Monty's Sunset in South Beach

You say Monty's Sunset in South Beach and it'll more than likely bring back a slew of memories. Personally, I love taking a bike ride up Collins Avenue from my condo on the beach and landing in Monty's for a delicious Pina Colada. Then turning around and heading back a little lighter on the pedals. It's sort of a tradition on the weekends. And of course, there's always the Famous Happy Hours at Monty's that just get happier after every Pain Remover (otherwise known as a Pain Killer). But for those of you that haven't been there lately, let me tell you that they have not only renovated the dining area and their raw bar, but have a new menu that is outrageous. I hadn't been to Monty's for dinner for a few months and I went back to check it out.  It's a whole new level of awesome. From the choices, to the preparation, to the taste... I walked out of there happy and with a couple of more pounds of me to love.

Monty's Sunset is located at 300 Alton Road, in South Beach. It has been a permanent fixture there for over a decade now and its lively allure doesn't go out of style. The place is right on the water, with a spacious, tropical indoor area, as well as a large outdoor terrace and thatched roof cabana surrounding the pool. Since I went there quite regularly in the past, I was glad to hear the menu had been changed. While it was good before, it was definitely time to refresh it. A big fan of their raw bar, which is what they're most popular for, I was looking forward to the surprises that awaited us.

Pain Remover

The Bounty

White Fish Ceviche

We started the evening with a jolt of the familiar: Monty's Famous Pain Remover - Level 3. What is that, you ask? It's a numbing, delicious drink good for everything. It starts off with a blend of Select Rum, cream of coconut, pineapple and orange juices served over the rocks. Now here's where the fun comes in. Depending on how much pain you're in (be it a tough work week, fight with your significant other or simply an imaginary toothache) you choose how much Select Rum you want in it on a scale from 1-3. Pretty awesome, huh? As I sipped my miracle cure, I looked over the menu and really liked what I saw. There were a number of dishes I wanted to try and I didn't know where to start. Our very friendly waitress, Joanne, helped to get us started. Since we wanted to begin with selections from the Raw Bar, she suggested we go with The Bounty, a combo platter consisting of 6 oysters, 6 clams, 3 jumbo shrimp, 3 medium stone crab claws, and a conch salad. It was the taste of the sea on a platter. Everything was fresh and tasty and the conch salad was deliciously prepared. Blackbeard would have definitely declared mutiny on this bounty! Next, I noticed they offered a number of ceviches including white fish, shrimp, Bahamian conch, tuna and lobster. I knew I had to try one so we decided on the White Fish Ceviche. It was a perfect combination of tender, citrus flavors that sang to my taste buds. The refreshing dish was made with onion, celery, radish, bell pepper, lemon, lime and aji amarillo (yellow pepper).

Under The Sea

Lobster BLT Sandwich

Seared Tuna

As we ordered the entrees, we noticed a dish on the menu that sounded original and creative: a Lobster BLT Sandwich. Say what? Lobster and bacon in my mouth at the same time? Bring it on! It was served with Garlic Fries, and was made with a generous serving of lobster, bacon, lettuce, tomato and drizzled with a lemon aioli. Absolutely incredible! The crisp, salty bacon and the sweet, tender lobster went together like love and marriage, and the garlic fries were crispy and deliciously seasoned. If on a date, make sure you're both having these and carry a pack of Trident just to be sure.  As a second entree,we ordered the Seared Tuna, which came served with plum tomato shallot confit and herb oil balsamic reduction. The balsamic reduction gave the perfectly seared tuna an extra rich flavor and all the textures spontaneously combusted with every bite. The dish was gone in seconds.

Up close and personal

Although we had the garlic fries that came with the Lobster BLT, Joanne suggested we also order a side of Truffled Tater Tots. She went on to tell us how these were amazing and one of her favorite side dishes on the menu. Joanne - you know your tots, girl! I wouldn't normally spend an entire paragraph writing about tater tots, but whatever you do, you have to order these when you come in. The combination of the truffle oil with the potatoes was addicting and we were popping them in one after the other.

Truffle Tater Tots

Apple Cobbler a'la mode

Verona Chocolate Brownie

We were stuffed and we were happy, but I couldn't end the night without a sweet goodbye, so I did what any other self-respecting foodaholic would do, I ordered dessert. But, we didn't just try one dessert, we tried them all:  Monty's Award Winning Key Lime Pie, Apple Cobbler a'la mode and Verona Chocolate Brownie a'la mode. While the three of them were spectacular, my all-time favorite was the Key Lime Pie. I can see why it's famous. It was smooth and creamy with the right combination of sweet and tart. Well done Monty's Sunset! We were wowed and I can't wait to get on my bicycle this weekend and visit you all again. Only this time, I'll need to get a cab back home because I'll be having a lot more than just Pina Coladas.

Award Winning Key Lime Pie

By the way, its name is so befitting. Come to Monty's at just the right time and you'll catch the most breathtaking sunset. For more information on Monty's Sunset, or to you can call them at 305 672-1148 or visit them online at http://www.montyssobe.com/.