOME grilled lamb chops...

2. Sage Deli & Restaurant (Hallendale, FL) - Tucked away in a small strip center, this classic NY-style deli includes a very tasty breakfast menu (http://www.sagebagelanddeli.com)
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Re: Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / Key West, suggestions please.

by Linda C » Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:03 pm

Coco Asian Bistro in Fort Lauderdale. http://www.cocoasianbistro.com/

We ate there pre-cruise in January and had one of those "to die" meals. Truly wonderful. Great seafood, great atmosphere.
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Brad Keeton

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Re: Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / Key West, suggestions please.

by Brad Keeton » Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:38 pm

Robin Garr wrote:
Brad Keeton wrote:*For good Cuban food, try El Meson de Pepe (http://www.elmesondepepe.com) or El Siboney (http://www.elsiboneyrestaurant.com)--both are a little hole-in-the-wall-ish, but the food is great.

We always go to El Siboney when we're in Key West and just love it. I'd call it a little more than a hole in the wall, although definitely family style. In size and mood, it reminds me a little bit of Louisville's Cottage Inn but with a Cuban accent. ;)

Used to be a fairly nice upscale seafood place called Seven Fish, a bit off the tourist path on Simonton (I think) a block or two west of Truman. Not bad if you want something other than fried fish. We haven't been to Key West for a couple of years, though, so I can't testify to its current status.


Mmm, yeah, that probably wasn't fair. Not a hole-in-the-wall. What I was getting at, but didn't make the distinction because I was getting distracted at work, was that El Meson de Pepe has a bit nicer feel on the inside, though feels touristy due to its proximity to Mallory Square. El Siboney is more local, I think, and it feels that way. Both have good food.

Instead of saying that, I got distracted and called both of them holes-in-the-wall. Whoops.
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David O.

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Re: Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / Key West, suggestions please.

by David O. » Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:50 am

Steve,

Here's a wonderful little gem for you:

http://www.mrsmacskitchen.com/

Breakfast, lunch or dinner, it's great. It's on the way going down or back up. Try it!
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Steve H

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Re: Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / Key West, suggestions please.

by Steve H » Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:27 am

Thanks for all the replies. I haven't had time to review them yet, but please, keep 'em coming!
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Re: Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / Key West, suggestions please.

by Casandra C » Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:47 pm

In Islamorada, there is a fabulous restaurant called Morada Bay. They have a great location right on the beach and several tables are thisclose to the ocean. It is not super fancy but slightly more upscale than some beachfront locations nearby (like Lorelei's). We spent 5 nights in Islamorada and ate there four times it was so good. Our average ticket with some wine was in the $120s or so, so not cheap (what IS cheap in the keys) but very, very good.
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