Dine Magazine South Florida

TasteCasting at Bimini Boatyard

With my camera and iPhone in hand, I headed down to Fort Lauderdale for our 2nd TasteCasting event. My destination was Bimini Boatyard, a newly renovated mainstay in the area that is known for their large, open space, lively atmosphere, waterfront view and their fusion Caribbean cuisine. They invited our team in to eat, drink and tweet about our experience -  what we do best. For those of you who do not know about TasteCasting, TasteCasting is a group of socially connected people, who restaurants invite in to do a tasting. In exchange we tweet, take photos, blog and broadcast our experience to our large network.

As soon as we arrived, I quickly noticed the lively energy in the bar area. This is the perfect place for an after work crowd or just to meet some friends, and of course, for any large group function. (This restaurant is the 6th largest in South Florida.) Soon after, we were introduced to Chef Michael. We were immediately drawn to his kindness, down-to-Earth nature and his love for his kitchen. Chef Michael is a native Floridian and has been at Bimini since mid-2008.  He’s brought with him his expertise in Caribbean flavors, as he was lucky enough to spend time in the West Indies and other Caribbean islands.

In addition to adding his touch to the menu of Bimini Boatyard, he used his experience in the Caribbean to create a cookbook titled, In a Land of Misfits, Pirates and Cooks (scheduled to be released any day now). This book explores the cuisine of the islands and if you don’t know how to pair seafood with mamey, you soon will after reading the book.

Our culinary adventure began with a few tropical cocktails and a sampling of hors d’oeuvres. Antigua Yellow Fin Tuna, a 13 Spice shrimp, hummus and La Habana Ceviche were beautifully displayed on the table. After we all arrived and had a chance to take photos (the craziness that happens when food bloggers come together), we enjoyed the addition of tropical fruits in these Caribbean-inspired dishes.

We were given a tour of this beautiful restaurant, as it was just recently renovated. The spacious rooms, the tropical feel, the outdoor dining area and even the private rooms were all included in the renovation. Newly painted, the rooms were done just in time for their 20th Anniversary Celebration.

It was time to sit down and begin our dining adventure. First up, the world-famous Bimini Bread. Since I had never been to the restaurant before, I had to do my research about it prior to my dinner, and everyone kept raving about this Bimini Bread. What was it and what made it so special? This loaf of doughy goodness looks like any ordinary sandwich bread, but it’s sweet flavor gives it the Bimini touch, and we ate that right up. Yes, it did live up to all the hype. And if you want the recipe, don’t even think about it, as this is a Bimini secret. Next in line, a collection of their appetizers – calamari, conch fritters and their crab cakes – a crowd favorite. They were crispy and full of crab, like they should be, which made this a delight (even for me as crab cakes are usually my least favorite menu item to get when I go out to eat).

All this food and we hadn’t even made it to our entrees. Dominican Gulf Black Grouper with a Mango “Coulis-grette,” Ocho Rios Swordfish with a Jamaican jerk glaze, Sweet Tuber melange and red Onion – coconut Rangoon, Blue Mountain Yellowtail Snapper – it was so difficult to decide. If you like seafood, you will be in seafood heaven. Fresh, delectable dishes, creatively presented with an island touch. At this point, we were all stuffed, but couldn’t resist the heavenly desserts.

Out came platters of the deathly rich, by oh so good, Death By Chocolate Cake, the Bimini Mango Cheesecake, the Key Lime Pie, a light and creamy classic and of course, their decadent and creamy tiramisu. Even though I swore that I could eat no more, I kept convincing myself to indulge on that one last bite and indulge I did.

Next weekend (September 25-26) Bimini will be hosting their 20th Anniversary Celebration, and when a restaurant celebrates twenty years in business, they truly do have something special. All weekend long they will be offering Happy Hour pricing, live music, pirate-themed activities for the kids and even a special $10 lobster grill. (Yes, you heard that right, it’s $10 for lobster.) So come on out and join in their celebration.

Bimini Boatyard Bar & Grill is located at 1555 SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale. (954) 525-7400

If you are a South Florida restaurant and would like to invite our team in for a tasting, please contact us for more information.