dining
GUIDE
Firehouse (The) Downtown Melbourne has long suffered from lack of a good, traditional steakhouse; the Firehouse extinguishes that need. Beef is the star of the menu, with everything from petit filets to 56-ounce porter- houses, but seafood, chicken dishes and touches of Italian add diversity. 923 E. New Haven Avenue, Melbourne, (321) 327-7919. LD. $20-$30
Mainstreet Pub One of the area’s most popular places with young professionals, this bar (rather, building with a number of bars) pretends it’s not a restaurant, but its devotees say it has some of the best sandwiches and finger foods in the area, complete with fresh-baked bread. 705 E. New Haven Avenue, Melbourne, (321) 723-7811. D. $5-$20
Red Rooster Café This restaurant may be called a “café” but it’s very much full-service, with everything from salads and sandwiches for lunch to chicken Oscar and pecan-crusted mahi for dinner. It also has a decent wine list. 5675 Micco Road, Micco, (772) 664-4065. LD. $6-$20
Scott’s on Fifth Another top-list restaurant in the heart of Fifth Avenue, Scott’s is owned by a former actor and television chef who maintains a manageable menu with something for everyone, high-end style, in an elegant setting. The rack of lamb is a specialty and the Lump Crab Crepe, a delight. Reservations recommended. 141 Fifth Avenue, Indialantic, (321) 729-9779. LD. $18-$35
Yellow Dog Café Excellent food, great views, knowledgeable service and relaxing surroundings on the river: That’s the Yellow Dog. Owner Stuart Borton, one of the area’s great foodies, refuses to let the restaurant become static and so has introduced an outdoor, covered porch as well as new menu items. Food is American with a continental touch, with much use of fresh fruit and beautiful, but not over-the-top, presentation. 905 U.S. Highway 1, Malabar, (321) 956-3334. LD. $21-$40
ASIAN
Daisen Daisen is one of those Asian restaurants that never succumbed to the dinner-with-tricks notion, but sticks with sushi as well as a diverse menu that includes good tempura and panko-crusted seafood and chicken. It’s also informal and friendly. 3760 W. Eau Gallie Boulevard, Melbourne, (321) 254-1050. LD. $10-$25
Haru Sushi Bar & Grill Many believe Haru serves the
best sushi in the area, and it certainly does so in a low-key, minimalist Asian ambiance. The list of appetizers is almost endless (gyoza is excellent) and the rest of the menu is diverse and pan-Asian, with Korean and Thai, as well as Japanese- inspired entrees. Bento boxes are available too, as is Donburi, or lunch-in-a-bowl. 3042 W. New Haven Avenue, West Melbourne, (321) 676-5159; 1500 N. Highway A1A, Indialantic, (321) 725-6100. LD. $7.50-$30
Thai Thai II This energetic little restaurant is an old favorite among sushi lovers, and it does well with Thai dishes. The curries are well-considered by frequent diners, as is the Pad Thai. Service is friendly too. 2324 N. Highway A1A, Indialantic, (321) 773-6144. LD. $10-$20
BRITISH/IRISH
Meg O’Malleys If you love things Irish, Meg’s is your place: A big restaurant with a bar with pub-style seating; football (the real deal, not that American gridiron stuff) on the televisions; and on weekends, men with guitars singing about how they miss the Auld Sod. It also has Irish-style fare, including a pretty good version of colcannon and an interesting, rosemary-scented stew. And on holidays – think “St. Paddy’s” – nobody parties like Meg’s. 812 E. New Haven Avenue, Melbourne, (321) 952-5510. LD. $10-25
CAFÉS
905 Café This is another quirky sort of place, a laid-back, casual seller of some of the best quiches and salads in the area, at which guests dine amid the antiques, seated at an eclectic mixture of tables and chairs. The menu is homestyle- original, with offerings like Brie Apple Nut Melt. It also has excellent coffee, tea and coffee beverages. 905 E. New Haven Avenue, Melbourne, (321) 952-1672. BL. $3-$10
Blueberry Muffin Famed for its huge, fresh-baked blueberry muffins and muffins-of-the-day, the informal little restaurant across the street from the beach also has a diverse menu with lots of breakfast and lunch choices. 1103 Highway A1A, Indialantic, (321) 725-7117. LD. Under $10
CARIBBEAN
Island Pasta Company This is a standby in downtown Melbourne, a casual, stylish place with indoor and outdoor din- ing and an innovative, Caribbean-flavored menu. The appetizers alone (Mojo Pork Tostones, Caliente Calamari, Island Seafood Cakes) would be enough to evoke curiosity and then a reason to return, and the pastas come with various curry, cream and tomato sauces, one of which, Island Style, is liberally sprinkled with toasted coconut. 903 E. New Haven Avenue, Melbourne, (321) 723-1584. D. $10-$20
CONTINENTAL
Continental Flambé A stalwart in downtown Melbourne, Continental Flambe attracts businesspeople for lunch and couples for dinner, with its French-style fare and intimate atmosphere. 936 E. New Haven Avenue, Melbourne, (321) 768-2445. D. Closed Sundays. $26.95 prix fixe/ $22.95 a la carte.
