restaurants

Matt's Casbah

To be honest, we’d passed Matt’s Casbah ALL the time and didn’t even know what it was all about. We assumed it was just a bar or a nightclub, and since we don’t drink we assumed it wasn’t “our scene.” But we did a little homework and their Instagram definitely showed some good looking food. Plus, restaurants in downtown Melbourne rarely disappoint. This place is located right on main street. So we went in, a little blindly, no real expectations, and brought our kids along (always risky). The first thing that won us over was the large outdoor seating area (covered with fans + misters). We almost ALWAYS opt for outdoor dining because 1. better light for pictures and 2. we don’t have to spend our entire meal sshhhh’ing our kids. The interior of this place is downright dreamy. Romantic twinkle lights and colorful drapes hang from the ceiling. One look inside though and I was again very grateful for the outdoor area so I didn’t have to dine with kids inside of this pristine area. We got started with the Blow Torch Beef (literally, our waiter came out with the blow torch and flamed it right in front of us!) The sweet soy glaze and wasabi mayo gave this such a good flavor! We also tried the Flash Seared Calamari— this one packed a punch with its lime juice and chili sauce. The salad was my (Summer’s) favorite! We rarely get salads when we’re scoping out new restaurants because we want to experience the most “special” or popular dish. But the “Warm Nutted Goat Cheese Salad” did not disappoint. The ginger-cilantro vinaigrette, greens, pita bread, and a huge cake of goat cheese in the middle was an awesome experience. The Garnet & Gold sushi was next. Spicy tuna, krab topped with tuna, tempura flakes, sriracha, masago mayo, eel sauce…it all came together for a very colorful and satisfying sushi roll. Super fresh; bursting with flavor! Our eyes almost popped out of our heads when we were served the “local favorite” Crispy Crunchy Whole Fish. This is one of the more unique+memorable dishes we’ve tried on the Space Coast. Photos don’t do this one justice; it’s over a foot long, topped with shrimp and served with their famous garlic+lime chili sauce. (I could eat this sauce by itself, by the way. Sooo good.)