A Fish Called Avalon

WOW!!!. I went to Avalon for dinner and was blown away by the service, my meal (a tasty dish of shrimp over deliciously seasoned grits) was absolutely fantastic and the pitcher of sangria was just not enough. I like that it's located away from some of the noise of the more touristy places on Ocean Drive so you can enjoy your company and great conversation but still close enough to people watch.…

Citysearch Editorial Review. With a playful nod to the late-80s flick of a similar name, this seafood-centric hot spot at the Avalon Hotel does what many an Ocean Drive restaurant hasn't been able to do--make food that is, for the most part, worth the price. The menu does a little culinary globetrotting, from Japanese-style tuna tartare doused in a sesame-ponzu vinaigrette to a "Floribbean" sauteed yellowtail snapper with grilled asparagus, toasted macadamias and tropical fruit salsa. Service is swift and friendly and the entertainment is even better--every night you can enjoy the sounds of a live Latin-Caribbean duet on the front porch. (Just remember: If you're seated inside, you can't hear the music much as the crowd can get pretty loud.)…

Enjoyable meal with a few glitches. In general the food was excellent. There were a couple of problems. The waiter got the drink order wrong, hearing 3 traditional mojitos when we ordered 2 mango and 1 regular. Perhaps you could blame that on the street noise of a Friday night. The mussels in a tomato sauce with fennel were excellent! The mozzarella with tomatoes was OK, but the tomatoes had an icyness to them and when it was pointed out to the waiter he did....nothing. The entrees were much better. The special salmon with porcini mushrooms was perfectly done. The Mahi Mahi was beautiful. The Risotto with seafood was OK (smallish portion and the mussels in it were cold. The dessert menu was not particularly inspired, but that was fine since we were full. Location was superb for people watching, in particular a dog that kept walking by with a bucket in its mouth to collect change. Heaters were set up to keep us comfortable in the December coolness. Why anyone would want to sit inside is beyone me.…