Exit 1: Good Eats in a Secret Location

All photos by Laine Doss

You've finally found it.

It was a rainy night on Key Biscayne. That didn't make finding Exit 1, the restaurant by the owners of Route 9, any easier.

"OK, it's after the tennis center but before Bill Baggs State Park," I helplessly told my husband as we drove through a monsoon.

After making several u-turns, we finally found the condo cluster in which the restaurant is located.

Hint: Exit 1 is on the north side of Crandon Boulevard, just before the entrance to the state park, as you head to the very tip of Key Biscayne. If you think a restaurant could not possibly be located where you're turning, you've found the right place.

There's a restaurant hidden here somewhere....

Exit 1 is nestled off the lobby of a nondescript upscale condo. A doorman points the way across a white marble expanse. An extremely small sign lets you know you're in the right place.

Named for the end of I-95 (and the exit to Key Biscayne), Exit 1 is decorated tastefully, with vintage photographs adorning the walls. The restaurant seems to cater to the locals who live in the adjacent high-rise towers -- affluent and dressed for an evening out.

Our server, Michael, introduced himself by name and recited the prices of that evening's specials. I especially liked that the seafood linguine was priced on par with the everyday menu offerings. It's especially irksome when an off-menu dish surprises you by being extremely expensive when the check comes.

There are quite a few wines by the bottle priced under $50, and a bottle of Rickshaw from California ($33) was a good value.