As I type this blog, I’m preparing for a weekend escape to Miami. While the weather reports say this weekend should be warmer here in Pennsylvania, my escape couldn’t be more perfectly timed: I am more than ready for some sun and higher temperatures after enduring chilling cold and snow recently. I’ll be staying at Faena Hotel Miami Beach and dining at Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann and Pao by Paul Qui. As I prepare, I can’t help but reminisce about my last trip to Florida — to Clearwater Beach for a wedding in November — and a fantastic dining experience I had while there.

While in town, two friends and I decided to enjoy dinner at Sea-Guini inside Opal Sands Resort, serving fresh-caught seafood and Italian-inspired dishes. Our server, Christine, was exceptional. Her detailed knowledge of the menu and recommendations were impressive and helped us make some great food decisions. Additionally, Christine let us know where all the ingredients were sourced from, allowing us to consider local specialties.

© Opal Sands Resorts

© Opal Sands Resorts

We started with three appetizers. We all agreed the crispy calamari, served with Calabria pepper aioli, crispy zucchini, sweet tomato chips and house pomodoro sauce, was the best we’ve ever had. The bruschetta — fresh, garlic-rubbed, grilled, brick oven farmers bread; fresh tomato and basil; creamy burrata cheese; and balsamic drizzle — and the tuna tartare were equally tasty.

The hardest part was selecting entrées. As it was local, I opted for the pan-seared hogfish served with Florida corn broth, sweet Gulf shrimp, a smokehouse bacon and potato hash (awesome!) and roasted cauliflower. While I enjoyed every bite, I had food envy for my friend’s ricotta gnocchi, flash seared and served with spinach, pancetta, winter truffles and sage-pecorino cream sauce. I’m not usually a gnocchi fan, but this ricotta version was delicious. My other dining companion is never one to turn down penne alla vodka; Sea-Guini’s version is served with fresh broccolini, sweet fennel sausage, heirloom tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella. He started with a cup of the lauded lobster bisque, which lived up to the hype. We paired our meal with a bottle of Villa Maria, Cellar Selection, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand.

Despite being full, we had to complete our meal with a sweet bite, and the zeppole, tossed in cinnamon and sugar and served with dark chocolate sauce and white chocolate mousse, was the perfect finish and designed for sharing. They were sinfully delicious.

— Kimberly Krol, editor in chief