My wife and I are flying into Fort Lauderdale this coming Thursday to attend a wedding on Saturday. We are staying at the Hilton Bahia Mar resort and will have Friday to do what we want.

Any must do suggestions for us to do on Friday or/and any good restaurant sugggestions. We will have a rental car.

St Bart’s on the beach for a great breakfast and cheap mimosas

Grill 66 steak house at night

Take the water taxi, it is around $30 for the entire day per person, you get to see our waterways and can jump off and on at various stops. Walking up and down las olas and checking out the stores is nice and the water taxi stops there. If you want seafood- Rustic Inn in Dania Beach is excellent and not too far from Bahia Mar. A good old raw bar (Southport Raw bar) is also close and good. Also the restaurant on the 2nd story of the fuel dock at pier 66 (where grille 66 is located) is great for lunch as you can see the boats going by on the ICW). Walking the docks at Bahia Mar, you'll see some really nice mega yachts. You could venture out to the Everglades national park for an airboat ride.

What are your interests? I live in Pompano Beach just North of Fort Lauderdale and was born and raised there.

Vote? They are still counting votes.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:
Vote? They are still counting votes.

Yeah, run yourself through the polling stations a couple three times each.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I would love to go see the Everglades again, but she doesn’t want to. I already did it once on my own and loved it.

Walk around the marina and wonder, "Where the hell did all this money come from?"

Everglades Holiday Park, check out the glades. Weather should be beautiful (cold front)

Go north to Commercial pier and walk out on the ocean or just walk around Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (about 10 min drive from Bahia Mar A-1-A) lots of nice shops and such.

Where to eat:

Franco and Vinnies/Pizza-Italian (just west of A-1-A on Sunrise)
Toast (simple dinner food but good for breakfast)
Phat Boys - good sushi/asian
Quvo - authentic mex and craft beer
Blue Moon - seafood

All of these places are 10 to 15 min city driving north of you. Super simple to find Enjoy your trip

Good food and drinks available at Tarpon Bend, also.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
Good food and drinks available at Tarpon Bend, also.

The new one on Andrews? Is it the same as the old one?

+1 on the Rustic Inn and water taxi. And who knows, you may find a box of ballots laying around.

Are there any high end seafood restaurants in the area. My wife would like to go somewhere fancy. I have looked at the menu for Rustic Inn and Blue Moon and they both look good. Are they casual dining or more fancy? Are there other options for more upscale dining if they are casual? I only ask about seafood because I figure if I am going to be in Florida then I should eat seafood. I see stone crabs are in season; I LOVE me stone crabs!

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:
Are there any high end seafood restaurants in the area. My wife would like to go somewhere fancy. I have looked at the menu for Rustic Inn and Blue Moon and they both look good. Are they casual dining or more fancy? Are there other options for more upscale dining if they are casual? I only ask about seafood because I figure if I am going to be in Florida then I should eat seafood. I see stone crabs are in season; I LOVE me stone crabs!

Rustic Inn is on the casual side, but the menu is very broad and food is awesome.

Blue moon is a little more upscale, on the water, but can be noisy. I wouldn't say it is REALLY upscale, but the food is excellent here too.

Beach House in Pompano Beach. It is right on the beach sand and has a very open feel and upscale/trendy/romantic at the same time if you sit downstairs.

If you want the ultimate in upscale, amazing stone crabs, etc. Go down to Joe's Stone Crabs in Miami Beach.

Sea watch is also right on the beach and has a somewhat upscale feel.

Actually, you want the best experience. Go to Cap's Place, Broward counties oldest restaurant. It is all original and out of the 1920's and a really unique experience. It has many pictures and articles from when it first opened in the 20's, the restaurant is unique and unusual, just like the people that work there!!!! Al Capone,FDR, Myer Lansky, Winston Churchill, the Vanderbilts, Kennedy and many others have eaten here. It was a speakeasy and casino during prohibition. They take you a 1/2 mile in a little launch/water taxi to the restaurant, it has a great romantic feel and is on the water with views of the lighthouse. The shellfish medley and crab cakes are to die for here.
www.capsplace.com/index.htm

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:
Are there any high end seafood restaurants in the area. My wife would like to go somewhere fancy. I have looked at the menu for Rustic Inn and Blue Moon and they both look good. Are they casual dining or more fancy? Are there other options for more upscale dining if they are casual? I only ask about seafood because I figure if I am going to be in Florida then I should eat seafood. I see stone crabs are in season; I LOVE me stone crabs!

