Open seven days a week since it debuted in 1989, Zuckerello’s still has its original owner and chefs in place pumping out home-style Italian. Expect to find traditional dishes like zuppa di clams, fried calamari, and house-made meatballs, along with pasta such as penne alla vodka, crab ravioli, lasagna, and linguine with clam sauce. Large booths can accommodate family-size parties, and the casual-elegant vibe will keep you lounging long after you finish eating. Red and dark gray walls adorned with lively paintings are complemented by glossy wood tabletops and chairs in a contrasting shade of wood. House specialties like veal Marsala, chicken Milanese, and panko-breaded eggplant Parmesan are affordable and come in shareable portions. Fish lovers should try the herb-crusted salmon in orange beurre blanc sauce.
This Italian bakery/café/wine bar offers a great variety of freshly baked sweets and savory specialties from Sicily. This intimate cafe also serves a diverse range of small plates of classic Southern Italian pastas. Their menu also features paninis, pizzas, arancini, cornetti and more. The most requested pizza dish is the Sicilian lamb pizza, while the chef recommends trying the raviola, fried dough with fresh ricotta inside. And what’s an Italian café without hot drinks? The Bake Bar has all the Italian favorites such as cappuccino. And if you want to keep it cool, try some gelato.
A menu based around fries? Trust us on this one. This restaurant takes you on a tour of inspired alternatives to and takes on the humble fry. Their French fries come in all shapes and sizes, as well as different root vegetables. Try yucca fries, truffle fries, ropa vieja poutine and churrasco frites. Oh, and wash it down with a craft cocktail from a speakeasy-style menu.
A local favorite, Fishtales offers an indoor / outdoor full liquir bar. the patio offer a great view of 33rd street. Live entertainment and dinner specials are offered every night of the week. Come enjoy the food, fun and friends at “Fishtales on 33rd.”
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.
This Mediterranean mecca in the Galt Ocean Mile area is known for Greek meze, or small plates, such as gyros, spinach pie, and pikilia, a sampler of four traditional spreads served with pita. The ambiance is that of a traditional taverna – festive and loud with a lively, casual feel. Red and white checkered tablecloths and Greek paraphernalia stand out within the interior, while diners can also opt for alfresco seating under a ceiling with fans if they want to escape the noise inside.
Family owned farm-to-table Italian bistro.
Come pig out on the juiciest barbecue around at Smoke BBQ’s new location in Fort Lauderdale. This Kansas City-style barbecue joint offers the best cuts of meat and hearty sides, great for anyone who needs a real tank-filler. Barbecue fans can argue regional superiority until the cows – or pigs – come home. At Smoke, they do things the KC way – great ribs, great brisket, great sauce and even the “burnt ends” are good.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Italian food in a relaxed setting.
Bakery and gelato shop.
Steve Martorano got his start hawking Italian sandwiches out of his basement in Philly. But his strip-mall restaurant a few blocks from the beach went upscale, and diners wait hours during season for a table (Martorano famously turned away Madonna’s entourage when she refused to wait outside). Those willing to wait find Italian classics dressed up with top-notch ingredients, like the eggplant stack featuring some of the crispiest breaded eggplant slices you’ll find sandwiched between fresh-pulled mozzarella. Not everyone will be down with the gangster movies showing on the overhead TVs, the dance music, or the women who sometimes take to the tables and dance. If you’re the type to like that kind of people watching, you’ll also find some of South Florida’s most soulful food.
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.
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.
Spanish classics in a restaurant that has been around for more than decades.
Contemporary, global Greek food with daily catches and great cocktails.
All food made fresh daily.
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.
This trattoria offers authentic Italian cuisine in a romantic, candle-lit setting, complete with Italian-speaking staff. Chef/owner Michele Viscosi creates dishes inspired by his homeland, including carpaccio di manzo, lasagna tradizionale and osso buco d’Angello.
Italian eatery with outdoor and oceanfront views.
Anthony Bruno, of Runway 84, opened this pizza joint in 2002 because he couldn’t find the “well done” pizzas of his native New York here in Fort Lauderdale. The flagship location has since become a nationwide chain. Ashy flavor permeates the crust of pies like the “Paul & Young Ron,” piled with meatballs, sausage, ricotta, and hot or sweet peppers. Oven-roasted chicken wings and salads round out the menu, and beer and wine are served.
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 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.
As an authentic Italian restaurant owner and chef, over the years my goal was to provide customers with outstanding satisfaction at all costs and troubles. Ever since I was a young girl, cooking was always my passion. I always viewed perfection as a priority and I will do whatever it takes to achieve it. The makings of a great sandwich always starts with the bread. Fresh baked bread choices are:
Traditional (Fresh Tomatoes & Oregano) Wheat Artichoke & Olive Plain Fresh Rosemary & Garlic Fresh Tomato Basil Garlic
Valentino’s cheaper cousin (and occupying its former space), this warm, neighborhood place offers an array of pizzas (including prosciutto with shaved Parmesan and arugula) as well as other tempting Italian dishes. The eggplant sliced thin, fried and layered like lasagna is a popular item.
