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It feels like it was years ago that we took our little Miami getaway. Many inches of snow later, lots of cold dark nights, and another nasty fall on black ice later, and I am spending Travel Tuesday dreaming of a romantic seaside dinner we had in Miami at Red Fish Grill. If you are planning on a Miami trip, definitely do yourself a favor and book dinner around sunset.

Miami skyline

MiamiWe spent the day wandering around the beach and Coconut Grove, followed by some pool time at the Sonesta. When dinner time came around, we made the short drive to Coral Gables to the Red Fish Grill. The restaurant is in the opposite direction from the crowded, modern, sexy downtown Miami and is more remote, set in the Matheson Hammock Park.

Red Fish GrillThere’s plenty of beach and park to stroll before or after dinner, and the views of the Miami skyline are priceless, as are the colors at sunset.

Red Fish GrillIt was getting a little chilly when we sat down for dinner, and since we were tired from so much sun (and not being used to sun!) we opted to sit inside for dinner, though there were plenty of people dining outside. There was also a wedding rehearsal on the beach. I love love, and this area would be the perfect setting for a wedding.

Red Fish Grill

Red Fish Grill

Red Fish GrillOnce we were settled, we decided on a bottle of Iron Horse Vineyards sparkling wine, a favorite winery since we visited their fabulous tasting room a couple of years ago. Red Fish Grill only serves beer and wine, so cocktail lovers might want to stop somewhere for a cocktail before or after.

Our server was incredibly friendly and paced our meal perfectly. We decided to share a bunch of items, as we often do. I didn’t get to photograph everything because as the sun set, the light got very dim. It was bad for photography but excellent for cozying up and enjoying the view.

corn and crab chowderOur array of dishes included Corn and Crab Chowder and a perfectly fresh Tuna Tartare with black garlic puree. I am loving black garlic everything these days, and the flavors, along with the fish, just made for an amazing little dish.

 

image

We also shared a Black Mission Fig Salad with Goat Cheese and Crab Cakes.

black mission fig salad

The food was so good! Every bite was amazing, and it was evident that everything was super fresh and made with love. Everyone at the restaurant seemed very happy and invested in what they were doing, and that dedication made for a very special meal for us.

The next time we are in Miami, we will definitely be making a beeline to the Red Fish Grill. I would even plan on arriving an hour earlier next time to be able to have plenty of time to wander the beach and watch the boats going by. Better yet, Red Fish Grill is accessible by boat so if I can find a boat in Miami. . . 😉

 

 

Tags: Coral Gables, Dining out, Florida, Food, Miami, Restaurants, seafood, sparkling wine, Travel, travel bug, wine

Happy Travel Tuesday! As you already know, travel is one of my favorite things in life, and I am pretty lucky that I get to do it pretty frequently (I wish more!). Today wraps up my series of posts on our family trip to Sanibel Island.

My sister and her family, along with my mom, stayed at a condo in the Sandalfoot condo complex. It was right on the beach, offered a couple of spacious bedrooms with baths, a kitchen, living room, and screened in balcony that kept the bugs out. It offered plenty of room for the kids to play, and we spent the majority of our time there.

Sanibel Island

We actually booked our trip separately, and on the recommendation of my brother-in-law, stayed at the Holiday Inn Sanibel Beach Resort.  The price happened to be right, and as long as the room was cool and clean, we would have been happy. We ended up pleasantly surprised with just how nice the property was and how well we were taken care of by the staff.

The hotel is located on a fairly large property that offers bike rentals and lots of space for wandering. It even has two ponds with small alligators, turtles, birds, and other little creatures.

Sanibel Island alligator

Sanibel Island alligator

Sanibel Island alligator

One of the days we were in Sanibel, my family came over to our beach for the day, and the kids loved the ponds.

Throughout the time we were in Sanibel, we enjoyed our hotel’s beachside location which included a tiki bar and pool. I am not a pool fan, but I can definitely get behind a cold rum drink and lunch on the beach!

tiki bar

tiki bar

Our beach was only a few hundred feet from our room which made it easy to come and go as we pleased. Shady palm trees and hammocks provided some space out of the sun.

Holiday Inn Sanibel

Sanibel vacation

Just like the rest of Sanibel, the Holiday Inn was quiet, laid back, low key, and simple, a little bit of paradise in the very hot Florida sunshine. We enjoyed our stay and plan on staying there again on our next family trip to Sanibel Island.

Sanibel beach

What’s your travel style? Are you laid back or super planned? Are there are must-haves when it comes hotels or other travel arrangements?

Tags: beaches, Florida, hotels, Sanibel Island, Travel

Weeks before our trip to Sanibel Island, I learned that there were secret lunch plans in the works. My niece Isabella told us that there was a special place she was taking us for lunch, but she wouldn’t tell us where. It turns out that on their last trip to Sanibel, when she was not yet three, she enjoyed the whimsical Captiva restaurant, The Bubble Room.

After a morning at the pool for Isabella and a morning of boating for us, our group reunited for lunch. On the way to the restaurant, we were told we were going to a very boring place with no desserts and only alligator soup on the menu.

The Bubble Room

She fooled us! Winking smile

The Bubble Room, Captiva

The Bubble Room is a great place for a family lunch. There is a LOT going on, from the second you pull into the parking lot. The restaurant sits on one side of the lot, and The Bubble Room Emporium gift shop sits across the way.

The Bubble Room, Captiva

The outside of The Bubble Room is splashed with a rainbow of color on every surface, with music blaring from speakers. It provides quite the welcome.

Bubble Room restaurant

Inside, the walls are decked out with photos of classic Hollywood stars. There’s barely an empty surface at The Bubble Room.

Bubble Room decorations

There’s even stuff inside the tables!

The Bubble Room, Captiva Island

Due to the fairly extreme heat in Sanibel and Captiva, we were thirsty, and I cooled off  and refreshed with a deliciously fruity rum cocktail, a Captiva Cooler.

Captiva cocktail

We were also starving and ready for some quick food. Our peppy and sweet waitress recommended Carolina Moons, a Bubble Room favorite made up of homemade potato chips, cheese, and bacon.

Carolina moons

For lunch, I decided to have a bowl of gumbo. Spicy, rich, full of seafood and okra, and served with crunchy toast, the gumbo was exactly what I was hoping for and more. It really let me enjoy some of the flavors of the South and made me want to try to do some more regional cooking.

gumbo

The Bubble Room is famous for its desserts, slices of cake the size of my head, in a variety of different flavors and types. While our waitress explained each cake to us, my one-and-a-half  year old nephew gazed at the tray lovingly. It was adorable.

Bubble Room desserts

We were full and ready for some beach time, so we brought home a giant piece of cheesecake and one of The Bubble Room’s signature orange crunch cake,  yellow cake with orange icing and an almond and brown sugar crunch. We dug into those much later in the day after dinner at Gramma Dot’s.

Bubble Room desserts

While waiting, my niece gave us a tour of the restaurant. One of her favorites is this festive Christmas room, a little creepy if you ask me!

The Bubble Room

The Bubble Room

There’s a lot going on, and touring each room of The Bubble Room made the short wait for our food go by quickly. The food was great, and the restaurant definitely provided a memorable place for a family meal. I have a feeling we will be back.

One of the places I have fond memories of visiting is Four Seas Ice Cream in Centerville, MA. Eating ice cream on hot summer nights, running into Kennedys, and taking walks down to Craigville Beach define those Cape Cod summer nights.

Do you have a favorite family vacation spot or memory?

The Bubble Room on Urbanspoon

Tags: Captiva, cocktails, Florida, Food, rum, Travel, vacation

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