Chicago celebrity magnet Mia Rosebud opens in Boca Raton
Capital Tacos closes in Tamarac
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Godly’s Dessert Café, 681 NW 27th Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 754-777-9707; Godlyson6th.square. site:
Everything is baked, churned and scooped in-house at this sweet treat parlor that debuted Feb. 1 on Sistrunk Boulevard, an area that has gained a mountain of new cuisine in recent months. Godly’s, which is registered to owner Kamille Bradley, offers ice-cream flavors such as blueberry cheesecake swirl, bubble gumball, red velvet and pistachio nut, in just about every configuration imaginable: sundaes, floats, by-thequart, frozen creamsicles, and with housemade waffle cones. There are also fruity Italian ice flavors from mango’rita to blue raspberry, as well as Thai iced teas and fudgy Oreo cupcakes.
The Food Truck Store, 1417 NE 26th St., Wilton Manors; thefoodtruckstore.com:
Don’t let the name fool you: The Food Truck Store is actually a burger boîte. This fast-casual restaurant out of Argentina is the brainchild of Rodo Camara and has another stateside location in North Miami. The Wilton Manors spot officially debuted Feb. 20 to bring the best “American-style burgers to the sunny South, paying homage to the iconic classics you know and love with some next-level gourmet twists,” according to the eatery’s marketing.
Dos Amigos Tacos, 10660 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 170, Wellington; 561-5084402; DosAmigosTacos. com:
Back in late 2021, two employees from Lucille’s Bad to the Bone BBQ at Delray Marketplace peeled off to open their first fast-casual taqueria next door in the same strip mall. Now cofounders Derek Mazer and chef Michael Jameson have expanded Dos Amigos into its second location, which debuted Jan. 28 at Wellington Green Square. The centerpiece of their menu, naturally, are its 19 housemade tacos ranging from familiar (chicken, carne asada) to trendy (quesabirria, roasted cauliflower) to adventurous (Philly cheesesteak, meatball Parmesan on a mozzarella-crusted tortilla). There are also quesadillas, burritos and salad bowls.
Riko’s Pizza, 14 N. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach; 754-220-0201; RikosPizza. com:
This fan-favorite Connecticut export shuffled onto the corner of Atlantic Boulevard and North Federal Highway in late January with a style that’s fairly uncommon to local palates: ultra-thin pizza with blistered cheese, sauce and toppings that extend out to the edges of its cracker-like crust. (Think Chicago thin-crust without the square cuts.) The pizzeria, from local franchisees Jordan and Stefanija Mintz, is the second Florida offshoot of the Stamford, Conn., original (a Tequesta location opened in 2022). Its signature is the Hot Oil Pizza, a plain pie topped with spicy, housemade oil and Serrano “stinger” peppers. There are also oven-baked wings with five distinctive sauces, Riko’s Dogs (gussied-up versions of pigs in a blanket) and 10 pie flavors, from New Haven-esque Clam Pizza (clams, bacon, basil, chopped garlic) to Hawaiian to Nashville hot chicken.
Even Keel Fish Shack, 1111 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 754-7014895; EvenKeelFish. com:
Chef-owners Dave MacLennan and Brad Phillips have docked on ritzy restaurant row Las Olas Boulevard with the second location of their seafood spot, which debuted in mid-December. This is the owners’ second foray into Fort Lauderdale: the flagship Even Keel began its life on North Federal Highway under the mast of restaurateur Dean James Max before it jumped ship to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea in late 2020. A hub for fresh local fish and greens (they source from Triar Seafood in Hollywood and Swank Specialty Produce in Loxahatchee), the second location will serve stone crabs and house-smoked fish dip, beer-battered spiny lobster bites and conch beignets, and larger entrees including an adult crab grilled cheese (with brie, truffle, blue crab and apple butter), clams carbonara and grilled swordfish.
The Blue Door, 5700 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; 561-3602064; TheBlueDoorWPB. com:
One of the many new restaurants making West Palm Beach’s SoSo District (South of Southern)
not so so-so, this Mediterranean coastal sit-down that opened Jan. 24 is the creation of five owners — Max Ricci, Michael Katzenberg, executive manager Tamara Magalhães, executive chef Nano Crespo and interior designer Sara Ricci. With an all-white color scheme (except for, you guessed it, a blue door), the bistro offers a slim menu of 23 items including gnocchi with house sausage and porcini, lamb chops with tzatziki and cucumber salad, seared scallops in tomato Provençal and Maine lobster tagliolini.