This Italian bakery/café/wine bar offers a great variety of freshly baked sweets and savory specialties from Sicily. This intimate cafe also serves a diverse range of small plates of classic Southern Italian pastas. Their menu also features paninis, pizzas, arancini, cornetti and more. The most requested pizza dish is the Sicilian lamb pizza, while the chef recommends trying the raviola, fried dough with fresh ricotta inside. And what’s an Italian café without hot drinks? The Bake Bar has all the Italian favorites such as cappuccino. And if you want to keep it cool, try some gelato.
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.
Calabrian owner Tony Cupelli brings his family’s ancient recipes to this chic, modern Las Olas eatery. There’s pan-fried rigatoni with meatballs and specialty pizzas topped with smoked mozzarella, Italian sausage, eggplant and parsley. Cupelli’s pollo alla Francese in white wine-lemon sauce pairs with Venetian pinot grigio.
With elements of a friendly Roman trattoria in the heart of Las Olas, Gran Forno Pronto serves up authentic Italian comfort food in a fresh and informal atmosphere. Wood fired pizza, award-winning Ciabatta, modest prices and an extensive wine list.
Pizzeria serving pizza, pastas, subs, chicken wings and more.
Chicken marsala, veal picatta, meatballs, and Milanese are what’s for dinner at owner and Chef Marco Vico’s Fort Lauderdale fixture, voted one of America’s 1,000-best Italian restaurants by Zagat. Indulge in hearty bowls of pasta fagioli, lasagna that features a mix of meat sauce and béchamel. The ambiance is like a resplendent Tuscan villa, complete with walls adorned with old family photos.
This traditional Italian place serves generous portions of familiar fare.
Steve Martorano got his start hawking Italian sandwiches out of his basement in Philly. But his strip-mall restaurant a few blocks from the beach went upscale, and diners wait hours during season for a table (Martorano famously turned away Madonna’s entourage when she refused to wait outside). Those willing to wait find Italian classics dressed up with top-notch ingredients, like the eggplant stack featuring some of the crispiest breaded eggplant slices you’ll find sandwiched between fresh-pulled mozzarella. Not everyone will be down with the gangster movies showing on the overhead TVs, the dance music, or the women who sometimes take to the tables and dance. If you’re the type to like that kind of people watching, you’ll also find some of South Florida’s most soulful food.
Owner and Chef Angelo Elia has created a South Florida restaurant empire out of his original North Federal location. His dishes are punctuated by an attention toward great ingredients, like the branzino, so fresh it needs nothing more than a light butter sauce. The outstanding antipasti includes truffle-lemon carpaccio and pancetta-wrapped tiger prawns over broccoli rabe, and the fresh pasta is made in-house. Or go big with the oak-grilled NY strip, marinated in olive oil, garlic, and rosemary.
A Fort Lauderdale staple since 1982, this Italian-American eatery will bring you back to Sunday dinners at your Nana’s house – if you’re Italian, that is. Expect Sinatra to play in the background as Chianti flows and platters of shrimp oreganata, veal Francaise, and zuppa di pesce are shared family-style. Intimate meals also work inside Runway’s setting, with its low lighting and mellow atmosphere. Don’t miss the Sicilian stuffed peppers (served cold with red wine vinegar and stuffed with bread crumbs, capers, olives, anchovies, and grated cheese), and the plump meatballs with marinara. Big-time diners will want the surf and turf entree, a combination of New York strip and South African lobster tail.
Located in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, serving authentic Italian food using fresh ingredients.
Who says no to good, authentic Italian food? This restaurant serves a diverse selection of pizza, paninis and more – along with a good selection of beer and wine . The Italian flavors continue into dessert, with many flavors of gelato to choose from. (For a more old fashioned American taste, they’ll also do milkshakes.) All these Old World flavors also come with some New World technology – go to the website and you can download the Dolce Salato app.
A familiar face on the local restaurant scene has brought a new place to Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. The name Vincent Foti will be familiar to many. Now the restaurateur behind longtime Federal Highway favorite Kitchenetta is taking his talents to East Commercial with a place that’s aiming to do something a bit different. Vinny’s by the Sea offers many of the Italian favorites that Foti’s built his reputation on. But this time, they’ll come with more American flare in a casual place where diners can have a beer, watch the game and relax Lauderdale-By-The-Sea style. In keeping with the its location just in from Anglin’s Pier, the restaurant will offer a raw bar. There’s also a pizza bar if you want to keep up on your pie as it’s being made – and a number of TVs if you’re more concerned about the Marlins’ playoff chances than your meal prep. If you need a more ample serving, the “Big Shot” menu is there for your outsize needs.