On the Menu: Endless possibilities

The other night I was in the mood for a little something different so I headed to the south end of the island to Bimini's Beach Club.

As the name assumes, it has a tropical Caribbean flair to it.

I like Caribbean stuff with all the different spices and marinades they use, the food takes on some wonderful flavors.

Now don't take me wrong, the entire menu is not all Jamaican jerk or mojo marinated. It's a huge menu with lots of variety on it and I was informed by their chef Kirt Beatie that the menu is going to have a major transformation in the near future. I'll be curious to see what he comes up with on the next one because the current menu is so diverse.

The bartender/server Ann Marie Shelton was entertaining the bar with card tricks and stacked drink pours that would go into three or four martini glasses at a time. I could not read the menu in the dimly lit bar but she gave me a pin light and all was well.

For an appetizer I had sesame crusted Ahi Tuna ($12.49) sliced thin and served rare with pickled ginger, wasabi and two oriental dipping sauces. It was perfect and I thought to myself that this was more Pacific rim than Caribbean, but that just shows how diverse the menu is. The variety is endless.

I had a loaf of Bimini bread, it's a fresh loaf of sourdough baked topped with olive oil, fresh herbs and parmesan cheese. They give you some oil and cheese to dip it in and it's served right out of the oven.

They have 65 choices on the menu to choose from so I won't bore you with all the choices you will just have to stop by and see for yourself.

I noticed a grilled portabella mushroom sandwich that was marinated in Italian herbs and grilled. I love to grill portabellas. I take some red wine, beef stock, fresh thyme, oregano, garlic and rosemary and bring it to a boil then add a few portabellas to the stock and cook them al dente. Cool them in the marinade over night then take them out and brush them with olive oil and grill them. Now you could stuff them or slice them up for a nice grilled portabella salad or a sandwich.

Bimini's put roasted red peppers, grilled red onion and fresh spinach with a balsamic glaze on theirs. A little goat cheese on it would also be a nice addition.

They have a lot of seafood items, certified Black Angus steaks, Rasta pasta's, sandwiches and an array of salads to choose from. A couple of filets caught my eye, they have one with a gorgonzola cheese pate with a rosemary port demi glace ($27.99) one topped with chive hollandaise or an herb butter fillet. If you want to make a compound butter at home, just whip up some butter and add your favorite stuff to it. Like chopped shallots, garlic, parsley, port wine or whatever, once you whip it up, spread some film wrap out and spoon the butter on it and roll it like a cigarette, then freeze it. When you need it to put on top of a steak, fish or chicken just slice a piece off and put it on as a garnish, it will melt all over it.

Bimini's also has a kid's room with games to keep the little buggers occupied while you're waiting to eat. And kids always eat free on their birthdays; they call it the minnows club. They have entertainment nightly, and the night I stopped by Ray Nesbit was there.

The prices range from $3.99 for soup to $29.95 for a crab-topped Black Angus filet mignon. You will not leave hungry if you can decide on something to eat on this massive menu. They are located at 657 S. Collier Blvd. Call 394-7111.