Mia Rosebud, 150 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton; 561-462-3000; RosebudRestaurants. com:
This famed Chicagoland restaurant and Italian steakhouse, blessed over the decades by the likes of Tom Selleck, Tom Hanks, James Woods, Bono, James Gandolfini, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, has come to town. The first Florida outpost — its 10th location overall — had a soft opening on Feb. 19. At 7,700 square feet, the 196-seat restaurant (164 indoors, 32 on outdoor terrace) offers an open-kitchen design. Chicago restaurateur Alex Dana’s Little Italy eatery, which originally debuted in 1976, specializes in huge portions of Italian classics including cavatelli cacio e pepe and rigatoni alla vodka, along with N.Y. strip steaks, brick chicken and veal cutlets, tiramisu and ricotta cheesecake.
KAO Sushi & Ramen, 1390 Weston Road, Weston; 954-699-4233; KAOSushiandRamen.com:
The Argentinean owners behind Hallandale Beach’s first shipping-container restaurant, KAO Bar & Grill, opened this Japanese-focused spinoff in Weston’s Country Isles Plaza in early January. Everywhere are nods to Matias and Marco Pagano’s origins, including the Buenos Aires roll (salmon, rice, cream cheese, sesame sauce) and tres leches sponge cake. (These items are also served at the Paganos’ first restaurant, KAO Sushi & Grill in Coral Gables.) The menu at KAO Sushi & Ramen also features tonkatsu ramen loaded with macerated beef or pork belly, sauteed noodles and tuna or crispy shrimp poke, and pork belly or caramelized barbecued beef bao buns.
Pura Vida, 2364 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 754-345-1851; PuraVidaMiami.com:
This fast-expanding, Miami-hatched, all-day cafe owned by Omer and Jennifer Horev debuted its second Fort Lauderdale location within the River Market strip mall on Dec. 28, bringing its total number of locations to 22. The health-conscious chain offers dishes such as pasture-raised egg sandwiches, salads, raw organic acai bowls, wraps and gluten-free vegan sweets.
Playa Bowls, 401 E. Las Olas Blvd, Unit 185, Fort Lauderdale; playabowls. com:
There’s a beach vibe with this fast-casual restaurant. After all, the concept started back in 2014 as a pop-up food stand on the Jersey Shore. Now the brand is known for its plant-based ingredients and for its sustainability efforts (they say they use reclaimed building materials, LED lighting and recycled/biodegradable bowls, spoons and lids). This location is owned by Darrell Casoria (raised in Fort Lauderdale) and Ricky Arguello and opened Jan. 13.
The Kebab Shop, 11225 Miramar Parkway, Miramar; 754-287-1313; TheKebabShop.com:
This California-based Mediterranean eatery specializes in customizable kebabs in grilled and rotisserie forms, and they’re served in a wrap, in a box or on a plate. Its first Florida outpost officially opened in early February inside the Miramar Park Place strip mall on Red Road, joining a recently opened Flanigan’s and a soon-to-open Duck Donuts. The menu also has lamb, beef, chicken thighs, saffron chicken tenderloin doner, along with steak and falafel and “crave fries” (topped with feta, garlic yogurt and pickled onions). The chain has carved out 34 locations in California and Texas; future South Florida outposts are expected in Coral Springs (1280 N. University Drive) and Boynton Beach (1780 N. Congress Ave., Suite 200).
SushiMas, 701 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 954-440-2557; SushiMas.com:
This fast-casual debuted its first location in the Fort Lauderdale market in mid-January at The Quantum, on the edge of the Flagler Village enclave. As the name makes clear, the restaurant serves sushi and Japanese cuisine, and it originally debuted as a delivery- and takeout-only operation in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood in August 2020. A dine-in location opened in Aventura last May. The ambitious expansion includes future eateries in Kendall, Doral and Miami Beach, with longer-range plans for Coconut Grove and West Palm Beach. Essentially, the menu will remain the same, with sushi rolls, makis and tiraditos, as well as crispy rice, gyoza and bao bun dishes.
Lickie Stickie BBQ, 7794 NW 44th St., Sunrise; 954-638-2324; Facebook. com/lickiestickie: Pitmaster Juliette Johnson’s
popular Southern Caribbean food stand specializing in brisket has been restaurant-bound since 2021, but this former farmers market staple finally opened its first brick-andmortar in a Sunrise strip mall on Jan. 26. The storefront — just like her weekend booth — will continue offering barbecue fixings all week long: spare ribs, salmon, chicken, cheesy grits, collard greens, and her scratch-made jerk and barbecue sauce. Her catering services will also continue.
