The Oceanaire Seafood Room
900 S. Miami Ave. (SE Ninth St.) 
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Miami, FL 33130
305-372-8862 | Make Restaurant Reservations
Cuisine
Open
Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner nightlyFeatures
- Heart-healthy dishes
- Romantic setting
- Private room(s)
- Full bar
- Reservations suggested
- Outdoor dining
- Valet parking
- Business
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| Considering that twenty percent of the Miami-Dade County’s total area is water, one would expect Miami to have even more good, serious seafood restaurants than it has bad drivers. Not even close. This branch of the national Oceanaire franchise has almost single-handedly filled the odd dearth. And diners respond by consistently packing the 290-seat restaurant, despite the place’s inland location within the Mary Brickell Village complex---and despite foodies’ natural wariness of chain restaurants. The eatery does indeed have a formula, but it’s both solid, centering on a daily-changing list of over a dozen market-fresh fish, and seductive. Décor has the feel of an Art Deco-era cruise ship, evoking the sea without fishnets or other familiar kitsch. And food has the same retro-glam charm, starting with a complimentary relish tray (celery, carrots, olives, pickles, etc.) and continuing with a menu focusing on all-American fishhouse classics: bacon-studded New England clam chowder (loaded with fresh littlenecks), Dungeness crab Louis, almost binder-free jumbo lump crab cakes, a fisherman’s platter with salt-vinegar fries, ten or twelve types of oysters from the raw bar, plus all the traditional vegetable sides and sweets, liked baked Alaska, to match. Though the franchise formula does not emphasize local fish, black grouper’s a frequent catch of the day, as are Florida pompano and swordfish. And local executive chefs are given considerable leeway in regard to personalizing the seasonal menu. In the case of Sean Bernal’s signature Nuevo Latino ceviches and Asian fusion small plates, this classic seafood room is given a distinctive contemporary regional accent. |
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