Joe’s Stone Crab
Bread Basket – Crisps, Pretzel, Butter Knot, Onion Pumpernickel
Coleslaw
Clam and Lobster Fritters – Bacon, Corn, Spicy Cocktail Sauce
Coconut Shrimp – Holler Back Sauce
Three Select Stone Crab Claws with Warm Mustard Sauce, Creamed Spinach, Smashed Squash
Lobster Macaroni and Cheese – Vermont White Cheddar, Asiago Crumbs
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with Green Tomato and Caper Remoulade
Skinny Fried Sweets Dusted with Cinnamon Sugar
Half-Slice Key Lime Pie
Chocolate Pecan Pie a la Mode
Bread Pudding with Maple Bourbon Caramel Sauce and a scoop of Graeter’s Vanilla Ice Cream
No longer located only in Miami it was still with much intrigue that I entered Joe’s Stone Crab and having intentionally avoided the Vegas location at Caesars’ Forum Shoppes in order to preserve the integrity of a first visit to the original the decision proved to be a good one, the 1913 dining room at 11 Washington Ave offering a stellar lunch during the peak of stone crab season with service on par with that of several Michelin starred restaurants in Europe.
Obviously offering an upscale experience compared to locations elsewhere, to the point that shorts and t-shirts are frowned upon in the main dining area, arrival at Joe’s begins at the Valet and with a young man holding the doors it was not long before we stood before a suited man at the podium, a walk-in for three not a problem at noon on a weekday with a choice of tables offered, the group electing to sit indoors on the left side of the expansive space – away from the din of the business lunch crowd.
Obviously local and seasonal simply by the nature of a restaurant that actually closes during off-season it was to a menu of signatures and fresh seafood specials that we were greeted on seating and although happy to splurge when necessary a lunch special of three select claws, sides, and a half-slice of key lime pie for $42.95 was simply impossible to ignore – each claw plum and fresh, perfect on its own as I eschewed the mustard sauce and instead focused on the sweet protein alongside naturally sweet squash and creamy spinach, both as good as it gets for traditional steakhouse sides.
Getting a bit ahead of myself, it should be noted that the meal actually began with Joe’s signature bread basket and although attempting some semblance of restraint it was illogical to refuse a second round based entirely on the strength of the salty warm pretzel as well as the unctuous pumpernickel, both enjoyed alongside butterflied shrimp coated in coconut that made my mother swoon while I focused on fritters nearly half lobster and half creamed corn with just enough filler to hold it all together beneath a golden, crisp shell.
Slightly underwhelmed by sweet potato fries that were served in plethora yet a bit to limp for personal tastes it was in lobster-loaded mac n’ cheese and a duo of crab cakes shaped like Cuban croquettes that my dining partners indulged and although both were quite nice it seemed the consensus that the eponymous claws were the best choice, a similar statement befitting a large cube of steamy bread pudding absolutely drenched in boozy caramel…though the key lime pie and buttery toasted pecan pie studded with dark chocolate chips would easily be the highlights of dessert menus in several equally well regarded spots…or perhaps as a decadent shopping mall snack when back home in the 702.
http://www.joesstonecrab.com/
