Q: First of all, tell us about your background in food and restaurants. Where are some places you worked before? What are some favorite cuisine styles?
A: I began my career in the restaurant industry 19 years ago. I studied French cuisine, which is still one of my favorite styles, at the Cordon Bleu.
I’ve worked in a variety of restaurants through the years, but my first cooking job was as a sous chef at Walt Disney World Resort’s Yachtsman Steakhouse. I also worked as a chef at Victoria and Albert’s, a fine dining restaurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Prior to joining Eddie V’s, I spent six years as a regional chef in Florida for a fine dining restaurant.
Q: How does your previous experience differ from Eddie V’s?
A: The Eddie V’s dining experience is very detail-oriented. We place an emphasis on personalized service. All of our dishes are artistically prepared and intricately plated. Our seafood is flown in daily from around the world, then trimmed in-house each morning for a beautiful, quality plate presentation.
Q: How would you define Fort Lauderdale’s cuisine style? What would you like to add to it?
A: Fort Lauderdale has such a broad array of restaurants, but Eddie V’s offers a unique fine dining experience. The restaurant features a lively atmosphere complete with live music—in addition to our diverse menu and theatrical cocktails—to deliver a glamorous, full-service hospitality experience.
Q: Are there particular dishes you’re excited about? Any that have become particular customer favorites?
A: One of my personal favorites that our guests also enjoy is the Parmesan Sole, which is breaded and served with heirloom tomato salad and a lemon-garlic butter sauce. Another popular item is our signature Chilean Sea Bass, steamed Hong Kong-style with a light soy broth.
Q: Does the Fort Lauderdale menu differ from the menus of other locations? If so, how?
A: Our menu is ever-changing and the restaurant will offer a selection of featured menu items based on what is in season. We have new selections coming in every week. For example, during opening weekend we featured Butter-Poached Lobster Tails over New York Strip and Morel-Crusted Bone-in Filet Mignon with Balsamic Glaze and Olive Oil Drizzle.
Q: Tell us how the Black Tie Marketplace differs from the restaurant itself. What kind of customers will benefit from this the most?
A: The Black Tie Marketplace offers a selection of uncooked Eddie V’s seafood and steaks freshly packaged for guests to prepare as they like, with options such as Chilean Sea Bass, South African Lobster Tails and Prime Bone-in Ribeye, among others. These selections are perfect for the at-home chef and can be purchased in-restaurant.
Q: What can customers expect at the “V Lounge”?
A: The V Lounge features live performances by locally acclaimed musicians on select nights. Guests can indulge in the Cocktails With Attitude menu, featuring imaginative twists on classics, as well as an assortment of eye-catching signature cocktails, such as the Smoked Old Fashioned served tableside on a wooden plank and the Hope Diamond made with Butterfly Pea Flower Tea. Guests can also choose from a vast variety of champagne, as well as a Wine Spectator-recognized wine list of more than 300 acclaimed labels.
The Dish: Eddie V’s Crab Fried Rice
Inspired by Eddie V’s iconic dish. Steamed jasmine rice stir-fried in a hot wok with scrambled eggs, scallions, mushrooms, soy sauce, red chili flakes, finished with and fresh Jonah crab and a drizzle of lemon butter and chives.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup scallions
- ½ cup mushrooms
- 3 cups jasmine rice
- Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- ½ cup scrambled eggs, chopped
- Soy sauce to taste
- 2 wt. oz. fresh Jonah crab
- 1 tbsp. butter, unsalted
- 2 fl. oz. lemon butter
- Chives, 1/16″ sliced to taste
Method:
In a hot wok, add clarified butter; sauté green onions and mushrooms. Add rice, red pepper flakes and eggs. Add soy sauce and crab, mix well, ensuring that all rice is combined. Check seasonings, place rice in iron dish and place dish in steamer for 1-2 minutes. Then remove and ladle with 2 fl. oz. of lemon butter. Garnish with chives.
