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Some interesting dining experiences on Fort Lauderdale Beach

These are some of the interesting dining experiences we had while vacationing on Fort Lauderdale Beach.  They represent how we felt but not necessarily the truth.  These restaurants are all located across the street facing the Atlantic Ocean.  By the way, all restaurants I mentioned below offer live music performances and are within walking distance of the Westin Hotel where we stayed.

Café XXX  XXX – a Mediterranean restaurant

We dined at Café XXX XXX the night before we left Fort Lauderdale Beach.  We were out of options.  They provided kids’ meal.  Our kids are very picky eaters.  Besides, we got $10 off from our second entrée.  The entree portions there were huge.  One portion was good enough for two people.  My husband ordered grilled salmon and I ordered Linguine del Mar, which was what I had been ordering for dinner at each restaurant I dined.  It is a Mediterranean dish with fish, claims, mussels, calamari, scallop, and shrimps.  What best way to sample all the seafood in a plate.  Our kids ordered fried chicken strips with French fries.

We chose outdoor seating.  After I brought my daughter back from the restroom, we discovered two people smoking two tables right next to us.  I can’t stand dining while inhaling smoke at the same time.  I was looking to change the table.  My husband told me not to look at that table or make any drastic move.  I was surprised to hear the reason.  He said that he suspected that the man is a mafia.  I responded “a Sicilian mafia”.  He told me that all the waiters knew him and stood right next to him with great respect.  He kissed every waiter on the cheek in a Godfather way.  Did my husband watch too many Godfather movies?  Anyway, I decided to wait and see.

My husband then brought my son to the restroom to wash his hands.  Good sanitation habit is important.  When my husband got back to the seat, he told something interesting.  He was intimidated by the person in the gentleman’s room waiting to be tipped when you asked for toiletries.  I told him that maybe that person, the Godfather like man, was actually the owner of the restaurant.  Maybe the restaurant is truly run by a Sicilian mafia.  It is nonetheless a Mediterranean restaurant. 

By the way, the food was okay.  I had worse.  My husband actually liked what he ordered.  We eventually changed to indoor seating.  When another couple sat right next to us and started smoking, I had to move.  In addition, I didn’t want our kids to inhale second hand smoking.      

Another thing I would like to mention is that some restaurants impose a 15% automatic gratuity, so expect little to no service from them.    

Spazio

Food at Spazio was bad.  I ordered Linguine del Mar again.  I would not recommend dining here.  The reason we dined here was that they served pizzas.  Remember that we have two picky eaters.

H2O Café – an Italian Restaurant

I would never come back to H2O Café even if you beg me.  I was intimidated by the waiter.  We went to H2O Café for dinner on our first night on Fort Lauderdale Beach.  We picked indoor seating.  Nobody sat indoor except us.  The waiter seemed to be a Cuban.  I don’t know if it is the culture of that country for the male to be so macho.  He seemed so pushy.  He wanted us to order the specials he recommended.  We did not yield.  I ordered Clam linguine con Gongole and my husband ordered a burger.  We didn’t order anything for our kids.  The restaurant served bread before the meal.    Our kids could eat that along with the fries that came with my husband’s order.  After we finished our meal, my husband went to the restroom with my son.  The waiter came by and pushed the dessert menu to me and told me to order the dessert.  I was amused.  I told him that we were full.  My husband later told me that his boss went to H2O Café with some other conference participants and asked the waiter to split the bill.  The response he got was the same bill throwing back to him.  Wow!  I have never dined at a restaurant other than a Chinese restaurant that will treat the guests like that.  Maybe, they are not afraid of lacking any customer since they are on a popular tourist spot.

Casablanca Café

Finally I found a restaurant to my liking.  We ordered Linguine del Mar, Tuna Sashimi and baby green salad.  They were so wonderfully prepared.  The spinach linguine was definitely homemade.  It was so tasty.  It is too bad that it does not offer any kid’s menu.  Our kids had bread earlier at Star Bucks and that was why we were able to dine at a decent restaurant.

Shula’s On The Beach

This is a restaurant on the premise of the Westin Hotel.  It is famous for its steak and seafood.  My husband ordered grilled salmon.  He thought that it could have been cooked a bit tenderer but I liked how it tasted.  It was juicy enough for me.  I ordered a baby green salad and our kids ordered fried chicken tenders with French fries.  I would recommend dining at this restaurant.  The food is prepared to perfection. 

Waves Pool Bar and Grill

You might wonder where we had our lunches.  My husband dined at the conference with entrees provided by Shula’s On The Beach.  Since my kids and I stayed at the beach and the pool all long day, the best choice for us was dining at Waves Pool Bar and Grill at the Westin Beach Resort on Fort Lauderdale.  The restaurant offered kids’ lunch menu so it was a perfect place for us.  The portion for the kids is pretty big.  One order is enough to feed two kids.  My kids alternate between hot dog and chicken tenders during our entire stay.  I had baby green salad for the whole time.  They were delicious and the pricing was reasonable.

Overall, we had a wonderful, refreshing and relaxing vacation on Fort Lauderdale Beach. 

Written By Elisa English

On 5/31/10 in Minneapolis

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