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 twiceweekly 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
Botanic, Fort Lauderdale
Inside the new Goodland Hotel near Fort Lauderdale beach, Botanic serves breakfast and dinner, with lunch hours to be announced soon. “What we like to say is it’s South Florida [ingredients] with heavy Latino and Caribbean influences,” explains executive chef Rashaad Abdool.
Plant Based Mafia, Palm Beach Gardens
The new Italian-style vegan restaurant offers dishes including Not Your Grandma’s Rigatoni, The Big Bambino and The Johnny Gleeson. Even if you like meat in your meatballs, owners say you won’t be disapointed.
Delray Beach Market Florida’s largest food hall opened with 27 vendors, including Big T’s Deli, and wine, cheese and charcuterie bar called Cellar and Pantry, Ferdos Grill serving Mediterranean food, Salvo’s Pizzeria and Lovelee Bakeshop. At four stories with 150,000 square feet of vendor spaces and entertainment/ demonstration areas, it can handle 2,000 visitors a day.
Crumbl Cookie, Davie Gourmet cookies are mixed, baked and prepared each day in an open concept kitchen with different flavors each week. The eatery’s 120+ rotating flavors include Nutella Sea Salt, Cinnamon Swirl, Coconut Lime, Oatmeal Raisin, Muddy Buddy and Cosmic Brownie. The new Broward location is an addition to the cookie shop’s nationwide list of locations.
Sloan’s, Boca Raton The pink-covered candy emporium opened its sixth South Florida outpost in the Uptown Boca shopping village and will feature specialty sundaes — including an 18-scoop “kitchen sink” — along with cookies, shakes and chocolate treats.
Francisca Charcoal Chicken & Meats, Davie
This fast-growing Latin American chain, which aims to open 12 Florida locations in 2021 (Miramar and Miami Lakes are already open), debuted its Davie outpost on April 20. The restaurant, which comes from Miami-based Bocas Group, specializes in charcoal chicken, barbecue baby back ribs, empanadas, arepas and cachapas.
Carrot Express, Boca Raton
This Miami-based health-food chain opened its eighth location April 12 at this 1,700-square-foot storefront, featuring juices, plant-based burgers, acai bowls and avocado toasts.
Los Bocados, Parkland Once a Mexican taqueria in the bright corner of a Chevron gas station, Los Bocados debuted its first brick-and-mortar April 19 a taco’s throw north of its old stomping grounds. Food Network’s “Diners,
Drive-Ins and Drives” recently spotlighted the restaurant’s build-yourown burritos and citruspork quesadillas.
Walt’s American Grille and Bar, Boca Raton
Farm-to-table options include classic American fare like a New York strip or honey glazed salmon. The new eatery is also kicking things up with a happy hour menu that includes habanero chicken wings, tuna nachos, shrimp ceviche and half off all drinks from 5 to 7 p.m.
Sushi Garage, Fort Lauderdale
Replacing the former Etaru space on Las Olas Boulevard, this Japanese restaurant comes from partners Jonas and Alexandra Millán (Juvia) and chef-partner Sunny Oh (Nobu), who operate Sushi Garage’s Miami Beach flagship. The menu, under corporate chef Kaoru Chang, features hot and cold appetizers, and entrees such as miso maple seabass and sliced tenderloin teriyaki.
Alacati Mediterranean Restaurant, Hallandale Beach
Turkish cuisine delights such as ground-lamb pita, chicken kebab, kibbeh and alinazik (smoked eggplant with seasoned ground meat) can be found at this Mediterranean restaurant across the street from Gulfstream Park.
Fort Liquordale, Fort Lauderdale
This liquor store from the owners of Chops + Hops Axe Throwing Bar aims to become a 3,000-square-foot entertainment village this summer when it opens a kitchen and hidden speakeasy bar.
Crab Du Jour, Pompano Beach
This Cajun seafood restaurant and bar in Pompano Beach’s Palm Aire Plaza replaces a location of Ruby Tuesday that closed early in the pandemic, and features seafood boils and po’ boys.
Planta, West Palm Beach
This upscale minichain from acclaimed chef David Lee and restaurateur Steven Salm opened its seventh location inside Rosemary Square in downtown West Palm Beach. The 200-seat restaurant will showcase (naturally) plant-based dishes such as coconut ceviche, Kelp Caesar, eggplant lasagna and pizza.
Okeechobee Prime Seafood, West Palm Beach
From owners of the longtime running Okeechobee Steakhouse, this new concept shifts to the surf promising fresh, local and regional seafood. Dishes include stuffed flounder and cold water scallops. Prime steaks are also available. The restaurant sits about 138 people and is the fourth venture for the Lewis family.
in May.
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.