On the Atlantic side of the island at Higgs Beach — between the White Street Pier and Casa Marina — Salute! is the kind of place that converts skeptics into regulars. A sister restaurant to the legendary Blue Heaven, this breezy Italian-Caribbean beach cafe brings the culinary chops with yellowtail snapper, steamed mussels with white wine, Key West pink shrimp, hand-rolled pasta, and a coconut mojito that’s become something of a local institution. Tables sit right at the sand’s edge, the bar stays open from 11 AM, and the sunset views over the Atlantic are quiet and gorgeous compared to the crowded Gulf side. Locals bring their fresh catches here to be cooked — that tells you everything.
