Coastal Floridian cuisine just got a Las Olas makeover. Even Keel Fish Shack’s first location was on Commercial Boulevard, and they knew bringing the concept to the famous downtown artery would give the already successful seafood restaurant a fresh look and scene. “Our Lauderdale-By-The-Sea location has a laid-back beach vibe in an indoor/outdoor setting,” says owner and chef David MacLennan. “Our newly opened Las Olas location is a little more upscale and refined.
“We are very excited about the opening of our Las Olas location a couple months ago right on the Himmarshee Canal,” he shares. “It’s a beautifully transformed space and unique location on the water, which makes it really fun. A perfect complement to our Lauderdale-By-The-Sea location.”
While the Boulevard is filled with top Italian restaurants, Even Keel’s owners felt the area needed a fresh seafood dining concept. “Fort Lauderdale has its fair share of Italian restaurants, and don’t get me wrong, several good ones,” MacLennan notes, “but the number of great seafood-centric restaurants [compared] to other concepts, given our access to the ocean, is not as prevalent as one might think.”
What sets Even Keel apart from the city’s other seafood eateries? “We are a chef-driven concept that serves fun, high-quality products for a reasonable price, which I always thought was the other lacking aspect of seafood in Fort Lauderdale,” MacLennan says. “You have your fine-dining seafood places and the price points that come with [that], and then you have divey seafood places that also serve their time and place, but not as much in the middle that’s creative and approachable at the same time.”
Even Keel keeps its food quality high by sourcing local and seasonal ingredients. “We have several commercial fisherman that we work with directly [who] supply us with swordfish, wahoo when available, mahi, kingfish for fish dip, lobsters when in season, golden tilefish and whatever else they may come across,” he says. “Our oysters for the raw bar are predominantly from cold waters as far north as Prince Edward Island down to Connecticut.”
What’s notable is that Even Keel treats its kitchen like a “culinary workshop,” highlighting what’s in season combined with thoughtful preparation and cooking from the heart. “People often comment that our burger is one of the best they’ve ever had, and that’s kind of our mission. Whatever we do, we want to do well,” he continues. “The name [represents] that, [with] ‘Even Keel’ meaning steadfast, consistent and unwavering.”
Chef-owners MacLennan and Brad Phillips have brought the best of their 20-year creative and culinary experiences to Even Keel Fish Shack. “Brad and myself have been working around the country and Caribbean as chefs for the past two decades, opening various restaurants. Each of our restaurants has always been focused on seasonal and local cuisines driven by the area they are in,” MacLennan shares. “South Florida being ocean-centric, we wanted to focus on seafood.”
That’s why their style of coastal Floridian cuisine emphasizes menu items such as seafood towers (including the Mega Yacht with a half-dozen oysters, six peel-and-eat shrimp, conch salad, poke, smoked fish dip and shrimp ceviche) and a sweet corn and crab bisque (with roasted corn, blue crab, roasted poblano and chili oil). “The crowd pleasers are always the lobster roll, the adult grilled cheese with blue crab, brie, truffle and peach and vanilla marmalade, and everything from the raw bar [featuring Florida stone crabs],” MacLennan says.
You can’t forget the most important complement to good food — tasty drinks. Even Keel’s beverage program is a collaboration between BottleGreg Cocktail Co. and chefs MacLennan and Phillips. MacLennan says their most popular cocktails are probably their frozen passion fruit paloma, called Salt and the Sea, and their rum punch made with Appleton, Wray and Nephew and a Myers dark rum floater.
The Dish: Raw Bar Sauces
Cocktail Sauce
Ingredients:
2 cups ketchup
3 tbsp horseradish
¼ cup dill, chopped
½ oz Worcestershire sauce
1 oz lemon juice
2 tbsp hot sauce
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and serve.
Dill Aioli
Ingredients:
1 large bunch dill
1 tbsp horseradish
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 limes, juiced
½ cup champagne vinegar
2 whole eggs
2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
2 cups neutral oil (or as needed to thicken)
Salt
Method:
Combine all ingredients except the oil in a blender. Blend well until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the oil. Continue adding the oil until it has an aioli consistency.
Spicy Mustard Aioli
Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 lemons, juiced
2 tbsp champagne vinegar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp + ½ cup Dijon mustard
6 dashes hot sauce
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups neutral oil
Salt
Pepper, cracked
Method:
Put the eggs, lemon juice, champagne vinegar, honey, cayenne pepper, hot sauce and 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard in a blender and purée for 30 seconds. Drizzle in the oil slowly while the blender is on medium speed. As the sauce begins to thicken, carefully help it to move in the blender with a rubber spatula. Be very careful not to let the blades of the blender hit the spatula. Fold in the additional Dijon mustard. Season the sauce with salt and cracked pepper. Store in the refrigerator until needed.
