Rusty Pelican Review – Miami’s Best Seaside Restaurant
With its glorious aquatic views, Miami has no shortage of extraordinary seaside dining options, but Rusty Pelican is by far the best we have experienced. The cuisine is stellar, the service top notch and the ambiance and view will elevate your eyes and spirit. I strongly recommend an early sunset dinner outside basking in the breathtaking Miami skyline.
Almost six years after re-opening following an extensive $7 million renovation, The Rusty Pelican, Key Biscayne’s iconic waterfront dining destination is undergoing another transformation. The restaurant — which is renowned for its breathtaking views of downtown Miami — will unveil a new world class wine program and menu.
Internationally renowned Master Sommelier Michael Jordan was tapped to curate a new wine menu of over 300 bottles. All of which are on display in their striking glass cube cellar; a signature design element at the restaurant’s entrance. Jordan is one of the world’s most knowledgeable experts on wine, holding a Master Sommelier diploma from the Court of Master Sommeliers as well as a Certified Wine Educator diploma from the Society of Wine Educators. He is one of only 15 people in the world to hold both these diplomas.
On the heels of the launch of a newly revamped wine program and tantalizing new menu items, Rusty Pelican will showcase a new cocktails list created by Head Mixologist Oscar Amaya (formerly of Ariete and Baby Jane). In a space that offers one of Miami’s best sunset Happy Hour settings – seemly tailor-made for sipping cocktails while enjoying the view.
We started with and fell in love with the Agave Sunset — with Creyente mezcal, passion fruit puree, blue agave, fresh raspberries and house-made sour mix. The passion fruit puree was deliriously good that we had to order another one.
Luckily you will start off with some of the best free bread we have ever encountered. The Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Bread with Parmesan butter will make your mouth explode in delight. I’d tell you not to fill up on it, but you will not be able to stop yourself, so just go to freaking town on it!
Let us begin with 2 phenomenal apps that will induce multiple and vociferous foodgasms at the table. Do not worry, you are outside so feel free to unleash a bit! The Mediterranean Mussels with Sweet and Spicy Coconut Cream were the best mussels I ever had! That cream sauce took me back to Thailand and had me slurping it up straight from the bowl.
Another gem is the Grilled Herb Marinated Octopus Crispy Sunchokes, Fingerling Potatoes, Squid Ink Emulsion. They sous vide the octopus so it is perfectly supple and soothes your mouth. These 2 apps are MUST orders!
A great and unique sushi option is the Deco Maki – Pink Sticky Rice, Tempura Shrimp, Mango, Cream Cheese, Red Onion and Eel Sauce. The mango was a nice edition to a classic shrimp tempura roll and yes pink rice makes your sushi way more fun to eat.
If you can manage to pound some mains after this we suggest the Whole Maine Lobster – Two Pound Lobster, Roasted Shallot and Lobster Potato Gratin, Grilled Jumbo Asparagus, Orange Ginger Béarnaise. Pair it with the Smoked Sweet Plantain Mash that is a tantalizing mix of smokey and sweet.
We still managed to also squeeze in the Passion fruit semifreddo for dessert that was light, not too sweet and the perfect passion fruit atop our remarkable experience. Every iota of the Rusty Pelican is superb. Do not wait for only a special occasion to visit. Treat yourself to an early celebration dinner or memorable happy hour and experience Miami dining at its finest.
