Located a block from the ocean inside the Kimpton Shorebreak Fort Lauderdale Beach, La Fuga, which means “the escape” in Italian, offers coastal cuisine with a twist.
“The concept behind La Fuga is to be the best neighborhood restaurant in a neighborhood filled with destination-style restaurants but so few really local spots,” says chef Michael Mayer. “[We wanted] to create a culinary haven for the locals in Fort Lauderdale with great music, cocktails and food while remaining a returning destination for tourists.”
The cuisine speaks for itself when it comes to Italian comfort food made with area residents in mind. Classic dishes are reinterpreted using local Florida ingredients. At the helm is chef Mayer, who learned about the passed-down traditions that give Italian food authenticity and blends them with his own culinary expertise to create innovative masterpieces.
“All my menus and recipes are a culmination of my experiences and, more importantly, my tastes. I have always tried to cook the food I love,” Mayer says. “When I was asked to do the restaurant concept, I was fortunate that somebody intended the space to be an Italian restaurant. It already had a pasta machine, pizza ovens and a pasta cooker. Italian was intended, so Italian is what I set out to produce.
“I knew that Italian cuisine was traditionally recipes handed down through the generations and that the food was made from the finest crafted ingredients, combined simply and not overthought,” he says. “I started cooking and creating the menu and recipes. I wanted to use locally sourced seafood wherever possible, and La Fuga was invented out of love for cuisine and opportunity.”
Some of the popular menu items exemplify Mayer’s fusion of modern techniques with customary conventions. For example, there’s the Braciola di Vitello Siciliana Per Due, a Parmesan and herb-breaded veal chop with lemon caper butter, fingerling potatoes and broccolini. Another dish is the Agnello Affumicato e Fagioli, featuring smoked Colorado lamb rack, cannellini beans and kale.
“When the opportunity at La Fuga was presented, I knew I wanted to create a menu of solid, soulful Italian cooking while staying true to myself, which tends to be bolder flavors and unexpected combinations,” adds Mayer.
Good Italian cuisine in our city isn’t complete without good drinks and good company. Surrounded by ocean air, you can enjoy specialties like the Butterfly Pea Flower Spritz with Italicus, Tio Pepe Fino Sherry, lemon, butterfly pea flower syrup and coconut soda; and the La Fuga Old Fashioned made with butter-washed bourbon, brown sugar and Angostura bitters.
While tourists may flock to this establishment, La Fuga will always take pride in catering to locals. “We are a restaurant operated by and for locals of Fort Lauderdale. The restaurant offers elevated Italian cuisine in a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere that acts as an oasis for the community – we pride ourselves on our service and knowing the guests we serve,” Mayer says.
“La Fuga is truly a hidden gem.”
The Dish: Lasagne al Forno
Ingredients:
- 28.25 oz olive oil pasta flour
- 8 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
Method:
Weigh the flour and place it on a clean wood, marble, granite or other smooth surface. Make a well in the middle of the flour. Crack the eggs and yolks into the well of flour and whisk with a fork until completely scrambled. Pull some of the flour into the eggs with the fork and begin combining the dough. Continue mixing with your hands until combined. Fold and knead the dough until all cracks are removed and it forms a smooth ball. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Cover with a damp coffee filter or clean damp cloth napkin for at least 30 minutes.
Separate the dough into 4–5 equal pieces and re-form each into a separate ball. Each ball should roll out into a layer for the lasagne. This can be done by hand, but it is very difficult without a pasta sheet. The thickness should be 1/8 inches. Roll out the pasta and cut the sheets to the size of the cake pan. Each layer can be made with a couple of separate pieces if necessary. Allow to dry on a flat, flour-dusted surface for 30 minutes, until slightly stiff.
For the lasagne sauce, they combine their marinara sauce with house-made Italian sausage and bechamel. You can buy fresh ground Italian sausage at your grocer, and it will work fine. Mayer suggests a spicier variety, but mild Italian sausage will work as well. You will need 2 pounds raw weight, cooked, drained of grease and chopped fine.
For the marinara
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ Tbsp fresh garlic, minced
- 2/3 cup yellow onion, small dice
- 2 ½ Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 ½ Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 1/3 cup dry red wine
- 2 cans of 28 oz San Marzano tomatoes, pulsed in the robot coupe, do not puree
- 1 ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive/canola oil blend
- ¼ tsp Calabrian pepper flakes
- 1/3 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/3 cups water
Method:
Heat oil in a thick-bottomed sauce pot. Add onions and garlic. Sauté, lightly toasting the garlic. Stir constantly; do not burn. Add the tomato paste, and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add red wine and deglaze. Mix well while the wine is reduced. Add the tomatoes, herbs and spices; mix well, and bring to a simmer. Add the water, stir and simmer until thickened, about 1 hour.
For the lasagne sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 quart marinara sauce (this can be bought as well but he advise against it)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ oz weight butter
- 1 ½ oz weight AP flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ pound cooked Italian sausage (see recipe)
Method:
Place the marinara in a large stainless steel mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a thick-bottomed sauce pot. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly incorporate the milk until all is added and the bechamel comes to a simmer. Add salt and pepper. Mix well. Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl with the marinara. Mix thoroughly. Fold in the Italian sausage and cool completely unless ready to build the lasagne.
For the ricotta cheese
Ingredients (Yield: 2 pounds):
- 1 gallon whole milk
- 2/3 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot. Slowly bring the mixture up to 180°–185° F. Stir the mixture only a couple of times. This should take between 30–45 minutes. At 185°F, turn to medium heat and bring the mixture to 200°–205° F. Remove from the heat and let the mixture stand for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, ladle the mixture into a colander lined with two layers of damp cheesecloth over a bowl to catch the liquid. Drain the cheese for 20 minutes. Serve right away or refrigerate for later use.
Assembling the lasagne
Ingredients:
- Pasta
- Marinara
- Lasagna sauce
- Ricotta cheese
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Shredded mozzarella
Method:
In a 9 × 13″ cake pan, ladle 8–9 oz of the lasagne sauce and spread evenly over the bottom. Add 1 layer of pasta, followed by another 8–9 oz of the sauce. Place several small nickel-sized dollops of the ricotta cheese throughout the lasagne about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle some grated Reggiano throughout and season with a little salt and pepper. (Easy on the salt as the Parmesan is salty.) Add another layer of pasta and repeat until you are out of pasta or you reach the top. (Leave about ¼ inch after the last pasta layer.) Spread sauce on the top of the lasagne, but instead of dollops of ricotta, add a thin layer of shredded mozzarella cheese and some more Parmigiano Reggiano. Bake in a preheated oven at 300° for about 30–35 minutes until golden brown. Allow to rest for 5 minutes at room temperature and serve.
