Islamorada, FL, Decided.

✦ Stay: Cheeca Lodge & Spa ($$$-$$$$)

✦ Eat: Chef Michael's — book days-to-weeks in high season — the room is small and popular, so reserve dinner ahead (Dec–Apr especially). The play: come for the hogfish and chef-driven seafood; go earlier if you want a quieter garden table. Not a waterfront view — this is about the food, not the setting.

✦ Stay: The Moorings Village ($$$-$$$$)

✦ Eat: Morada Bay Beach Cafe — book days-to-weeks for sunset + full-moon nights — reserve ahead and request a table on/near the sand timed ~45–60 min before sunset for the light. FULL MOON PARTY nights are a special event and book up hard — plan around the moon calendar if that's the goal. For upscale dinner on the same property, Pierre's is the sister restaurant.

✦ Stay: Amara Cay Resort ($$-$$$)

✦ Eat: Lazy Days Restaurant — book days ahead in high season — reserve dinner (Dec–Apr), especially for a table with the Atlantic view. The play: ask about cooking your own catch if you've been fishing (a classic Islamorada move), and target an earlier seating to pair with the light on the water.