Recently The New York Times released its annual list “Restaurant List” of “Our 50 Favorite Places in America,” and two Miami spots made the list for Florida.
That’s it. Miami, nowhere else in the state. The list is a little short-sighted. Almost all the places are in major cities, or tourist towns with an occasional suburban spot thrown in. The point being that the editors don’t seem to look very far from the major cities. To give them credit, their Miami choices do run the gamut from upscale Italian to a Latino seafood shack. From the descriptions I already know which one I’ll be trying out. I don’t need to spend outrageous amounts for weird flavor combinations and staff attitude, I’ll go for the unpretentious charm of a well-established place anytime. Here are The New York Times’ choices for the best places to dine in Florida.
Walrus Rodeo
5143 NE 2nd Ave.
walrusrodeo.com
Opened in 2022
The website is so confident that you want to dine there that it doesn’t even list a phone number. If you’d like some white bread, sure, they’ll even throw in some spreads, but it will cost you $6 for EVOO, $14 for anchovies and butter, $30 for peaches and burrata, and $24 for bone marrow. Pizzas run $19-$28, appetizers $17-$28 and entrée weigh in at $28-$55. On top of that they add a 2% health care charge added to the final bill. Their explanation is that it helps to provide coverage for its employees.
Here’s what The Times had to say about the place: “A slice of lasagna at Walrus Rodeo is thin, with a dark, charred surface. From a distance it looks like a healthy serving of parmigiana. Forkfuls reveal wilted mustard greens, tangy stracchino, lamb ragù hinting of moussaka. The food here toys with your expectations in this way, with dishes that look familiar, only to reveal flavors you didn’t predict. Servers mash carrot tartare, bound by espuma and salsa verde, as soon as it lands on the table; charred long beans hold dollops of lemon curd. The staff will make you feel lucky to be part of the scene unfolding nightly in this unassuming Little Haiti strip mall. And while the restaurant lives up to its ‘not just a pizzeria’ tagline, you should order at least one pie.”
La Camaronera
1952 W. Flagler St.
305-642-3322
lacamaronera.com
Opened 1973
La Camaronera calls itself a “seafood joint & fish market” and that alone tells you everything you need to know. There’s no pretentiousness, just a dedication to serving up tasty food at reasonable prices, most all the regular menu items are priced well below $20 (some of the higher-end fish dishes are market-price), and beers are all $5-$7.
Here’s what The Times had to say: “La Camaronera’s pan con minuta is a sandwich containing a whole gutted fried snapper, minus the head but including the tail. It’s more fish than the lightly toasted Cuban roll can contain. The sandwich, the most popular order at this 50-plus-year-old Little Havana seafood joint, is both hard to miss and hard to resist. The qualities that make it so delicious — notably the fried-to-order crispness of the fresh fish — are found across the menu, which contains some of the Gulf Coast’s best fried seafood and more. That great-looking hogfish for sale at the retail counter? Order a skin-on fillet of it grilled, with a side of black-eyed-pea fritters.”
Side Dish
For the Jewish High Holidays, TooJay’s Deli has Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur menus of traditional favorites for in-restaurant dining, takeout or catering at all 20 locations in Florida. For Rosh Hashanah, guests can dine-in for a 5 p.m. or a 7 p.m. seating on Wednesday, Oct. 2, or Thursday, Oct. 3. For $29.99 per person, guests can choose from a main entrée of brisket, herb roasted half chicken, baked salmon or stuffed chicken breast. Each entrée is complemented by classic sides including matzo ball soup, gefilte fish or chopped liver; mini potato pancakes; carrot tzimmes; and a choice of coffee, tea, or a glass of kosher wine.
For dessert, guests have a choice of fresh fruit salad, honey cake, almond cake, sponge cake, apple upside down cake, macaroons, or mini black and white cookies. Yom Kippur orders, only available for catering, pick-up and delivery must be placed by Wednesday, Oct. 9. For $24.99 per person, TooJay’s package includes bagels, cream cheese, and all accompaniments, with a choice of any combination of sliced nova, smoked whitefish, baked salmon, or whitefish salad. For more information, visit TooJays.com.