DELI
Toojay’s Deli For years, Brevardians have waited for a Jewish-style deli and with the arrival of TooJay’s, they finally have it. Part of a Florida chain, it is not Kosher but has everything you’d expect, including huge sandwiches on the deli’s own bread, and super chicken and shrimp salads. Lots of entrees are available too – the char-grilled burger is in the running for best around – and breakfast is excellent. The cakes and pastries are, well, killer. 1700 W. New Haven Avenue, Melbourne (Melbourne Square Mall), (321) 269-0450. BLD. $5-$14
GERMAN/AUSTRIAN
Café Coconut Cove Tucked away in a lovely beachfront spot on the site formerly known as Grey’s Landing is a lovely little restaurant owned by a family from the Rhineland. German cuisine dominates the menu, but with some fascinating twists, like Pineapple Melt Schnitzel. German beers and wines are available. 4210 S. Highway A1A, Melbourne Beach, (321) 727- 3133. D. $14-$30
Edelweiss If you like really authentic German and Austrian specialties, this is your place, a family-owned restaurant with wurst, pork dishes (including schnitzels) and rouladen made properly, stuffed with onion, bacon and German pickle. It has a great selection of German beers and wines too. 2543 S. Harbor City Boulevard, Melbourne, (321) 723-6555. D. $10-$30
ITALIAN
Andiamo Café and Bar Italiano Andiamo is very
modern, very stylish and very good at what it does: prepare and serve Italian-style fare, beautifully. It does pasta, of course, but it also does very well with veal, including Osso bucco, and fish. It also has terrific touches, like serving sparkling water and good, homemade bread with fresh light olive oil and high- quality cheese. 205 Fifth Avenue, Indialantic, (321) 984-5045. D. Closed Sundays. $15-$30
Brio Italiano Restaurant & Bar Low-key, congenial
and authentic Sicilian cuisine prepared by Palermo-born chef Richard Genna. The emphasis is on veal, chicken and pasta dishes, as well as subs, panini and calzones for lunch. Traditional meals come with a choice of soup or salad. Warm bread comes with olive oil and herbs. Fresh desserts come from the nearby Croissant Chateau Bakery. Genna along with owners Chris Paladino and Craig Micheletti are committed to making downtown Melbourne as diverse and popular for its food as it is for its nightlife. Features a full bar, banquet and meeting room for 75 people. 2300 Vernon Place, Melbourne (about a half block south of New Haven), (321) 676-8949. LD. $8-$14
Petrillo’s Italian Eatery A lot of people believe family- owned Petrillo’s has the best (Northeast style) pizza on the Space Coast, but its dinner menu is not all about pies. It has chicken, pasta and fish entrees, all of which come with garlic bread and salad. The chicken Milanese is very good and the Eggplant Parmigiana, just as you’d expect it, well, up north. 960 N. Highway A1A, Indialantic, (321) 953-6888. D. $12-$17
MIDDLE EASTERN
Skewers Mediterranean Grille This restaurant is
lovely, active, complete with hookahs, music and belly dancing. But that’s the least of reasons for Skewers to draw crowds, as it serves superb Mediterranean fusion cuisine. There’s seafood, including ponzu marinated ahi; four choices of kebob, not to mention other char-grilled meats; and really good Arabic- style dishes, including kafta and kibbeh. 144 Fifth Avenue, Indialantic, (321) 727-8944. D.
SEAFOOD
Bonefish Willy’s A Brevard favorite for years, Bonefish Willy’s serves beef, chicken, and (of course) seafood dishes in a casual, rustic setting alongside the Indian River Lagoon. The pineapple cole slaw is a local classic. 2459 Pineapple Avenue, Melbourne, (321) 253-8888. LD. $4.95-$21
114 : SPACECOAST LIVING
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