Estiatorio Milos by Costas Spiliadis Awards

Estiatorio Milos by Costas Spiliadis Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: The desirable, swank South of Fifth area is home to Costas Spiliadis’ Mediterranean restaurant. The setting and crowd go hand in hand, and on any given day, you'll find the who's who of Miami enjoying a prix-fixe power lunch or celebrating over a decadent dinner. An open and naturally lit dining room is awash in earth tones, allowing the ice display featuring the day's fresh fish catch taking up most of the back wall to draw your attention in its direction.

Food & Drinks: Dinner doesn't come cheap; actually, be fully prepared to spend $95 for a fresh scarlet shrimp. On the plus side, it was delivered that morning. On the downside, it might not be available tomorrow. That's because fish is brought in daily --- in fact, at multiple times each day. And the catch is unknown until it arrives at the airport; fish is a hot (or rather cold) commodity indeed. At Estiatorio Milos, the fish kept on ice is presented for guests to eye and handpick based on whatever their heart desires that evening. Choices can range from king crab to scorpina to barbouni and as many as 20 other species you may or may not have heard of. Naturally, look for all the Greek usual suspects: salad; octopus and loup de mer, both grilled; and lamb chops. It all rounds out beautifully with the "real Greek yogurt"; loaded with honey, it's a sweet ending to a meal. Can't afford to spend $100-plus on dinner? Come for the executive lunch ($24.07) when you can have the octopus, loup de mer and yogurt without breaking the bank. Wine (global labels populate the notable list) is not included.