Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
What’s open, closed, coming soon
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Now Open Jollibee, Pembroke Pines
Filipino-inspired classics are featured along with a variety of fried chicken dishes with an Asian twist. The palabok fiesta is a traditional Filipino noodle dish doused in garlic sauce, sautéed pork, shrimp and egg. The Jolly Spaghetti is topped with a signature sweet-style sauce that includes chunky slices of savory ham, ground meat and hotdog. Or go a bit more mainstream and grab a bucket of the chickenjoy fried chicken served spicy or regular with a gravy dipping sauce. This is the third location in the state, but the eatery is known around the world with thousands of locations from Costa Rica to the Philippines and around the United States. 11029 Pines Blvd., 954-777-8088; jollibeefoods.com
Chicken Salad Chick, Wellington
The fast-casual concept offers 12 types of sweet or savory chicken salad. Southern inspired dishes include a chicken salad BLT. 12792 Forest Hill Blvd., Plazachickensaladchick.com
Troy’s Barbeque, West Palm Beach
Boynton Beach’s iconic roadside barbecue stand opened a second location at The Peach, a former auto-body shop turned art collective. Owner Anthony Barber serves beef brisket and rib combo dinner plates, pulled-pork sandwiches and meats by-thepound. 3950 Georgia Ave.; 561-788-5561, BBQTroys. com
Dvash Mediterranean Fusion, Boca Raton
The family behind
Falafel Bistro & Wine
Bar in Coral Springs has opened Dvash Mediterranean Fusion in Lakeside Centre. The menu has some of the same dishes as Falafel Bistro, but the Dvash kitchen also reflects the family’s love of sharing plates, tapas style. 8208 Glades Road; DvashBoca. com
Cucina Ristorante, Pizza & Bar, Dania Beach
A fast-casual Italian restaurant with a mammoth menu, Cucina debuted in August inside the ever-expanding Dania Pointe shopping village. Along with meatball and steamed clam appetizers and 23 Italian entrees, there are 16 pizza styles, hot subs, gyros and falafel, chicken wings and burgers. 17 S. Pointe Drive; 754-432-3238, CucinaDP.com
Crab-Holic Seafood Boil and Bar, Davie
Another fast-casual crab shack that has scuttled into the Cajun seafood boil trend, Crab-Holic debuted in August. While crawfish buckets, po’boys and fried seafood baskets pad the menu, the main attraction is Cajun-style boils, where clams, mussels, lobster and snow crab legs are combined in a clear, steaming plastic bag filled with garlicky sauces and Cajun spices. 4599 S. University Drive; 954-450-4627, CrabHolic.com
Mama Hank’s Speakeasy & Kitchen, Fort Lauderdale
Behind a 400-pound bulletproof vault door at Chops + Hops Axe Throwing Lodge lies Mama Hank’s, a new Flagler Village kitchen and full-liquor speakeasy lounge. Mama Hank’s has 30 seats, an island bar and warehouse bay door that rolls up for alfresco drinking, and will share its kitchen with Chops & Hops. 704 NE First Ave.; 954-769-1881, MamaHanks.com
Oasis Emporium, Fort Lauderdale
Get your Brazilian fix with options like feijoada (black bean stew with beef and pork and lighter add-ins like veggies or oranges) or Copacabana coxinhas. The strip mall café also offers grab-and-go options including sandwiches, smoothies and coffee. 4350 N. Federal Highway, 754-262-0125.
Mama Bella, West Palm Beach
Described as a 3,750square culinary emporium, Mama Bella is a market, a café and an al fresco patio. The market area offers gourmet foods, spices, imported artisanal cuisine, wines and ingredients.
