Where to eat lunch and dinner on Ocean Drive only challenge.

[mom2mateo]

If you had to eat 2 lunches and 2 dinners only within the confines of Ocean Drive in South Beach and you are a pretty serious foodie which restaurants would you pick?

[Icantread]

DO you write for Urban Daddy Miami?

"It's time to take back Ocean Drive.

For too long now the beachfront strip has been the domain of T-shirt hawkers and daiquiri-swilling tourists. As a local, you've stayed away, opting instead for spots in the city where drinks are not three-for-one.

But all that's about to change.

Introducing Victor Cafe, a lush Mediterranean refuge now open at Hotel Victor and your new excuse to sit outside on 11th and Ocean.

Victor replaces Vix, which was mostly an indoor affair—nestled in the bowels of the hotel with plush seating and plenty of jellyfish floating around the $60K aquarium. That's all still there (awaiting a face-lift later this year), but we'd like to draw your attention to the new expanded patio and terrace seating on the street, as well as the new menu of rustic, Italian-leaning cuisine.

This is where you'll go on lazy evenings when you feel like sitting outside and sharing a bottle of Chianti with good company while taking in the sports cars and beachgoers that traverse the busy strip.

Depending on your mood, you might go for something light like the platter of Prosciutto di Parma with chilled melon and cap it with a refreshing Chocolate Mousse "Martini."

Proving once again that all good things come in martini glasses. "

[Frodnesor]

Did you take a look at the new Victor Cafe menu? Talk about a paradigm shift, it is about as bland a generic "Italian" menu as could possibly be crafted. I nearly fell asleep reading it. I know it's tough to write copy for these sometimes, but the notion that this is going to redeem Ocean Drive dining is really pushing it.

[Icantread]

More like survive it. I think there's no better margin in cuisine than "plain Italian". Tourists will feel comfortable and dine there and not mind paying $15 for a plate of Barilla pasta

[mom2mateo]

So my report. Breakfast at Front Porch. Good and we snagged a balcony table on a gorgeous day. Lunch at Joe's. They have a bailout special! Very pleased. Dinner at BLT. It was very nice. Not OMG but nice. Had the skirt steak. I liked the room very much and service was very good. Never found our waffles went instead for crepes at Folie. Then lunch at Le Sanwicherie and the best dinner ever at Casa Tua. Spectacular gnocchis, amazing really. Perfect decor and nice service. It was a great two days! And everything within walking distance. So very pleasant.

[netmover]

Thanks for the feedback...U done good!

[BlueHerons]

I ate at the Victor Cafe and it was pretty decent.

If I had to confine myself to Ocean Drive, BLT Steak, A Fish Called Avelon, Nikki Beach, and News Cafe.

[netmover]

Ocean Drive is better!

I just heard Proof fka Table 8 already closed?

[jessicam29]

News Cafe is passable, I suppose. Just make sure your expectations aren't too high.

[huckfinn]

The Cobb salad and bloody mary's at News Cafe are very good.

[netmover]

Lario's on the Beach aka Bongos has decent Cuban Cuisine.
Front Porch Cafe is an excellent breakfast option and a decent lunch option.
BLT is a great dinner option.
Vix at the Victor Hotel is supposed to be very good and just added sidewalk seating.
Caviar Kaspia has a very cool rooftop patio and I have heard is doing very well.
GURU is awesome Indian Cuisine and a great lunch option. 12th Street 1.5 blocks in.
David's Cuban Cafe just reopened on Collins and 11th.
La Sandwicherie on 14th Street 1.5 blocks in is an awesome lunch choice.

My pix are:

Lario's - Cuban lunch
GURU - Indian lunch

BLT - Fancy Dinner
OPA - Greek Dinner

[Frodnesor]

Note that Vix has just recently made the transition from contemporary Indian/Fusion food to Italian.

Guru is "awesome"? Really? Who knew?

[netmover]

GURU's Butter Chicken is insane! The other dishes I've tasted have been solid, but that BUTTA CHICKEN is my new fetish...Also try their breads. Dude is the REAL DEAL. The place has been open for years and I did not know it was awesome until just recently...I have already been back a half dozen times in the past month or two. Let me know what you think as your taste buds seem to be better traveled and Indian cuisine has been a scarcity in my diet.

[mikek]

How about Front Porch for brunch items?

[Icantread]

I've never been to Front Porch or the Pelican for lunch or dinner. I'm guessing they won't be there on a Sunday, since mom2 opted for lunches and dinners. .

If we may ask, you are frequently on the miami board. Why the specific confines?

[mom2mateo]

You guys are so right and witty too. I was just thinking could a foodie stay at one of the hotels on Ocean (say the Cardozo for example) and eat within the confines of Ocean Drive walking distance.And by walking distance I mean Miami walking distance not European. You know not too far. I am familiar with the stars of South Beach and have been to most of them except for BLT. So what have I learned? Serious foodies cannot confine themselves to the South part of Ocean Drive. Got it. Now that I have to get off that sad stretch of overrated tourist mecca has anyone tried Caviar Kaspia? That's on Collins.

[Frodnesor]

Limiting yourself to restaurants on Ocean Drive is arbitrary even if you're looking to stay in close walking distance to an Ocean Drive hotel, particularly because Ocean Dr. to Collins Ave. and Washington Ave. are "short" blocks.

From the Cardozo (13th & Ocean), for instance, the southern end of Ocean Dr. is about 1 mile. So is the northern end of South Beach up around 23rd & Collins. The western end of Lincoln Road is also about 1 mile. So it all depends what you consider "walking distance."

Haven't tried Caviar Kaspia yet but have been meaning to.

[tpigeon]

if I was close to the cordozo and did not want to go far I would do
Lunch:
Late breakfast at front porch
Martarello

Dinner:
Alibi (Cheesesteak)
Osteria Del Teatro
or
BLT

problem solved.

[Frodnesor]

I think L2M's nailed the agenda. It's a goofy question because there's no good reason why any "pretty serious foodie" would limit themselves to Ocean Drive. Indeed it makes no geographic sense as Ocean Drive stretches much longer north/south than you would traverse going east/west to Collins, Washington Ave. or even most of Lincoln Road for that matter.

Accepting the completely arbitrary rules, BLT Steak is indeed the only place I can vouch for. If I wanted to brave some others, I might try La Marea in the Tides; Barolo (4th & Ocean); Prime 112 (where I've never been).

Then depending on how it worked out, I'd go to Club Deuce and drink and drink until the memory of it all was wiped away.

[Icantread]

I guess if you're going to wipe your memory at Deuce, you'll probably go eat at BLT afterwards. . .

The only other option no one's mentioned is trying to catch a fish on ocean and cooking it right on the beach. For goodness sake, there's a Friday's on Ocean.

[lax2mia]

BLT Steak. And fasting.