Rustic Inn is on the casual side, but the menu is very broad and food is awesome.

Blue moon is a little more upscale, on the water, but can be noisy. I wouldn't say it is REALLY upscale, but the food is excellent here too.

Beach House in Pompano Beach. It is right on the beach sand and has a very open feel and upscale/trendy/romantic at the same time if you sit downstairs.

If you want the ultimate in upscale, amazing stone crabs, etc. Go down to Joe's Stone Crabs in Miami Beach.

Sea watch is also right on the beach and has a somewhat upscale feel.

Actually, you want the best experience. Go to Cap's Place, Broward counties oldest restaurant. It is all original and out of the 1920's and a really unique experience. It has many pictures and articles from when it first opened in the 20's, the restaurant is unique and unusual, just like the people that work there!!!! Al Capone,FDR, Myer Lansky, Winston Churchill, the Vanderbilts, Kennedy and many others have eaten here. It was a speakeasy and casino during prohibition. They take you a 1/2 mile in a little launch/water taxi to the restaurant, it has a great romantic feel and is on the water with views of the lighthouse. The shellfish medley and crab cakes are to die for here.
www.capsplace.com/index.htm

Thanks for all the input! I have been to Joe’s in Vegas many times and love the food.

For your fancy sea food request, I think Blue Moon is a great choice as others have indicated. It's on the inter-coastal waterway and I've had some fish preparations to die for there. It's spendy but I think the quality is hard to beat.

The beach has a number of fancy options where you can look right out at the beach and the ocean - S3 (small plates) and El Vez (upscale Mexican) are two of my favorites. But for seafood, I think you'll be happy with Blue Moon Fish Co.

For a lunch spot that's less upscale but also great seafood Coconuts on the beach is a favorite of mine and is very close to your hotel.

If you are looking for a fancy bar check out Rooftop. As the name would suggest, its on a rooftop down town so fun views of the buildings downtown (not the beach, its inland in the business district). The crowd is young professionals since its downtown. It has a trendy Miami vibe which may or may not be your thing.

A late night bar is elbo room. Dive bar right on the beach with live music. Cash only. You get the idea.

Someone else recommended Southport - great dive seafood spot. Not uspscale at all - but its where locals go. Walk straight through the dingy indoor space to the deck out back.

Someone recommended Pompano Beach house, kind of far but you have a rent a car. Great views of the ocean and pier. Very cool. Menu is pretty casual. The upstairs bar is trendy and the best views in the house.

Someone recommended the water taxis - for me it takes to long to get around. Its less of a "taxi" and more like a bus - set stops and it goes from one to the next on down the line. But, if you have time to kill, nothing wrong with it.

Well tonight it was Rustic Inn. We will probably check out Blue Moon tomorrow.

Forget the lobster, Stormin Norman's got crabs! Rustic inn is one of my favorites, did you enjoy it? What did you guys end up ordering? I usually get the One foot in One Foot out when I go there (NY strip, 1/2 of a stuffed Maine Lobster, and garlic blue crabs).

Blue Moon is excellent as well, they have a crab encrusted grouper that is to die for......well everything is very good. Their icky sticky caramel tart (for dessert) is to die for.

I'd still favor Cap's Place over Blue Moon, but Blue Moon is excellent.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
Forget the lobster, Stormin Norman's got crabs! Rustic inn is one of my favorites, did you enjoy it? What did you guys end up ordering? I usually get the One foot in One Foot out when I go there (NY strip, 1/2 of a stuffed Maine Lobster, and garlic blue crabs).

Blue Moon is excellent as well, they have a crab encrusted grouper that is to die for......well everything is very good. Their icky sticky caramel tart (for dessert) is to die for.

I'd still favor Cap's Place over Blue Moon, but Blue Moon is excellent.

We ended up getting their dungeness garlic crab. We really enjoyed it.

Well my wife did some searching and she wants to go eat dinner tomorrow night at Ocean2000. Anyone ever eaten there? She has already made reservations.

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Originally posted by StorminNormin:
Well my wife did some searching and she wants to go eat dinner tomorrow night at Ocean2000. Anyone ever eaten there? She has already made reservations.

I've never eaten there. The menu looks very limited and very lackluster.