top 5 restaurants in Sowal area

[Beach Runner]

We like Shades because of the total experience. The food is is pretty good, and you can get out of there comparatively inexpensively by 30-A standards. We like the grouper sandwich, the wedge salad with blue cheese dressing and a side of grilled fish, the wings (just like at Taco Mac in Atlanta -- same owner), and the selection of beers. The staff is really friendly (of course, maybe that's because we've been there embarrassingly too many times). Unlike my friend jdarg, as everyone knows we loves us some college football and college basketball, so the big TV screens are perfect for us from September through early April since we can dine and not miss any of the games. Heavenly! We go to Shades often enough that we were even there BOTH times that it was announced that Billy D was staying at The University of Florida.

Truthfully, the fish sandwich at Red Bar has been better than Shades' lately, having tried them at both places on back-to-back days on three occasions since April.

OOPS! I also forgot Amor?! I love their pizza and buckets of PBRs.

Now if only there were a Doc Chey's on 30-A ...

 

[Smiling JOe]

5) Basmati
4) Fabrice (currently, lunch only)
3) Cafe Tango
2) Gravel Road
1) I'm keeping it a secret!

 

[Beach Runner]

5) Basmati
4) Fabrice (currently, lunch only)
3) Cafe Tango
2) Gravel Road
1) I'm keeping it a secret!

We're pretty much creatures of habit. Maybe that's why we've been married so long. Big D and I will make an effort in the future to try some of your and other's suggestions that aren't on our list.

Obviously the #1 poster doesn't want to recommend his #1 restaurant because then he'll have to wait longer for a table (not *totally* true -- we can bolt the line at several places on 30-A now due to our frequency). I think your #1 is either my #1 or the caf? next to where I am staying next week since Pepper is welcome and I will be alone (hubby going literally around-the-world next week). Not may people would like the latter place -- I recommend that everyone stays away. ;-) JK.

 

[WlzMom]

Borago - fine dining
Red Bar - bluegrass brunch on sundays!
Fabrice - wonderful pastries and sandwiches.

but the top, #1, super fave is Amore. I could be biased, but it's still the best pizza!!

 

[goofer]

How come no one mentioned Criolla"s ????

 

[JB]

How come no one mentioned Criolla"s ????

I think Criollas, like Pandora's, falls into the "you either love it or hate it" category. I think it is a beautiful dining space and the service is good (I've only been there twice, so take this FWIW).

To me, Criollas is like places you might find in large metropolitan areas - nice wine list, beautiful presentation....but very expensive and pathetically small portions. When I'm at the beach, places like this just don't appeal to me.

I put Ocean Club and the former Chef Paul's in basically the same category.

 

[Smiling JOe]

How come no one mentioned Criolla"s ????

I didn't mention it because it isn't in my top 5. It isn't even in my top ten. As JB mentioned, service is great, as is the wine list, but when I want good wine, I drink it at home with a great meal, at a quarter of the price. Criolla's is expensive, and I think the food is too lacking to make my top choices of restaurants in the area.

 

[NoHall]

Borago - fine dining
Red Bar - bluegrass brunch on sundays!
Fabrice - wonderful pastries and sandwiches.

but the top, #1, super fave is Amore. I could be biased, but it's still the best pizza!!

This has nothing to do with restaurants. I just wanted to say that the baby in your 'tar is gorgeous.

 

[WlzMom]

Thanks!! We think so! He's a sweetie...

He's going to be a ton of fun in SoWal over the 4th.

 

[Smiling JOe]

FYI- Criollas has a new Executive Chef as of this past weekend. Shane was hired from Shout, an Atlanta based restaurant owned by Tom Catherall, where he was the Executive Chef.