This Peruvian place started as a sandwich shop – try the sirloin steak with bacon, cheese, egg and shoestring potatoes – and now serves dinners, so you can get lomo saltado as an entrée as well as a sandwich and, of course, ceviche.
Almost any seafood you can think of is offered at Crafty Crab. The chain promises to use only the freshest seafood and most authentic food in the area. Menu items include crab meat fries, oysters, seafood boils and platters and much more.
It’s hard for Fort Lauderdale locals to imagine a summer without taking a dip in the water…well, what about their bagels? Known for a 14-step water filtration process that goes into its authentic Brooklyn-style bagels and coffee, Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. has officially opened its second Fort Lauderdale location. In addition to bagels and coffee, menu items include breakfast and deli sandwiches, baked goods, omelets and “baninis” – bagel paninis, naturally.
The dishes Myapapaya puts out feature ingredients found in few South Florida restaurants, healthy items owner Adam Kanner says he found while traveling the globe. The kale salad, for instance, features almonds roasted with tamari, a soy sauce brewed with a deeper flavor. The Whole Grain Bowl — overflowing with quinoa, brown rice, tomatoes, peppers, chickpeas, feta, and coconut oil — has a bit of dulse flakes, a snack food from Iceland that provides a nice saltiness to a stunningly beautiful and delicious dish.
The juices, sold in 16-ounce plastic bottles for about $9, are made in a cold-press system that keeps more nutrients and allows them to stay fresh longer. They also feature blends like the Peruvian Pink, with beets, ginger, pear, pineapple, and a Peruvian fruit called maca, which some believe improves libido.
Among the favorites here are the Sonora Burrito, featuring chicken sautéed in homemade sour cream and lime sauce, and chilaquiles (aka Mexican lasagna). On Wednesdays the Top Shelf Ultimate Golden Margaritas, made with freshly-squeezed lime juice, are $5.99.
Chef Matteo Migliorini brings his talent and love for fine dining to this northern Italian bistro. The authenticity of the restaurant stems from the cooking traditions of Migliorini’s native north. After training in Italy, he sharpened his skills and gained experience in France and England. The bistro features an outdoor terrace and a traditionally Italian family atmosphere. Menu items include Ravioli All’Aragosta (Maine lobster ravioli and pink sauce) and Scaloppine al Gorgonzola (veal scaloppini, gorgonzola, sun dried tomatoes, demi-glace sauce and roasted fingerling potatoes).
Sushi, tempura and a large list of sushi rolls, including the Matsui 55, volcano roll, fire roll, spider roll, and dancing eel roll. For those wanting cooked food, there’s steak teriyaki, dynamite lobster, or nabeyaki udon (a kind of noodle hot pot with seafood and vegetables).
A family-owned restaurant serving upscale comfort food from chicken potpie to pigs in a blanket to Janice’s meatloaf and fried green tomatoes. And yes, drinks are served in Mason jars.
Kitchenetta was opened in 2004 by chef Vincent Foti and wife Maria as a come-as-you-are casual eatery that pumps out top-notch Italian fare with a modern touch. The menu rotates seasonally and includes as many organic and local ingredients as possible. Individual and family-sized portions are offered, so you can mangia some rigatoni bolognese de medici all by yourself or share with your favorite famiglia.
Shake Shack, known for its 100-percent all-natural Angus burgers, fresh-made frozen custard and crinkle-cut fries, has finally opened in Fort Lauderdale. The East Coast rival of West Coast icon In-N-Out Burger also serves chicken sandwiches and griddled flat-top dogs (which have no hormones or antibiotics). Keeping things local, they offer brews from Wynwood Brewing Co., Due South Brewing Co. and Funky Buddha Brewery. Lucky for us, this location includes a collection of frozen custards exclusive to Fort Lauderdale: Pie OH My, S’more and Caramel Crumble (in addition to the classics).
