Now open, coming soon and closed
Got a tip for this weekly check on what’s happening in South Florida’s dining scene? Email Arlene Borenstein-Zuluaga at aborenstein@sunsentinel.com.
Stay up to date with the South Florida dining news:
Sign up for our twice-weekly Eat Beat newsletter, filled with restaurant news, guides and recipes. Go to SunSentinel.com/ newsletters to sign up.
Join our Let’s Eat, South Florida Facebook group.
Now open
Oak Craft Bar, Fort Lauderdale
This clubby restaurant from owner Yashica Bain is a rebranding of Hideaway Sports Bar and Lounge, the owner’s short-lived sports pub that shuttered in the same space last summer. Since the closing of Elliot Wolf ’s Red Cow BBQ here in 2018, this strip-mall storefront has become somewhat cursed with a string of eateries lasting fewer than six months. 1025 N. Federal Highway; 954-616-5578, OakCraftBar.com
La Biblioteca de Tequila, Dania Beach
The bar-library isn’t necessarily for reading, but to catalog more than 300 premium tequilas that can be sipped, sampled and even stored. The lounge is open Thursday, Fridays and Saturday evenings inside the 12-story Le Meridien Dania Beach luxury hotel. 1825 Griffin Road, 954-9203500, torodaniabeach.com/ la-biblioteca-de-tequila/
Kura Sushi, Aventura
With locations in nine other states, this is the first Florida location for the restaurant that features sushi delivered on a revolving belt. 18707 Biscayne
Blvd, Suite #290 Aventura; kurasushi.com, 561-4623555
Oceanside Gardens, Delray Beach
Oceanside Grocers is out, Oceanside Gardens is in. The rebranded hidden craft-cocktail haunt has added extra patio seating, picnic tables and raised planters. The bar also features DJs, live music and local crafts made by Delray Beach artists. 166 SE Second Ave., oceansidegardensdelray.com.
Elisabetta’s Ristorante, Bar and Pizzeria, West Palm Beach
The successful Delray Beach eatery opened a 10,000-square-foot sister location in downtown West Palm Beach, overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, Jan.12. Chef Lisabet Summa promises baked goods that are more flaky than ever and dishes made from scratch including pasta, breads, sauces and gelatos. 185 Banyan Blvd., West Palm Beach; elisabettas.com
Twin Peaks, Hollywood The mountain-lodgethemed sports “breastaurant” that serves beer and burgers debuted on Jan. 2 in the space formerly occupied by Whiskey Tango. 1903 Hollywood Blvd., 954-477-7999, TwinPeaksRestaurant.com
Tacocraft, Fort Lauderdale
A collection of 300 tequilas and mezcals add to the Tulum-inspired vibe at the Mexican restaurant and taqueria located at the space once occupied by MidiCi Italian Kitchen. 510 N. Federal Highway, 754-779-7437, tacocraft.com
Sufrãt Mediterranean Grill, Pembroke Pines
The casual restaurant specializes in kebabs, lamb and beef cheeseburgers with Greek fries, salads, soups, sandwiches, healthy bowls and, of course, slow-roasted gyros and shawarma. 10430 Pines Blvd., Suite C1010 in Pines City Center, Pembroke Pines; 954-998-1049, sufratgrill.com
Only Thai, Oakland Park
From the owners of Phat Boy Sushi & Kitchen, the eatery promises traditional Thai dishes including larb and tom kha. The restaurant opened Dec. 23 at the former Harley’s Pizza and Wings. 2100 E. Oakland
Park Blvd., Oakland Park; 954-908-5578
Mo’s Bagels & Deli, Hallandale
Hussin “Mo” Mohamed, owner of the Aventura bagel shop of the same name, has taken over the former home of Sage Bagel. 800 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd.; 954-399-9049, MosBagelDeli.com
Momosan Ramen & Sake, Miami
“Iron Chef ” Masaharu Morimoto’s new comfort food eatery debuted Dec. 18., serving ramen, Peking duck tacos (a Masaharu specialty), spicy wontons, pork dumplings and soft shell crab baos. 415 NW 26th St., Miami; 305-8518450, MomosanWynwood. com
Coming soon
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, Fort Lauderdale
The restaurant and Napa-style tasting room, which has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic began, will reopen its Galleria location on Feb. 1. It will offer dine-in plus socially distanced wine tastings, carryout and delivery. 2568 E. Sunrise Blvd., 754-7559463, chwinery.com.
