Dining 2026 - Weeks 24-27
Four more weeks have passed in 2026 and my dining quest continues. First, the simple Stats...
Statistics
Current Weeks: 24-27
# NEW Restaurants: Current:2 Total:7 Goal:6
# Different Restaurants: Current:7 Total:38 Goal:27
Now I am ahead on New restaurant by one and ahead on Different restaurants by 11.
6/16/2026 - Few(2-5) - 3.5 - Dolphin's Waterfront Bar & Grill
Location: Brevard County's largest Tiki Bar located just North of 528 on the Canaveral Barge Canal in Merritt Island. Need to make a weird U-turn to get to entrance.
History: Established on March 12, 2022, it sits at the Cape Crossing Resort & Marina with a 65-foot open-air venue carries on the area's tradition of serving food in an old Florida setting. The Polynesian-style venue seats 200 people under a massive thatched roof and features live music, traditional dancers, and a floating dock for boaters arriving directly from the water.
This visit: I was coming back from Port Canaveral after taking some Jetty Park photos. It was lunchtime so I stopped for a cold beer and a quick lunch. I ordered an appetizer and a side salad.
Yes, this is the side salad with the Wasabi Soy Dressing
The appetizer was the Korean Spring Rolls with a dipping sauce.
The barge canal with floating boat dock...
6/17/2026 - NEW- 3.0 - Umami Beachside
Location: Located next to Coasters in Indian Harbour Beach in the Walmart-Aldi shopping center. Coasters has my name on the wall for beer drinking.
History: Chef Chris Chern, opened his highly anticipated beachside location in Indian Harbour Beach in February 2025 due to the massive success of his original West Melbourne location, which established a reputation for offering high-end, exotic fish. Many other businesses have occupied this space through the years.
This visit: I have been wanting to try Umami since it opened. I had been to the West Melbourne location but it is too far to visit regularly. I usually try a new sushi place at lunch (less crowded) and typically order a sushi bento box.
There was no one there the day I visited. They have a decent size dining area and s small sushi bar in the corner.
Most places I go offer your choice of soup or salad with a lunch Bento box. Umami gives you both. I loved the Miso Soup. I ordered a glass of water to drink. I usually don't get beer with sushi.
The sushi Bento box came with (clockwise) six pieces of tuna roll, two filled fried dumplings, a small salad with ginger dressing, four pieces of California Roll, and five pieces of Nigiri. They asked if I wanted the wasabi. I did. I ate it all!
6/24/2026 - Few(2-5) - 3.0 - Scrambled Egg Café
Location: A popular local breakfast and lunch spot located at 727 Pinetree Drive in Indian Harbour Beach, across from Lowes. I use to live on Pinetree back in 1982-84. They have both indoor and outdoor tables and an inside counter.
History: Founded on February 8, 2009, it is known for its fast service, the kitchen aims to get meals to tables within five minutes of an order being placed. The menu features from-scratch dishes ranging from signature Benedicts (like the Caprese Benedict) to massive omelets.
This visit: I was on my way to a different breakfast place when I realized I needed to stop at Lowes, so this was the easier place to stop. I ordered the Eggs Benedict with fruit instead of potatoes. I had to order a side of wheat toast to soak up all the egg yolks and Hollandaise sauce. The coffee was good with a free refill. I sat at the counter.
6/25/2026 - Many (>5) - 3.0 - Cadillac Cove
Location: Cadillac Cove is a beachside tiki bar and restaurant located at 1462 Highway A1A in Satellite Beach. They have both indoor and outdoor seating under a large tiki bar.
History: In 1957, the original structure debuted as The Skyline Restaurant. This opened during a major Space Coast boom triggered by the launch of Sputnik and the establishment of NASA. In 1987, the building was renamed The Cove. It operated for over 20 years as a staple beachside hangout, featuring an outdoor deck, a tiki bar, and a live music dance club until it closed in 2011. From 2011 to 2019, the location saw a series of different short-lived concepts, including the Neptune Bar and Grill, followed by a Greek restaurant called Satellite Breeze, and later the Whiskey Beach Pub. In 2019, it was rebranded as Cadillac Cove, the venue features an LED dance floor, VIP lounges, hosts trivia nights, and remains a popular stop for locals.
