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.
Dockside dining is just one attraction at this eatery perched on the Intracoastal just south of Oakland Park Boulevard near A1A. The vibe is Florida-casual, and you can expect to see men in Hawaiian shirts disembarking from boats and strutting inside. Traditional bar bites, Floribbean fare, and international offerings comprise the menu, including crabcakes, fried calamari, coconut shrimp, seared ahi, and conch fritters. You can also order half-pound beef burgers, overstuffed wraps, and out-of-the-ordinary takes on fish, like the blackened mahi Reuben sandwich. Cocktails run the gamut, including fruity martinis, thick frozen margarita-like concoctions, and enormous fish bowls filled with fizzy, vodka-based drinks.
Country Ham N’ Eggs Bar & Grill is here to fill you up with generous portions of the most scrumptious home-style breakfast and lunch entrees around. From traditional morning meals like country ham and eggs to mouthwatering specialty dishes like our pork roll, you always get the best of classic American cuisine.
We have a full bar which is very unique to a breakfast and lunch restaurant.
All food made fresh daily.
Spanish classics in a restaurant that has been around for more than decades.
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.
Well-regarded Chinese cuisine for lunch, dinner and take-out. Begin with the sesame scallops Grand Marnier or the Hunan popcorn squid before moving on to the salmon Gwin Jin, Hunan sesame chicken, or shrimp in Szechuan sauce. There is also an excellent selection of wine.
Sometimes you just crave a plate piled with plantains and black beans and rice. The original restaurant opened in Hollywood in 1984; today there are a dozen scattered around South Florida. People come not just for the Cuban sandwiches and the ropa vieja but for the homey atmosphere.
This traditional Italian place serves generous portions of familiar fare.
Moksha is an Indian restaurant offering a contemporary dining experience featuring 70 South Asian selections composed of traditional flavors with a twist. The 85-seat indoor restaurant’s menu includes signature specialties such as the MOKSHA Feast with chicken tikka malai kabab, tandoori prawns, tulsi kabab, lamb chops, rosemary naan and black lentils.
An Asian fusion restaurant specializing in Japanese-Thai tapas, sushi and food that is just as beautiful to look at as it is to eat. Dishes like the Pineapple Fried with shrimp, chicken, chunks of sweet pineapple, cashew nuts and raisins and the Rising Sun Roll with pears, apples, mango and loaded bake seafood will have you begging for more.
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.
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.
This authentic Thai restaurant guarantees only native flavors in their unique dinner offerings. Notable menu items include grilled whole squid marinated in house special sauce, Choo Chee Snapper (whole fried snapper with Thai choo chee curry sauce), Thai curry dishes and stir fry.
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).
Italian food in a relaxed setting.
This elaborate confection of waterfalls, gardens and thatched roofs along U.S. 1 has been around so long that things Polynesian are once again hip. You can enjoy dinner and a show (dances of the South Pacific) or hang out at the Molokai Bar – which hosts a popular happy hour – with the other retro trendies.
Internationally inspired fare meticulously prepared by Chef Hector Lopez is complemented by an extensive wine bar that will have gourmands and foodistas raving. Doubling as a purveyor of gourmet yacht provisions, this restaurant boasts refined elegance in its 55-seat dining area. Dishes like pan-seared foie gras with truffle strawberry carpaccio, cherry gastrique and blinis, and grilled hanger steak with crushed rutabaga, asparagus, and red wine demi-glace make every bite memorable.
Mastro’s is well-known nationally as a high-end steakhouse chain that also features a line in seafood. Their new location in Fort Lauderdale sits on the Intracoastal near Oakland Park Boulevard, an area that’s quickly becoming a go-to dining locale. Executive Chef Rocco Nankervis aims to give customers plenty of options with a menu that, alongside prime cuts of beef, offers all sorts of seafood and even a sushi menu.
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).
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.
A coastal Italian concept by Chef Fabio Viviani, Riviera recently opened in the Hotel Maren on Fort Lauderdale Beach. From the veranda-style patio to the delectable food, the Italian authenticity is felt throughout. You can also take in the salty air and sea-and-city views as it is located on the rooftop of the hotel.
Famous for meatballs, Anthony’s lives up to its name by getting your meals prepared and to your table in no time. However this doesn’t mean they don’t offer made-to-order dishes. Their menu features pasta, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, wings and more.
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).
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.
Chef Dario De Pasquale was born in Battipaglia, Italy, and from a young age developed a love for pizza. Before coming to America he worked as a chef in different parts of Italy including Capaccio, Salerno and along the Amalfi Coast. Menu items at his new locale reflect that experience and include homemade meatballs, capriciosa (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, salami, ham, mushrooms, artichokes and olives) and gnocchi alla Sorrentina, as well as a full pizza menu.
Chef/owner Rino Cerbone opened Heritage FTL to share cooking styles from his childhood and recipes from his family. Some menu items worth trying are the Gnocchi Marsala (house-made gnocchi, wild mushrooms, peas and Marsala cream) and Squash Blossom + Cold Pulled Burrata (with hand-crushed tomatoes, olive oil and basil). The restaurant is currently open for takeout in the evenings.
The Italian restaurant features modern décor with plants and greens as the main aesthetic throughout. Staying true to the theme, they offer salads, smoothies and healthy bowls (like the Vegan: tofu, quinoa, arugula, avocado, alfalfa, sprouts, sunflower seeds, carrots, radish, pickled cabbage and green tahini dressing). In addition, menu items include the Marsala Bistec (sliced steak medallions with Marsala sauce and four cheese potato gnocchi) and lobster ravioli.
Family owned and community driven, Press & Grind Café has opened its doors in Fort Lauderdale. Press & Grind supports local businesses and has partnered with Argyle Coffee Roasters, Gran Forno Bakery and Aroa Yogurts, among others to bring guests fresh and tasteful food. The welcoming coffee shop serves a variety of fresh-pressed juices, single-origin coffee and teas. It also includes imported açai and a full chef-inspired menu with healthy eats such as sandwiches and salads. It is the perfect hangout spot with delicious food, great atmosphere and incredible service.
Flagler Village is adding another modern dining concept to its already thriving community. Henry’s Sandwich Station’s name is a nod to Henry Flagler, the 19th-century gazillionaire railroad builder whose tracks run behind the café and for whom the neighborhood is named. The shop offers small batch, artisanal purveyors, and house-smoked and cured meats. Menu items include the Montreal style smoked meat on Zak The Baker Jewish rye and slow-roasted prime rib with a homemade horseradish cream, to name a few.
The Conrad’s Cornucopia is just that—a plentiful amount of fruits and vegetables all in one place. Located at the lobby, the gourmet market and bakery is ideal for a quick bite to get your day going or an evening snack right before you wind down. The morning menu includes fresh pressed juices, bacon and cheddar frittata and a huevos rancheros pizza. Finish your day with a selection of meats and cheese from the charcuterie menu or a green eggs “pizzetta.”
Venezuelan deli and bakery offering custom-order sandwiches and more.
A juice bar modeled after Brazilian “sucos.” Serving acai bowls, superfood smoothies and healthy snacks.
Bakery and gelato shop.
A typical New York-style deli serving all the favorites, such as bagels, deli platters, wraps, sandwiches, desserts and more.
Offering wine, beer, tomato soup and – of course – grilled cheese sandwiches.
Made-to-order subs, salads and sandwiches.
A Latin cafe serving lighter fare options.
Located in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, serving authentic Italian food using fresh ingredients.
A fast-casual and traditional Italian restaurant featuring delicacies with high quality ingredients and a high level of service.
