OT South Beach?

[DaddyChoc]

has anyone ever vacationed in this area? Food? entertainment? Sites to visit?

 

[j66kicker]

Eat lunch at Joe's Stone Crab.
Stay at the Fontainbleu (Goldfinger's hotel at the beginning of that movie) if you can afford $800/night.
Bring your rollerblades and skate up and down the strand, then cool off with one of 100 different-flavored daquiris at Wet Willie's across the street.
Dine with your feet in 4" of water at the Delano Hotel (at least as pricy as the Fontainbleu).
Eat dinner very reasonably at any of 100 indoor/outdoor restaurants on the main drag.
If you're offered a name-brand cuban cigar and you think it might be fake because it's only $10, it is.
Get a vodka at the Red Square restaurant (slogan on the matches, etc: "Join the Party") - bar is made of ice so your shot doesn't get warm.
Have a caipirina with real cachaca and eat family style at China Grill.

 

[bags27]

Eat lunch at Joe's Stone Crab.

Top of J66kicker's list and still without peer. be ready for a long wait and a large check, but worth it. Order a bunch of sides as well.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Eat lunch at Joe's Stone Crab.
Stay at the Fontainbleu (Goldfinger's hotel at the beginning of that movie) if you can afford $800/night.
Bring your rollerblades and skate up and down the strand, then cool off with one of 100 different-flavored daquiris at Wet Willie's across the street.
Dine with your feet in 4" of water at the Delano Hotel (at least as pricy as the Fontainbleu).
Eat dinner very reasonably at any of 100 indoor/outdoor restaurants on the main drag.
If you're offered a name-brand cuban cigar and you think it might be fake because it's only $10, it is.
Get a vodka at the Red Square restaurant (slogan on the matches, etc: "Join the Party") - bar is made of ice so your shot doesn't get warm.
Have a caipirina with real cachaca and eat family style at China Grill.

All this is on Ocean Drive?

 

[UcMiami]

Bunch of boutique hotels in the art deco section that are a lot closer to the action along the beach and more likely to find good internet deals.
The quality/price equation on food generally is inverse of the blocks off the beach. Lots of interesting options and they change quite frequently.
Lots of night life to suit just about any taste.
Daytime - two places that I really like - Vizcaya, and Fairchild Gardens - the first a mansion built in the early days of Miami with nice grounds, the second a really good garden with some permanent installations of Dale Chihuly glass - the restaurant was pretty good the last time I ate their which is a few years ago - on weekends it may be impossible to get a table. The mansion has a little cafeteria style eatery that isn't bad for a lunch.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden | Botanical Gardes
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens - Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
Another really funky place is Venetian Pool in Coral Gables - an old coral rock quarry that is spring fed and is drained and filled daily so fresh water not chlorinated
City of Coral Gables : Venetian Pool
Best sunset if you have a car is at the tip of Key Biscayne - national park that is open until 30 minutes after sunset daily - also a chance to see the remaining stilt houses built as a tax protest long ago - they are grandfathered, but cannot be rebuilt and no new house can be built out in the distance.

A long day drive but better as at least an overnight is driving down the keys to Key West and of course various things to do in the everglades.

Decent shows and music at various venues in Miami.
Great golfing everywhere.

My favorite restaurant used to be called Scotty's Landing, under new ownership but still the same - in Coconut Grove next to the Miami City Hall (the Original PanAm seaplane terminal for their south american service) - a really good no frills seafood place on Biscayne bay - tables under an awning - now called Grove Bay Grill.
SCOTTY'S LANDING - Casual Waterfront Dining Miami, FL
Grove Bay Grill - Coconut Grove - Miami, FL

Before you go for Joe's Stone Crab - make sure they are in season - otherwise just another restaurant.

 

[Goodgood]

Stay in Fischer Island, breakfast at the Beach club, play a quick 9 hole, then brunch at La Piaggia on the beach.
Stroll the afternoon on Lincohn Ave (kind of like Boulevard St Michel in Paris), restaurants, cafe, shops, etc..

Then dinner at Redsteakhouse...

 

[j66kicker]

All this is on Ocean Drive?

Joe's, Red Square and China Grill are a couple blocks back

Fav restaurant in Miami is Azul at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami (not Miami Beach). Also there's an abundance of good Cuban food on South Beach

 

[alexrgct]

South Beach is the place to where one takes one's talents...

 

[DaddyChoc]

South Beach is the place to where The Chosen one takes one's talents...

fixed that for you

 

[DaddyChoc]

Stay in Fischer Island, breakfast at the Beach club, play a quick 9 hole, then brunch at La Piaggia on the beach.
Stroll the afternoon on Lincohn Ave (kind of like Boulevard St Michel in Paris), restaurants, cafe, shops, etc..

Then dinner at Redsteakhouse...

I hear Fisher Island is off limits for normal people like me. I heard Lincoln Road is fun... the Mall

 

[DogWarden]

Joe's closes for the season on Sunday May 22. Reopens in October.