Ask MenuPages: Do You Really Eat Dolphin?
Dear MenuPages,
What's all this dolphin I see on the menus? Is Flipper tasty? And where's the best place to eat some?
Yours, Hungry in Hallandale
Hi HH! Thanks for e-mailing. Yes, we South Floridians love our dolphin. We have fond memories of munching on fried dolphin fingers as a child at Bahamas Fish Market in Miami. Dolphin fish that is, not dolphin the mammal. Flipper is protected by federal law.
You probably know dolphin (the fish) by its more commonly used name, mahi-mahi, Hawaiian for "strong-strong," but they're also known as dorados. We're not sure when mahi-mahi became the more popular moniker, but we here in South Florida are a stubborn lot, so you'll continue to see dolphin on menus throughout the area. Besides, it's funny seeing the horrified expressions of tourists and newcomers when they first see dolphin on a menu. Apparently Islamorada Fish Company's expansion into other parts of the country is causing some confusion; they're keeping "dolphin" on the menu.
There are plenty of great places to eat dolphin (the fish) in South Florida. We'll start at the southern tip with Blue Heaven in Key West, where the fish is listed as both dolphin and mahi-mahi (we assume so as not to confuse the tourists). You can get it Cuban-style at Las Culebrinas in Miami, or you can eat it dockside at Bimini Boatyard in Fort Lauderdale.
