The Fish House

There are a few types of restaurants that are virtually impossible to find in Miami-Dade County, including (1) a Chinese restaurant featuring a tank filled with swimming seafood that diners can eat, not just watch, and (2) any place with genuine fried Ipswich clams. Sadly, real New England fried clams are not to be found at the Fish House. But if they were, they'd be prepared just right, because the rest of the place's fried seafood is. The shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussels, and mahi-mahi nuggets in a fried combo platter are all simply dusted in flour that cooks up crisp, light, and nearly greaseless. There is, however, no sea in this seafood establishment. The place is not located on the ocean — or a lake or a canal or even next to a swimming pool. Most seafood can be ordered fried as well as blackened, grilled, or with scampi butter, creole, Portobello, or Parmesan sauces. Most entrées come with two sides, of which remarkably crisp coleslaw and a small but varied house salad (with a perky caesar-style dressing) are the winners.