Sierra Madre Tortilla Co., 2402 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 2, Lake Worth Beach; 561-306-9605; Instagram. com/sierramadre.co:
When Sierra Madre Tortilla opened in November, they were making tortillas for wholesale (restaurants, resorts, hotels) and selling tamales to the public on weekends. Now they sell hand-cut tortilla chips and taco shells, tamales, a variety of homemade salsas, guacamole and other grab-and-go items seven days a week. The service is takeout and delivery only. “We’re the first tortilla shop in South Florida that makes traditional artisan stoneground organic corn tortillas,” says Claudia Monroy, who is a Mexico native and co-owns Sierra Madre with husband Mounir. “Everything we make is very traditional, made from scratch, and we incorporate our organic tortillas in all our menu items, like our chilaquiles and flautas.” A third-generation tortilla maker, she says her grandparents had a tortilla shop in Mexico in the 1980s.
WXYZ Bar & Lounge, 501 SE 24th St., Fort Lauderdale; 754-285-4848; marriott. com/en-us/hotels/fllaaaloft-fort-lauderdale-airport: This lounge in the new Aloft Fort Lauderdale Airport hotel is serving up light bites including
tacos (Korean Barbecue and Crispy Fish); wings (Garlic Parmesan, Sweet Chili, Buffalo Cauliflower, Korean Barbecue); and sides (Kale and Quinoa Salad, Bacon Cheese Fries, Carrot and Celery Salad, Mac and Cheese) to go along with the cocktails, wine, beer and their signature Boombox, a tropical rum punch served in a throwback-to-the-’80s shareable glass. By the way, you can also take your food up to the rooftop Splash Bar on the 14th floor adjacent to the hotel pool. Non-hotel guests can access both bars. The hotel and WXYZ had a soft opening in December, with the grand opening on Jan. 24. WXYZ Bar & Lounge is a Marriott brand with locations in Delray Beach, Aventura, Doral, Miami and now Fort Lauderdale.
Pleasures of the Sea Market, 1900 NW Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-4404411, PleasuresoftheSea. com:
Fort Lauderdale’s Sistrunk Boulevard has gained remarkable culinary muscle since the pandemic, and the latest proof is this seafood market and restaurant, which debuted in mid-December several blocks west of the new B&D Trap, Blue Tree Café and Salad Boss at L.A. Lee YMCA. This is Melvin Smith and Mitchell Hayes’ second Pleasures location in Fort Lauderdale (a second spot is roughly 3 miles northwest at 2620 NW 19th St.). This seafood hub is awash in conch fritters, fresh snapper and gizzards, along with butterfish, catfish, croakers, mullets, swai fish fillets and tilapia, plus chicken wings and sweet potato pie for dessert.
Kosher de Brazil, 1710 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd., Hallandale Beach; 954-399-7777; KosherdeBrazil.com:
It’s the first glatt kosher Brazilian steakhouse in the United States, if you believe the restaurant’s marketing materials, and this sit-down owned by Iosif and Olha Aminov specializes in rodizio-style cuts paired with Mediterranean flavors. The restaurant, which marked its grand opening Jan. 1, resembles a gilded palace of grilled meats, with goldpainted walls accented with hanging vines and black leather tufted chairs. Along with all-you-caneat, prime-cut picanha and ancho ribeyes, there are veal ribs, fraldinha (flank steak), filet mignon and lula kebab (a blend of ground beef, lamb, onion, seasoning and fresh herbs). Meanwhile, its bottomless market table is stocked with kosher-friendly Israeli and chickpea salads, kosher herring, smoked salmon and mackerel, and babaganoush, tahini and hummus.
Crack’d Kitchen & Coffee, 331 N. University Drive, Suite 206, Plantation; 754-755-5445; CrackdKitchen.com:
Another swanky all-day breakfast chain shuffled into Plantation Walk in mid-December, this one registered to Plantation franchisee James Michael Minahan. It’s the first South Florida expansion of the Bostonborn restaurant founded by two couples, Danny and Emma Azzarello and Alan and Meghan Frati, who jointly run five locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Along with coffee and smoothies, the mainstays, of course, are its egg handhelds, ranging from the belly-busting Big Commute (eggs, bacon, black forest ham, maple sausage, hash browns, cheddar) to the healthier, avocado-stuffed Surfside Burrito (egg whites, quinoarice, grape tomatoes, corn on wheat wrap). There’s also a Sunny Chorizo Bowl, requisite avocado toasts and lunchtime sandwiches like a Turkey Bacon Ranch and Deano “The Butcher,” a thick Angus patty on brioche.
