Zagat/Highlights from the 2008 Miami Restaurant Guide

Major Changes in Top Ratings for South Florida Restaurants:
New winners prevailed in each of the four areas covered by the guide this year!  For food, Michy’s rated 28 in Miami, overcoming Francesco’s. In Fort Lauderdale/Broward County, Café Maxx scored a 27 and replaced Sunfish Grill. Pisces in the Keys ousted Dining Room at Little Palm Resort with a 28 and 11 Maple Street rated top in Palm Beach with a 27.

New leaders prevailed in the Décor and Service categories as well.

Miami’s Karu & Y replaced Blue Door for décor, and Romeo’s Café was bested by Palme d’Or in service. Likewise in Broward County, Grille 66 overtook Satine for décor and Victoria Park was replaced by Eduardo de San Angel in service.

Cocktail Party Tidbits Thanks to the 2008 Zagat Guide:
South Florida is the country’s third most expensive venue for dining out!  Only New York and Long Island are pricier, with an average meal in the area costing $38.86. For inexpensive options Zagat recommends Dogma Grill in Miami, OneBurger in Fort Lauderdale and Pizza Rustica in Palm Beach.

45% of those surveyed said they dine out more than they did two years ago; only 12% said they dine out less often.

Several newly opened restaurants are owned by celebrities.

These include DeVito South Beach, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink and Table 8. But the legendary classic Joe’s Stone Crab kept the title of “Miami’s Most Popular Dining Destination.”

There is still much work to be done…
In this year’s South Florida Zagat Guide hospitality ranked an overall 12 and table availability a sad 15. In addition, Zagat reports that Floridians have not jumped onto the “green bandwagon” noting that 85% of surveyors did not deem locally grown or raised food to be important and 51% of respondents were not willing to pay more for organic food.