Lovelee Bakeshop is the result of a dream come true for owner Lee Mazor, who previously worked as a pastry chef at a Michelin-starred Miami Beach restaurant. Located on the up-and-coming NE 13th Street, this modern bakery offers tiered cakes, cupcakes, macarons, decorated sugar cookies, chocolate chip sea salt cookies, dessert bar treats, cinnamon buns and much more.
Open since 1972, each hamburger is ground fresh and hand-pressed daily.
The people who brought Warsaw Coffee Company to increasingly cool NE 13th Street have opened a cocktail lounge and cafe in the same building. The clubby sophistication of the well-appointed, wood-paneled space is matched by a menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner and bar bites – as well as the weekend daytime hours’ bottomless brunch. A standout cocktail menu includes treats like the Sailor to Pirate, a rum old-fashioned that transforms into a pina colada served with torched cinnamon sticks.
The new location in Southport Shopping Center on 17th Street offers what customers have come to love from the first location on North Federal Highway. The Mexican restaurant is inspired by the food originating from the Baja Coast Peninsula, to be specific. They strive to bring light and fresh Mexican food that can be eaten every day to South Florida.
This tapas-style restaurant is more casual than its sister restaurants in the growing Angelo Elia empire, but it still provides first-class elegance and healthy portions of both light and hearty Italian fare. Tapas range from familiar to exotic: buffalo mozzarella with prosciutto di Parma, tempura zucchini flowers with mozzarella, and grilled provolone over radicchio. Escarole and beans with roasted sweet Italian sausage is full of flavor, and every pizza is delicate and thin-crusted, just like you’d find in Napoli. Try the basilico bruschetta, served in traditional style with diced tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, and pair it with a bold bottle of red Tuscan wine.
Founders Robert and Abby are longtime surfers and beach lovers. They were inspired by their many trips to exotic beach locations including Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, California and Hawaii. Each destination featured its own spin on acai or pitaya bowls. When they came back home, they were inspired to recreate their versions of some of their favorites. The menu features a wide variety including banana bowls like the Nica Bowl (banana blend topped with granola, banana, cocoa nibs, walnuts, strawberry and peanut butter).
Mario’s Catalina Restaurant is named for its flamboyant chef/owner Mario Flores, who puts equally strong emphasis on creating an elegant ambiance and providing outstanding service and cuisine. White linen tablecloths contrast with an assortment of colorful paintings with ornate frames and Mario’s collection of tchotchkes. The food is a combination of Cuban and Spanish favorites, like roasted pork with caramelized plantains, white rice and black beans, vaca frita, and garlic shrimp.
The healthy fast casual concept stays true to its local supply chain philosophy by sourcing much of its produce from J&J Family of Farms in Loxahatchee and herbs from Harvest Sensations in Miami. The name’s a bit of a misnomer; Just Salad also does wraps, smoothies, “warm bowls” featuring dishes like shawarma and umami, and soups.
Festive Latin restaurant serving the essentials plus Spanish specialties.
Il Paesano emphasizes fresh ingredients, quality food and spreading love. There’s no set menu, only daily specials determined by the fresh ingredients that are found in the market. During the week there are about 15 to 16 different dishes. And owner Vergilio Peixoto has no freezers; from the pasta to the tomato sauce, everything is made fresh in-house. Il Paesano’s chef formerly owned Vesuvio, which was a popular Italian restaurant in Fort Lauderdale back in its heyday.
Il Paesano has a wide variety of wines and the private wine room can also be used as a more intimate setting for couples to dine. (There have been marriage proposals, Peixoto reports.) And if you want to know more about wine, Peixoto hosts a winetasting class every month. But be quick – the classes tend to fill up within minutes of being announced.
The popular Cuban bakery and café has opened its first Broward location and has been attracting foodies looking for a Cuban coffee and pastelito fix. Owned and operated by a third generation Cuban-American, the food is authentic and offers a twist on classics. Be sure to try the arroz con pollo bites (chicken, yellow rice, mozzarella fritters and sazon aioli).