PopStroke, 1314 N. Federal Highway, Delray Beach; PopStroke.com:
This 3-acre, mini-golf course and restaurant designed by Tiger Woods opened to the public on Nov. 8. Along with two 18-hole putting courses, there is a 4,600-square-foot restaurant selling “an expansive variety of craft beer, wine, ice cream, and food to enjoy on and off the course,” according to its website. The menu also includes build-your-own pizzas, salads, chicken wings, and appetizers such as baby back pork ribs, baked pretzels and potstickers. Delray PopStroke joins outposts in Fort Myers, Port St. Lucie, Sarasota, Orlando and near Tampa.
MAASS, 525 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-2560000; MaassFTL.com:
Is this an homage to Taco
Bell’s “Live Más” slogan? No, it’s chef Ryan Ratino’s new wood-fired European-Japanese restaurant, which debuted Dec. 21 inside the Four Seasons Hotel Fort Lauderdale. Along with contemporary cuisine, MAASS brings clout from restaurateur Ratino (a 2023 Michelin Guide Young Chef Award Winner) and HIVE Hospitality (two-Michelin-starred Jônt and Michelin-starred Bresca in Washington, D.C.). The sit-down offers two experiences: a 12-seat chef counter with multi-course tasting menu, or a traditional seafood-leaning menu of starters (such as tuna tartare, prawn toast and Wagyu beef tart) and entrees (Mandarin orange dry-aged duck, fried turbot wings in buttermilk vinaigrette).
Asbury Ale House, 300 SW First Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-727-1308; AsburyAleHouse.com:
Owner Matt Gullace expanded his New Jersey-born gastropub into its second location on the ground floor of hip residential tower Society Las Olas in early December. The eatery features a menu of coal-fired pizzas, burgers and the Drunken Bite (or pasta that is breaded, deepfried and dipped in vodka sauce). The 10,000-squarefoot restaurant also has 50 beers on tap, sports on dozens of TVs, and an outdoor patio filled with Jenga and cornhole activities.
Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders, 3800 N. University Drive, Suite 206, Cooper City; 954-399-6520; HueyMagoos.com:
The latest location of this Florida-raised chicken tender franchise has roosted in Cooper City with a Jan. 27 grand opening on North University Drive. This 2,500-square-foot dining room is one of nine Huey Magoo’s planned for Broward and MiamiDade counties by Frank Hennessey, Harry and Henry Dixon. It serves tenders that are grilled, hand-breaded or “sauced,” along with salads, sandwiches and wraps.
Filomena’s Bean Coffee, 3233 N. Ocean Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; FilomenasBeanCoffee.com:
This three-year-old café in Davie’s Shenandoah Square expanded into the former Dive Bar on State Road A1A on Galt Ocean Mile in late November. Along with Americanos, espressos and other caffeinated drinks in fun configurations (such as s’more cappuccinos, honey-cinnamon lattes), the menu features breakfast sandwiches, empanadas, wraps and salads. Filomena’s also stages live comedy, music, theater and dance nights. A third location of Filomena’s in Sunny Isles Beach is planned for later in 2024.
Saverio’s at Yacht Haven, 2323 W. State Road 84, Fort Lauderdale; 954-7741090; SaveriosSouth.com:
Tucked away off Marina Mile at Yacht Haven Park and Marina on the New River is this new Neapolitan-style pie shop in an expansive food truck, which opened to the public on Nov. 12. The pizzeria is owned by Emily and Saverio Cataldo and Gary Cioffi. It is an offshoot of the Cataldos’ A&S Italian Pork Store on the Long Island hamlet of Massapequa, N.Y. The restaurant’s namesake is a certified Neapolitan pie-maker (from Italy’s Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani) who fires his 14 speciality pies at 600 degrees for three minutes in an imported Castelli oven. In addition to their signature margherita topped with San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil, the menu features Alina (fried eggplant and ricotta) and Pinsa, a “gluten-friendly” variant made with a blend of soy, rice, sourdough and zero-wheat flour. Saverio’s has outdoor seating at four picnic tables (four to six people each) and a tiki hut with a dining table for up to 20 guests.
CLOSED
Capital Tacos, 5707 N. University Drive, Tamarac; 954-366-1378; CapitalTacos.com:
Less than a year after this Tampa-based Tex-Mex chain made its first foray into the South Florida market, cofounders Josh Luger and James Marcus abruptly closed their Tamarac outpost in mid-February without fanfare or an announcement. (The restaurant did not respond to phone calls, and its Tamarac webpage has been disabled.) The menu spotlighted 16 taco flavors that customers could also order as a burrito or bowl. The menu included quesadillas, nachos, loaded fries, salads, kids’ meals and desserts such as mini churros and Traditional Mexican Cheesecake.