This visit: I had not been here to eat yet this year. The food special was a Huli (this is how they spelled it) Chicken Sandwich, with ham, cheese, pineapple, and Cole slaw. I had a Landshark Draft.
The sandwich was so big I had to cut in in half. The chicken was pounded thin but it was not overcooked. It was a great sandwich. A look at the inside after a few bites.
6/26/2026 - NEW- 2.5 - Hooters Palm Bay
Location: Located on Palm Bay Road close to East side Interstate 95 entrance. Not sure if I was in Palm Bay or West Melbourne.
History: This Hooters was opened in December 2017. The original Hooters brand was founded on April Fool's Day in 1983 in Clearwater. The chain is famous for its buffalo-style chicken wings and beach-inspired concept.
This visit: I had played golf with my cousin Jon Carey, and we were meeting some of his friends from Harris Corp, now L3Harris. I ordered a salad with Buffalo Chicken on it. I did not take a photo to be polite. I drank both a beer and a large glass of water. It was hot golfing.
6/29/2026 - Few(2-5) - 2.5 - Taco Dive
Location: Located in Historic Downtown Melbourne at 401 E. New Haven Avenue.
History: Taco Dive opened on February 24, 2025. It is the first franchise location outside the Treasure Coast. The brand was originally founded in February 2015 in downtown Fort Pierce. The founding team envisioned a relaxed, dive bar-style neighborhood hangout that served high-quality, made-from-scratch food. Due to its popularity with Treasure Coast diners, it expanded over the years to Vero Beach and Port St. Lucie before making its way to Brevard County
This visit: I had played golf again with my cousin Jon, and I had suggested it because Jon introduced me to it last year. I ordered the Cajun Shrimp Taco (left) and the Under Dog Taco (right). The shrimp was delicious but the hot dog was a little dry, but it tasted real good. I had a beer and a water. It was hot (again) golfing.
7/2/2026 - Many(>5) - 3.0 - Niki's Rainbow Restaurant
Location: It is located at 570 A1A in Satellite Beach and is a staple Greek-Mediterranean restaurant.
History: It was established by founders Nicolet and George Ladis, who originally opened the first "Niki's" restaurant in 1988 in Suntree. The couple then launched Niki's Rainbow in Satellite Beach, eventually selling it as well. Niki's Rainbow remains open as an independent eatery (and is entirely separate from the long-running "Niki's Restaurant" in nearby Suntree, which recently closed). Today, the Satellite Beach fixture is known for its full bar and a diverse menu that blends traditional Greek and Lebanese cuisine, including a variety of vegan dishes, spanakopita, moussaka, and their famous gyros.
This visit: I had a craving for a Gyro and that is what I ordered. Just a glass of water to drink.
You can tell that tomatoes are expensive because there were just two thin slices but tons of Gyro meat.
Some other Notes and Photos
I stopped for a beer at Rising Tide at Port Canaveral. They still have Orange Blossom Pilsner on tap. I also sampled the New Draft from Playalinda Brewery in Titusville called Space Tang Fruit Punch (on left). It was good but I don't think I could drink a full pint.
After visiting the Zoo recently, I stopped at Palm Shores Bistro for a second time this year. For $12, I got the two eggs over easy, home fries, sausage patties, and wheat toast. The sausage were homemade patties and were wonderful. Eggs and potatoes great and the toast was sliced thick, The mug of coffee was so big I did not even need a refill. I also got a Cinnamon Roll to Go....Excellent Breakfast!
The Cinnamon Roll...
I have a half year to meet my goal of 52 different places to dine with twelve new ones.
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