Flavor and fire is the mantra at Islamorada’s newest upscale eatery. As the signature restaurant at the lush Three Waters Resort, Kindler Wood-Fired Fare is turning up the heat in the heart of the Upper Keys.
Serving wood-fired regional specialties, it’s all about the “WOW” moments here. A massive open-hearth kitchen takes center stage where master chefs sear, grill, and char inventive regional dishes from land and sea.
The seasonal menu showcases Coastal New American dishes crafted with locally sourced ingredients. You’ll find an extensive menu of small plates that can easily make for an entire meal and an imaginative line-up of large plates.
Kicking things off is an eye-popping Wood-Grilled Seafood Tower for Two, fully stacked with coal-roasted oysters, charred octopus, wood-roasted prawns, and grilled spiny lobster with Meyer lemon butter for dipping.
Other blue ribbon standouts include the raw Tuna Crudo with charred chili dashi, Steak Tartare with caper berries and cornichons and the Corn & Lump Crab Fritters with horseradish chive aioli. And that’s just the beginning.
Large Plates showcase Creekstone Farm’s free-range and grass-fed beef, including a 24 oz dry-aged Cowboy Ribeye with a choice of sauces (marrow bordelaise, chimichurri verde, or peppered béarnaise) and sides.
Kindler’s seafood preparations are incredibly enticing. You’ll find fresh-caught items like Banana Leaf-Wrapped Mahi-Mahi with three onion butter and butternut citrus slaw; Flame-Roasted Snapper in chili–lemongrass broth with baby bok choy, wild mushroom, and tempura enoki; and Grouper A La Plancha with crispy potatoes, grilled pineapple, roasted sweet peppers, and chimichurri sauce. You can also bring your own catch and let the culinary geniuses here create something just for you.
There’s also an excellent vegetarian Ricotta Gnocchi with asparagus, wild mushrooms, red peppers, and basil butter, as well as Piri Piri Chicken sided with coal-roasted potatoes, charred knob onions, and pan jus.
If it’s at all possible, do try to save room for the Key Lime Pie. Kindler serves a fresh take on this famous dessert, offering a “Key Lime Bar” with a graham cracker crust and Amarena cherry compote.
Oh, and by the way: If you’re a Local, you can get 15% off your check by showing your Monroe County ID.
Kindler is open W – Su from 5 –10 pm at Three Waters Resort, 84001 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada. Info: 305-664-2321; kindlerislamorada.com. islamoradaresortcollection.com/three-waters-resort.
