Post #784199 by AceExplorer on Wed, Feb 21, 2018 12:43 PM

Unfortunately I can't be more help for stone crabs, but it's a huge food city and there will be many outstanding options. That's always my problem when I go there... Cuban versus Brazilian steak houses versus seafood versus German (yes - Bavaria Haus and Schnitzel Haus on Biscayne Bay) will drive you mad. Of course there are nice views (and seafood) from the Rusty Pelican on Biscayne Bay where a big scene from Caddyshack was filmed with Judge Smails and his boating disaster. (I know, not tiki, but it's Caddyshack!!) But it's not the best choice for dining when the rest of the city has true culinary and cocktail jewels. What I do when I'm looking for guidance in a new city:

1. Concierge and hotel staff - they get these questions a lot, and the restaurants pump up the hotels with information, and they know from past guests who the winners and the dives are.
2. Locals, even your porter or cab driver, cuz, well, they KNOW the city.
3. Yelp and Tripadvisor if you're really not making progress with #1 and #2.

The big goal is to avoid your one night becoming a disappointment - you need a true winner. That's why I like the concierges and the locals, and I will sometimes compare them against each other to confirm that the hotel isn't simply in cahoots with the "restaurant-of-the-month."

Let us know what you decide to do and how it goes. And if you need someone to bail you out of jail, post a note here -- you know you can count on us TC'ers to help out and then to keep quiet about it. Ha...