For years, Vincent Foti has been known for quality Italian food on Federal Highway thanks to his restaurant, Kitchenetta. Now he’s gone to a different locale with a different concept – but the same commitment to quality.

Foti recently opened his second restaurant, Vincent’s-by-the-Sea, on Commercial Boulevard in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. What used to be three local clothing stores is now being occupied by waiters, chefs, hungry locals and tourists.

Like other nearby Lauderdale-by-the-Sea restaurants, Vincent’s is a casual place with plenty of outside seating. Here, customers can experience a blend of the Italian cuisine Foti built his reputation on at Kitchenetta, and traditional American flare.

“The opportunity presented itself to me,” Foti says of the new place. “I was looking into different locations. I created this to be comfortable not opulent, attractive but not exclusive, a restaurant that is welcoming to all.”

In the center of the restaurant sits the bar with a good wine list and 20 different beers. The food menu offers plenty of quality bar-food smaller plates – wings, steamed mussels, zucchini fritters and more. The dishes on the menu vary from pastas, fried calamari and shrimp scampi to burgers – for example, there’s the traditional American burger and the Milano burger. Vincent’s also has a pizza bar where customers can sit and watch their pizza being made. On the other side of the restaurant is a raw bar where you can get all your iced shrimp, oysters, clams, crab legs and more. For customers with more expansive appetites, there’s the Big Shot menu.

Head chef Vincent Salzano has worked with Foti for four years and believes the menu they’ve created offers variety without skimping on quality. “When you go to other restaurants there’s always a winner and loser on a menu,” he says. “There are no losers on this menu.”

More than a dozen monitors showing sports throughout the restaurant, while a private room provides a good party space. Foti reckons the place balances the best of a few traditions.

“Blend of Italian and American culture,” he says. “Our dishes are going to be universally recognized by Italians [who] will be able to respect the level of quality, and Americans will be able to identify with the food we present.”

The Dish: Oysters Rockefeller

Ingredients

• 24 oysters
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 oz shallots
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 oz sambuca
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cup fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 6 pcs cooked pancetta
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Add olive oil to the saucepan, then add shallots and garlic. Cook on medium heat to translucent deglaze with sambuca. Then add heavy cream, fontina cheese and Parmesan. Reduce heat to low, add spinach and cook on low for about 15 minutes until spinach is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool. Top each oyster with 2 oz of spinach filling, bite-size piece of pancetta and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes until brown and bubbly.