Features

Food for Thought: Every Queen Needs a Palace

April 2, 2014

Located on the corner of 12th and Ocean in South Beach, Palace has been a neighborhood favorite for over 20 years. It’s easy to see why people keep coming back to this local legend; their winning recipe of fabulous cocktails and food, eye candy and fun drag shows.

I hadn’t been to Palace in over a year – I was becoming one of those lame Fort Lauderdale residents who were too lazy to cross the bridge. This was unacceptable! I took my gay husband Jeff and off we went for cocktails, sun, dinner and entertainment. It was a Tuesday night and our night at Palace definitely brightened what was otherwise quite a bleak day.

Our server for the night was Arian and he guided us through the menu with expert suggestions. Jeff started off with a mojito and I started with my recent favorite, white sangria. For appetizers, we split Crab Cakes ($13.99) and also their Mango Pineapple Ceviche ($13.99). The crab cakes were great – there wasn’t a lot of breading and they were served over a dry slaw and Cajun aioli. The ceviche was amazing – the mango and pineapple really added a surprising sweet twist that worked really well. They were served with homemade tortilla chips.

I ordered a BBQ Burger ($15.99) for dinner, which was a juicy burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, barbecue sauce topped with a big fat onion ring and a side of fries. Jeff went with the Blackened Mahi, which was topped with a lemon garlic aioli. The two sides he chose were the garlic mashed potatoes and a Caesar salad. Jeff, who is one of the pickiest people I know, really loved his entrée and said his mahi was perfectly seasoned.

Palace also offers salads, pastas and desserts. They really have something for every taste. Also, they offer amazing drink specials daily.

While we ate, drank and gossiped, there was a drag show, Champagne with the Stars, hosted by the glamorous and funny Tiffany Fantasia. It was so fun to be outside watching the performances among the crowds coming by on Ocean Avenue. We enjoyed the wonderful ocean breezes and the upbeat performances. It almost felt like we were on vacation for the couple of hours we were there.

Palace is a great place to go for a midweek pick me up or a stop during the weekend on the beach. They have special performances almost every night and their weekend Drag Brunches are legendary.

Palace is located at:
1200 Ocean Dr
Miami Beach, FL 33139
305.531.7234
http://palacesouthbeach.com
https://www.facebook.com/PalaceOceanDrive
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-palace-miami-beach