South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
SHIPSHAPE DINING
Seven restaurant picks for Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show
Boats and yachts play a key role in Fort Lauderdale’s economy, as do the hospitality and restaurant industries. These worlds converge during the 2019 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, when big boats, big wallets and big appetites gather for the annual festivities at Bahia Mar Yachting Center.
The show will offer numerous on-site food and dining options, and many good meals await a short ride away. Here are seven restaurant picks for visitors and locals, a mix of new and old with new twists.
Andy’s Live Fire Grill — 1843 S. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, 954-903-9945, AndysLiveFire.com. Ernie’s Bar-B-Q is gone, but veteran restaurateur Anthony Bruno (Runway 84, Anthony’s Coal-Fired Pizza) has given the landmark site the fresh start it deserves with an inviting neighborhood grill that pays tribute to his father (whose nickname was Andy) and Fort Lauderdale’s past (vintage photos line the staircase walls). The upstairs deck is the best place for “chillin’ grillin’ smokin’ drinkin’, ” the restaurant’s slogan. Andy’s features comforting food from a wood-fired Santa Maria grill. Moderate-expensive. Lunch, dinner.
Boathouse at the Riverside — 620 SE Fourth St., Fort Lauderdale, 954-377-5494, RiversideHotel.com/Boathouse. This open-air beauty behind the Riverside Hotel on the New River shows real promise under recently arrived chef Juan Prieto (Le Zoo, Juvia) and taps into what Fort Lauderdale dining should be: Food with a view in a setting that’s casual but still sophisticated. Prieto has been adding traditional entrees, such as crusted swordfish, to a menu previously dominated by tapas. Moderate-expensive. Lunch, brunch, dinner.
Dune — 2200 N. Ocean Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 754-900-4059, Dunefl.com. A beachfront jewel in the Auberge Residences and Spa. It had previews during last year’s boat show and is now cruising along. Perhaps Broward’s prettiest restaurant, it features an elegant yet casual warm-toned design and straightforward, high-quality food. Managed by the folks behind the acclaimed Auberge du Soleil Resort in Napa Valley. Signatures include crab with spaetzle and mixed meats and seafood served on a live-charcoal Konro grill.
Expensive. Sunday brunch, dinner.
Even Keel Fish & Oyster — 4100 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, 954-530-6276, EvenKeelFish.com. Chef Dean James Max (the founding chef at venerable 3030 Ocean) has made a welcome return to the local scene with a seafood restaurant that’s casual in feel but upscale in ingredients and execution. It opened in January 2019 with excellent fish dishes, raw bar items and pizzas. Daily happy hours at the bar, including $2 premium oysters from both coasts on Tuesdays. Moderate-expensive. Dinner.
Good Spirits Fifth and Fed — 476 N. Federal Highway, Fort
Lauderdale, 954-523-2580, GoodSpiritsRestaurant.com. A delicious surprise from the ownership group behind the local Quarterdeck chain, this upscale bistro has a retro feel in a modern space with remarkably composed dishes from chef-brothers Jonathan and John Alex Jimenez. A raw bar recently replaced a sushi bar and Monday is $5 hamburger night. Moderate-expensive. Lunch, brunch, dinner.
Oceanic — 250 N. Pompano Beach Blvd., Pompano Beach, 954-366-3768, OceanicPompano.com. The latest arrival at the refurbished Pompano Beach Fishing Village near the pier. Oceanic opened in August and has been generating positive early buzz for its scenic views, modern decor and a menu that emphasizes fresh seafood. Lunch, dinner. Moderate-expensive.
Southport Raw Bar — 1536 Cordova Road, Fort Lauderale, 954-525-2526, SouthportRawBar.com. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? The quintessential laid-back Fort Lauderdale seafood joint now features rum runners, Bloody Marys and other cocktails, courtesy of a longawaited liquor license that finally arrived in August. Plenty of cold beer also remains on tap to wash down oysters, clams, shrimp, burgers, wings and one of the best mahi sandwiches in town. Lunch, dinner, late-night. Inexpensivemoderate.