Amar Mediterranean Bistro, Delray Beach
The 60-seat restaurant including a patio will serve modern Lebanese dishes crafted from old family recipes. Scheduled to open Jan. 28. 522 E. Atlantic Ave., AmarDelray.com.
Chuy’s, Pembroke Pines
Known for it’s Texassized dishes, the Tex-Mex footprint is expanding into Broward. The location on Pines Boulevard near Pines City Center is slated to open in February 2021. 10610 Pines Blvd., chuys. com
Grapes Wine Cafe and Market, Fort Lauderdale
Chef Lenore Nolan Ryan is opening this new cafe/ market where she operated her catering business and cooking school on Jan. 29. 3311 North Ocean Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; grapeswinecafeandmarket.com, 954-4912340
Riviera by Fabio Viviani, Fort Lauderdale
Top Chef star Fabio Viviani brings a new Italian concept to Fort Lauderdale Beach. The 200-seat waterfront restaurant is due to open inside the Hotel Maren with local seafood inspired dishes. 525 S. Fort
Lauderdale Beach Blvd., 754-241-2020, RivierabyFabioViviani.com
Salt7, Fort Lauderdale “Hell’s Kitchen” winner, executive chef Paul Niedermann, is at the helm of the restaurant’s second location on Las Olas Boulevard at the Icon apartment building. The waterfont eatery promises a unique blend of seven exotic salts used to season dishes and steaks when it debuts on Jan. 28. 500 E. Las Olas Blvd., salt7.com
Phat Boy Sushi & Kitchen, Fort Lauderdale
The trendy Japanese mini-chain is rolling its flagship to bigger digs on Federal Highway: the former home of Even Keel Fish & Oyster in Fort Lauderdale. The original Phat Boy location, three blocks north, will close on the same day the new location opens on March 1. 4100 N. Federal Highway, 954-533-4218, PhatBoySushi.com
Tap 42 Craft Kitchen & Bar, Davie
Scheduled to open in early 2021, this is the eighth location in the chain of attractive dining-anddrinking establishments that debuted nearly a decade ago in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The space formerly occupied by Mash’d restaurant is located inside the Tower Shops Center. 951 S. University Drive, Davie; Tap42. com
Vinos Wine Bar, Fort
Lauderdale
A new and much bigger Vinos will open just down the street from it’s old location on Las Olas Boulevard by mid January. Its outdoor lounge will be covered.
901 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Cuba Libre, Fort Lauderdale
Opening late January, this is the fifth nationwide location from co-owners Barry Gutin and James Beard Award-winning chef Guillermo Pernot, executing modern twists on traditional Cuban dishes. 800 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-314-6500, CubaLibreRestaurant.com Warren, Delray Beach From Damn Good Hospitality CEO Jeff John, Warren will feature “American bistro with a world flair,” under the direction of Chef Jared Case, as well as more than 1,000 bottles of hard-to-find scotch and bourbon. 15084 Lyons Road, Delray Beach; WarrenDelray.com
Tropical Smokehouse, West Palm Beach
A “Florida barbecue” concept with dishes including Cuban medianoche hot dogs and Jamaican jerk turkey chili. The location is slated to open at the space formerly occupied by Mazie’s. 3815 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; 561-323-2573; EatTropical. com
Closed
Mash’d, Davie
This Texas-based, moonshine-themed eatery didn’t last long after its 2019 opening inside the Tower Shops Center in Davie. Food and cocktail options were served up with Moonshine (corn mash) funneled in from distilleries in Kentucky and Tennessee. 951 S. University Drive, Davie; mashd.com
The Blue Fish, Boca Raton
After an 11-month run, the sushi restaurant shut its Boca Raton location on Jan. 4. Based in Dallas, Blue Fish previously had a location in Delray Beach. Mizner Park, 402 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; thebluefishsushi.com
Sette Bello Ristorante, Fort Lauderdale
Traditional Italian dishes were served at this family-owned business for more than a decade. Chef-owner Franco Filippone announced the Jan. 1 closure on the restaurant’s website, citing the pandemic. The family’s other restaurant, Sette Mezzo in Coconut Creek, remains open. 6241 N Federal Highway, Fort
