Sign of the Season: Joe's to Open October 10

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There was the most famous sign in Miami rolling down Opa-locka Boulevard yesterday morning. "Joe's Stone Crab," it read in freshly painted Miami Hurricane green and orange.

"It goes down every summer and gets put back up in the fall," explains Mike Gonzalez, a manager at Joe's on South Beach. "We're just about ready."

Mecca for stone crab lovers opens October 10, serving the frozen variety of the meaty crustacean. They'll start hiring new employees next week -- though most of the workers will be returning. The season for fishin' the crabs starts October 15.

The place will be open through mid-May serving 100 items including my personal favorite, the creamed spinach. So start planning your trip now. As to the most important question at Joe's: "When and how should you bribe the maitre'd?" Gonzalez responds: "Can't be done."

-- Chuck Strouse