Kelly's Landing- a taste of New England!

Kelly's Landing, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

http://kellyslandingseafood.com/

My first night in Fort Lauderdale, eating outside of the hotel, I asked our young valets where we could get some good local seafood, with a good vibe, and they sent us here. Imagine our surprise when, being from Maine, we see a sign that says “home of the Boston Red Sox!”
We enjoyed lobster, scallops and beer, all for a great price, and the staff was very kind and called us a cab with no question when we were ready to go back to the hotel! Wonderful food and experience, but for something different that didn’t feel like home, we would go somewhere else!

Sushi Samba- Awesome 24th Birthday!

Sushi Samba, Lincoln Rd. Miami, Florida

http://www.sushisamba.com/

I ate here on my birthday, when I decided to rent a car and drive from Fort Lauderdale (which proved to be less than festive)We were recommended to eat here by a makeup artist at the MAC pro store on South Beach and decided to give it a try.

Our waiter was outstanding, and as soon as I informed him it was my birthday, he said "I'm bringing you a shot on the house!" The shot proved to be the size of a five oz glass of wine so I sipped it through dinner, but it was lovely. I went on to tell him about the mediocre tourist trap lunch we had on south beach where I got trapped into paying for a $31 drink, so he made it his agenda to make sure we had an amazing dinner to counteract our crappy time at lunch.
and oh man we did. Our waiter kept our waters topped off and cold, the food was delicious and came in very reasonable time, but the best part was when he brought out our dessert platter with a sparkler in it and explained, "well it's your birthday!" We also observed on the bill, my dessert (which was over $10) had been discounted!
We were also allowed to sit and relax as long as we wanted and did not feel pressured to leave so they could get new patrons.
Although we ate outside (which was so cool to just relax and people watch) we did go inside to use the bathroom and although the music was loud, it had a very cool, trendy vibe and it was obvious this place is a hot spot!
It was a wonderful, fun, delicious experience, and probably my best birthday to date. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a NON-TOURIST TRAP Miami dinner experience!!

Overall: **** (4 out of 5)

Loved: the atmosphere, the service, beverages

Not so much: I've had better sushi, and menu seemed limited

Embassy Suites, Fort Lauderdale- far from luxury

Embassy Suites, Fort Lauderdale

Overall I enjoyed my stay at this hotel, but I definitely would not consider it luxury.
Upon check in, everyone was very friendly, but we were not assisted with our bags or getting to our room, we did everything

ourselves. Granted, I am sure we could’ve asked someone but there did not look to be many bellmen around and we just wanted to get to our room.
Having never stayed at an Embassy Suites before, I was pleasantly surprised to find out we did have an actual suite with a living room, kitchenette and very accessible bathroom! The layout of the hotel was very fun too; similar to a Marriott I stayed at in NYC, but with a tropical vibe.
The free cocktail hour was wonderful as was the wait staff at the E spot restaurant in the hotel,

where we ate several times without tiring of the food! When you look with a closer eye this hotel does need some updating (cracked tiles, peeling paint, etc), and the $10 a day wifi is spotty, but the service was wonderful and I had a lovely time. I would probably stay here again if I were in the area on a tight budget!

Overall: *** (3 out of 5)

Loved: beachy vibe, nice people, free cocktail hour!!!!

Not so much: needs maintenance, not much in the area