Lauderdale; settebellofla. com
PRL Euro Café, Hollywood
A grungy, hipsterific hub for beer aficionados long before IPAs hit the mainstream, longtime downtown Hollywood bar PRL Euro Café closed this fall. PRL did not peddle PBR but rather rare European lagers, and this dimly lit dive stayed defiantly old-school: twinkling ropes of lights strung along the wall, exposed ceiling pipes and vintage birdcage filled with tchotchkes near PRL’s slender wooden bar. 1904 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Wok Boca, Boca Raton This short-lived Chinese-American restaurant debuted in August in the Polo Club Shoppes plaza but closed four months later “due to economic devastation of a global pandemic,” according to its website. 5030 Champion Blvd., Suite D8, Boca Raton; WokBoca.com
Burgers and Suds, Pompano Beach
The 5-year-old neighborhood comfort-food pub, known for 30 hamburger varieties plus sandwiches and salads, quietly closed in December after remaining closed for several months at the start of the pandemic. 360 SE 15th St., Pompano Beach
Callaro’s Prime Steakhouse, Lake Worth Beach
Co-owner Danny Callaro’s namesake fine-dining steakhouse next door to Lake Worth Playhouse closed during the pandemic after nine years. It has since been replaced by Los Panchos Taco and Tequila Bar. 717 Lake Ave; Lake Worth Beach
Mazie’s, West Palm Beach
Owner Jason Lakow’s American bistro, named after former chef-partner Eric Baker’s grandmother, closed in September after months of declining sales. In January Lakow and new chef-partner Rick Mace replaced it with a Tropical Smokehouse. 3815 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; MaziesWPB.com
Smoke BBQ, Boca Raton
Co-owner Scott Kennedy and partner Stephen Chin’s Boca outpost that dished Texas brisket burnt ends, pastrami and ribs closed Nov. 30. Kennedy says the location lacked strong leadership from the moment it opened in April 2019 and that COVID19 hastened its demise. Smoke’s Fort Lauderdale flagship remains open. 555 N. Federal Highway, Boca
Raton; EatSmokeBBQ.com
Grand Lux Café, Aventura
The upscale American café chain owned by the Cheesecake Factory permanently closed its Aventura Mall location on Dec. 31, laying off 101 employees. Grand Lux had been closed since March 17 and furloughed its employees at the time. 19575 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura
Mulligan’s Beach House, Lake Worth Beach
After nine years on the oceanfront, the bar and grill closed in May. Nearby owners Benny’s on the Beach bought it and replaced it with Latin American eatery Viva La Playa. 10 S. Ocean Blvd., Lake Worth Beach
Harley’s Pizza and Wings, Oakland Park
This neighborhood pizzeria owned by chef John Maser of Phat Boy Sushi & Kitchen quietly shuttered in the fall. Only Thai, a Thai cuisine restaurant, replaced it Dec. 23. 2100 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park; 954-9085578
Pizza Girls, West Palm Beach
After 21 years, the popular pizzeria’s original location on Clematis Street shut down in August, although its Palm Beach Gardens location remains open. 114 S. Clematis St., West Palm Beach; PizzaGirls.com
Tapeo, West Palm Beach
The Spanish-inspired tapas restaurant, opened by New Jersey restaurateur Carlos Mendez and his partners on Clematis Street in 2018, closed in December after flagging sales and a partnership dispute. 118 S. Clematis St., West Palm Beach
Paradise Sports Lounge, Delray Beach
Owned by the father of Delray Beach tennis staff Coco Gauff, this sports bar closed Nov. 20. “Although we tried to operate a business during these challenging times and more importantly provide stability and income to our loyal staff, we have made the ultimate decision to close,” a post on Paradise’s Facebook page read. 5155 W. Atlantic Ave., Suite A, Delray Beach Mai-Kai, Oakland Park A flood and ceiling collapse has closed the 64-year-old restaurant known for it’s Polynesian style meals and entertainment. Owners are looking for investors to rebuild the kitchen in hopes of reopening. 3599 N. Federal Highway, Oakland Park; maikai. com