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The famed restaurant has changed hands again. Food that formerly could be considered sort of Spanish is now sort of Italian. The emphasis, however, is still on seafood; only two appetizers, one pasta, and one entrée are nonfish dishes. Prices also are higher, with starters running from $7.50 to $12, pastas and rice $13 to $19, and entrées $18.50 to $27.50. These prices are deceptive, as most single items feed two. But just like before, the true attraction is Big Fish's setting -- spectacular, in a raffish way. With the neon-accented Metrorail glowing off to the left, the lights of downtown Miami just across the river, a drawbridge to the right, and all sorts of river traffic (freighters, fishing boats, luxury yachts, hungry pelicans) directly in their faces, diners get a fascinating instant-camera visual insight into Miami's dual nature: tropical beach-party playground and working shipping/fishing port.
Sunday afternoon on the Miami River. Skyscrapers glisten at a near distance, a whispering breeze sweeps in off a randy Biscayne Bay, and pleasure craft bob at arm's length, seemingly to the beat of an electro anthem. The chatter is quick, the... More »
For all of its inspired side trips down Imagination Lane (let's call it that, because the "memories" of protagonist Edward Bloom are too majestic to be trusted and too affecting to be discounted), Big Fish is ultimately about one thing: the... More »
There were two undying rumors about Big Fish back when I moved to Miami six years ago. One was that this renovated shack-complex-turned-restaurant on the Miami River had once dispensed the best cheapo fish sandwich in town. Wait: "Best"?... More »
Even if a character in the 1989 movie When Harry Met Sally hadn't declared something about restaurants being akin to theaters, the analogy would have found its way into the dining public's consciousness sooner or later. That's largely because, as... More »
It's not so much the sweeping view of an iridescent Miami skyline that excites the senses -- though no place in the city offers a better scenic setting. Rather it's the outdoor dining patio's location adjacent to the water, which provides a rare, eye-level view of passing freighters, fishing boats, speed boats, dinghies, and yachts. It gives the sensation you are sitting right inside the skyline; that's what gets the juices flowing. And flowing some more once you grab a cocktail from a bar... More »
Alas, the era of the reggae club is over. Even though Miami certainly has a large enough Caribbean population to support a club entirely devoted to island music, few establishments want to put all of their eggs in that particular basket. For those craving the dancehall vibe, it's all about hot reggae nights at unexpected, and in some cases hard-to-find, locations. Case in point, Big Fish. "We wanted to create something that was as close to being back in the islands as possible. Literally the... More »
Banyan tree, very pretty. And the mixed drinks are sweet. But the fruit of the banyan? You definitely do not want to eat that. You, however, have come to this tree not to eat but to quench your thirst, breathe fresh air, and marvel at our beautiful little toxic river. Were it not for the neon stripes of the elevated Metrorail line and the colorful Bank of America tower aglow in the distance, you might think you were in Baton Rouge. Enjoy this quiet postindustrial oasis on the fringes of... More »
This restaurant has had more lives than Shirley MacLaine. And part of the eatery's perseverance has to do with its location. As one of the only, and certainly just about the oldest, riverfront restaurants in Miami, we almost owe it our patronage. In fact we've seen this place through good times and bad, through Twenties' gas stations and fish sandwiches (courtesy of its first owner), through gondolas and gigantic sculptures of animals standing on each other's backs (courtesy of the previous... More »
This has always been the perfect riverfront location. The view, the feel, are so fine, so Miami: You're practically sitting in the Miami River, but as you lean back and sip your wine, your gaze drifts up to the drawbridges creaking apart to let pass all manner of funky cargo ships. Bright neon lights on the Metrorail tracks point the way through the downtown skyline. Somehow even in the dankest summer heat, Big Fish is just a little cooler and breezier. Or maybe it only seems that way,... More »
