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Much needed repairs and upgrades to the landmark Dania Pier come right in time for the tourist season
Source: South Florida Sun Times

DANIA BEACH - As a stiff breeze picks up out of the south and the waves crash along the shoreline on a late fall afternoon, there is Racquel Moreno and her husband, Oliver, with fishing pole in hand, casting away into the cooler waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Life is great for the Moreno family, on a Monday away from work. Both have made a living working flea markets, selling, what else, fishing equipment.

On a day when snow showers made up most of the afternoon in places like Chicago and New York, a group of 60 men and women came back to a place where the air is fresh, the fish run all day and stories are shared as people work and have fun at this “legendary” (922-foot) Dania Pier. One of the most recognized structures in a city where landmarks have become quite plentiful, this wood and concrete playground at sea has certainly had its share of tales about the "big one" that got away or how two people met and have spent a lifetime together. It is a place where Racquel and Oliver Moreno come to every week. Have done so since 1996, and don't plan on changing. "I love to fish," Oliver said.

"It's great out here and very relaxing. I am not a boat kind of person. Get sea sick."

As she sits on a chair, one hand pinned to the top of her cap to keep it place from a strong wind, Racquel nods her head. "We come here, he fishes, I read, walk up and down the pier and relax.” The Morenos live in Davie, raised three children, work five days a week and need a release. The Dania Pier is it. They waited nearly 16 months for the Dania Pier to reopen, following many improvements that were made on this impressive structure.

The Pier has undergone a facelift – right in time for the many winter tourists to enjoy what we have for a long time. The official opening of the Pier and its new restaurant, Beach Watch, is scheduled to take place today, Dec. 14.

"We are looking forward to coming here and having dinner," Oliver said. "We've eaten at the snack bar down the road, but I think this restaurant will really give this area something to continue bringing in people."

I agree with Oliver. The restaurant's location should be the destination for early evening diners, as well as those who wanted to have great food with a décor (inside and out) that may be one of the best around. Happy hours will be popular as those who work on the mainland are always looking for trendy, new spots to hang out after work. This could be a hidden gem!

"There are plenty of restaurants down there in Hollywood that have an advantage of being down near the water," said Ros LaPorte of Hollywood Beach. "But this restaurant will have them all beat when it comes to a view. If the food is good, it will be tough to keep people away."

While many waited nearly a year after its approval by the Dania Beach Commission, things finally got started about a year ago, and now, with the restaurant in place along with many other improvements, people have started to come back.

Ricky Thomas and Lorne Williams live in North Miami. While they both admit that taking a boat out is the best way to get the best fish, they opt to come to the Pier twice a month.

"Now, Ricky says the fishing is okay here," Williams said. "I have had days where we went home happy. It all depends what is running at the time and how lucky you get to bring something with size closer to this area."

At the age of 46, Thomas has been fishing the waters off Dania Beach for 30 years. He grew up in Miami, so it took his uncle, Greg Thomas, to introduce him to the Dana Pier.

"My uncle Greg and I would come out here at 10:00 p.m. on a Saturday night and fish right through until Sunday," Thomas said. "He would pack a cooler with sandwiches and such, and we would spend all night fishing. It's something that I still recall, fondly."

So, while I am not the king of the sea when it comes to fishing, although I do love to eat seafood, here is what the locals tell me they have caught off the Dania Pier, through the years: Barracuda, Jack Crevalle, Spanish Mackerel, Yellowtail Snapper, Bluefish, Cobia, King Mackerel, Pompano, Sheepshead, Snook, Cero Mackerel, Mangrove Snapper, Snook and Tarpon.