Melborne for a weekend

[Rimtalay]

Hi, I'm a So. Fla. hound. I'll be in Melborne for the weekend of July 4th. I'll be staying in one of the beach motel. Is there any restaurants I should investigate? I'm open for anything, but most likely will be toward casual side since this is my surfing trip! I can probaly use a good watering hole kind of place after a day at the beach.

[grampart]

If you crave Italian......http://www.meetmeatbellas.com/

[Covert Ops]

Mmmmmm, Bella's. . .come hungry, leave with leftovers for a week. If you have a fridge in your motel room, I highly recommend getting the olive bruschetta and cold antipasto. . .major late night snackages on the remains!

[mustardgm]

About Bella's, now that there old Chef Frank is no longer associated with the restaurant I wonder if the quality has fallen a bit?

[Covert Ops]

Hmm, I'll have to send my parents on a reconaissance mission.
If you find out, mustard, please tell us!

[pp48]

Well,

I am going to be down there this and next week and will try it out provided I still have some money left from closing on a new house.

PP48

[cavandre]

We first tried Bella's when we moved down here 2 yrs. ago. And if you're in the mood for a huge portion of pasta covered in a so-so red sauce, it can't be beat.

For more interesting Italian, we go to Silvestro's (A1A in C.B.), Bacco Wine Cafe (Wickham, near the King Center), Goodfellas (on the Cocoa/Rockledge border) or Amicci's (north end of Wickham near I-95).

[mustardgm]

Maybe I'm nitpicking here, but did you read his original post, or better yet understand it? He's staying beachside in Melbourne,which means unincorporated Melbourne, more appropriately Indialantic. You're recommending restaurants in Cocoa Beach (a good half hour drive if not more), Wickham Road corridor (probably more than a half hour), and the Cocoa/Rockledge border. While not disparaging the food at Silvestro's or Bacco Wine Cafe, both of which I have tried, or the other two restaurants, which I have yet to try, I tried to recommend places near where he was staying. There are lots of options 10 minutes away from him, and I think most people visiting the area would prefer something closer than an hours roundtrip. Just my opinion.

[Rimtalay]

Thanks for pointing out the distance issue. I don't think I will drive too far for Italian since there are plenty of good Italian places in So. Fla. But, I'll try almost anything else. I'll report back once I tried the recommended places. Thanks all.

[mustardgm]

Cocoa Beach is a bit of a drive from Melbourne, so I wouldn't recommend Coconuts. Definitely try Da Kine Diego's, on A1A in Satellite Beach, great & huge burritos. Bizarro's at the Boardwalk in Indialantic, probably the best pizza in Brevard County. Thai Thai 2, in the shopping center opposite Paradise Beach Park, also in Indialantic, good reasoinably priced sushi. In the same shopping center is Ichabod's, one of the busiest bars in the area. Also might recommend Lou's Blues, intersection of A1A and Eau Gallie Blvd, good spot with live music most of the time. Islands Fish Grill, on 5th Avenue(Rte 192) in Indialantic, has fresh fish very, very reasonably priced, but also very, very busy. Downtown Melbourne has quite a few restaurants and bars; best bar, IMHO is Mainstreet Pub, good pub food there as well. All the spots I mentioned are casual, so beach wear is fine.

[RibDog]

Double ditto on Da Kine Diego's. Excellent surfer food!

John

[cavandre]

It's a long stretch of beach A1A and most of the restaurants are casual.
There's City Tropic's Bistro in Indiatlantic ( http://www.andiamocafeitaliano.com/menus/menu_citytropics.html ) & there's Coconuts right on the beach in Cocoa Beach (http://www.coconutsonthebeach.com/ind...).

Both have a lively bar crowd.

[littlelea]

Haru's on A!A in Melbourne beach is excellent for sushi and korean grub.

Also, try City Tropics Bistro on 192 just west of A!A.

If you do make it up to Cocoa Beach... Slow & Low on A!A has some AWESOME BBQ, nice outdoor patio/bar/dining area with big fans and misters. =D