The Rusty Pelican: A Peek Inside The Refurbished Place; Michael Gilligan Interview, Part Two

Photo by Joni Williams

Exterior of the new Rusty Pelican.

​They may have kept the old name, but everything else at the Rusty Pelican is new. And there isn't a tiki in sight.

The menu has been overhauled and now features trendy items like the ahi tuna taco, eel foie gras and duck-fat fried Australian lamb loin.

And the interior? It's just as on trend, in a New York City-meets-Miami kind of way. There are clean lines and sophisticated furnishings that manage not to compete with the restaurant's best asset: an ever-present and downright amazing water view.

The old Rusty Pelican used to live up to its name.

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Photo by Joni Williams

​Seating consists of chairs or padded booths,tastefully done in a mix of muted jades, coppery browns and dark blond woods. There are gleaming glass enclosures for the booze, several low tables flanked with padded armless sofas and chairs, plus a long, polished wood bar with comfy high, padded and backed stools.There's even a waterfall at the entrance.

Photo by Joni Williams

​As with the food menu, the bar menu has changed. "We've added several new signature drinks," said floor manager Derek Scharadin, pointing out the lemon-raspberry "The Ricky" as an emerging favorite at Saturday's soft opening.

And like the cherry topping off the sundae, the top floor of the Rusty Pelican has also been totally redone. It consists of an enormous event room with a moveable dance floor that can easily accommodate 500 people and, Scharadin said, has already hosted 1,000, opening to a large outdoor area.. And the retractable ceiling means the good times will roll, rain or shine.

The end result is that The Rusty Pelican may be one of Miami's oldest restaurants. But with its multimillion dollar facelift now complete, it's safe to say it's also one of its newest in every way.

Reporting by Joni Williams

Click next for part two of our interview with chef Michael Gilligan...