The café offers breakfast options including vanilla brioche French toast as well as lunch or dinner including chicken Kiev or beef stroganoff. 518 S. Dixie Highway, mamabellacafe. com; 561-599-5500
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, Boynton Beach
For lovers of sweets who are indecisive, the shop offers 40 different flavors of Italian ice including lemon basil, mango or Bahama freeze. You can also get a combo of Italian ice swirled into homemade soft ice cream. 1760 N. Congress Ave., Suite 100, 561-2863370; jeremiahsice.com
Lady Baker, Pembroke Pines
What began during the pandemic as a delivery-only bakery with kitchens in Weston and Doral has evolved into baker Paula Marsola’s new storefront, which opened late August in the Shops of Pembroke Gardens. Inventive creations like Nutella and banana bread pudding, zucchini quiches, marble cinnamon rolls and vegan croissants are on the menu, along with daily-baked artisanal breads (challah, brioche, chocolate sourdough). 14545 SW Fifth St.; 954-610-6370; LadyBaker.us
Rebel Wine Bar, Oakland Park
Part of the sleek lifestyle village gradually (OK, very gradually) taking shape along the spine of Dixie Highway, Rebel, from owner Larissa Castelluber, touts 200 rare bottles of Italian, California and other whites and reds, plus 150 vintages by-the-glass, cheese and charcuterie plates. 3520 NE 12th Ave.; 954-338-3004, RebelWineBar.com
Amar Bakery and Market, Boynton Beach
Za’atar croissants, baklava cheesecake and tahini-chocolate cake are typical mashups inside Nicolas and Susanna Kurban’s Mediterranean bakery, a new grab-and-go offshoot of the couple’s Lebanese bistro on Delray’s Atlantic Avenue. Amar also offers hummus, taboulehs, baba ghanouj and breakfast sandwiches. The Kurbans plan a second Amar Bakery this year a few doors down from their Delray bistro. 1600 N. Federal Highway, No. 15; 561-806-6726, Amar-Bakery.com
Peach Pit Juice Bar, Boca Raton
Not a Beverly Hills 90210-themed restaurant, but a health-conscious eatery, founded in New York City, offering sweet and savory favorites. Most options are served in a bowl you can customize including their Protein Power Bowl Special with acai, mixed berries, spinach, kale, vegan vanilla protein and almond milk blended. Then topped with walnuts, blackberry, strawberry, almond butter and cacao nibs. 2240 NW 19th St.; 561-931-2202
Papa Duke’s Deli, Wilton Manors
Now open next to the Dairy Queen on Wilton Drive, Papa Duke’s offers grab-and-go sandwiches of house-made roast beef, turkey, chicken, ham, corned beef and pastrami. There will be 10 outdoor seats if you want to linger. 1952 Wilton Drive; 954-5304914, PapaDukesWM.com.
Marco’s Top Burgers, Pompano Beach
Marco and Ana Paula’s sandwich food truck has graduated into its first storefront. The restaurant specializes in Brazilian-style Angus burgers topped with old standards (bacon, sunny-side up eggs) but also catupiry (Brazilian soft cheese) and prato (a gouda-style cow’s milk cheese). 3350 NW 22nd Terrace, #400b; 561-5623925, MarcosTopBurgers. com
La Costa Olas, Fort Lauderdale
Touting pan-Latin dishes with heavy Honduran flourishes, La Costa debuted in July from owners Carolina and Jesus Trundle where Las Olas Boulevard meets Fort Lauderdale beach. Along with Mexican street tacos and Argentinian-style steak, there is Honduran sopa de caracol (Caribbean conch soup) and baleadas (Honduran tortillas). 2915 E. Las Olas; 954-306-3294, LaCostaOlas.com
Arun’s Indian Kitchen, Boca Raton
The third location of owner-chef Arun Sareen’s family-run, no-frills and mostly takeout Indian kitchen opened in Boca Raton’s Fifth Avenue
Shops plaza in late August. Sareen, often working alongside his wife, Anu, and son, Yesh, turn out some of the tenderest tandoori dishes around, from butter chicken blended with cashew paste and ghee to roti tacos stuffed with chicken tikka masala. 1930 NE Fifth Ave.; 561-672-7138, ArunsIndianKitchen.com
Rosewater Rooftop, Delray Beach
This 22,000-squarefoot restaurant and pool bar is now open atop the boutique Ray Hotel Delray Beach, one of two eateries here helmed by executive chef Joe Zanelli. Rosewater is adorned with bamboo columns and trellises, a tree canopy, a glass-enclosed cube event space, and a menu of cocktails and seafood-forward eats such as snapper ceviche and yellowtail sushi. 233 NE Second Ave.; 561-865-7066, RosewaterDelray.com
Ember Grill, Delray Beach
This neighborhood American grill is inside the new boutique Ray
Hotel Delray Beach, which debuted on Sept. 1 in the city’s Pineapple Grove district and is one of two restaurants here helmed by executive chef Joe Zanelli. Menu dishes range from Peking duck to Angus burgers to porterhouse steak, many of which are fired on Ember’s wood-burning Josper grill imported from Barcelona, Spain. 233 NE Second Ave.; 561-865-7066, EmberGrillDelray.com
Villa Romana, Hollywood
This Italian and Romanian restaurant showcases contemporary and traditional fare, like mincemeat rolls made from beef and served with fries and mustard ($17.95) and Sarmalute in Foi de Varza, a prime mix of minced pork, seasoned and rolled in a large white cabbage leaf, then simmered in vegetable stock with herbs, served with polenta and sour cream ($15.95). Karaoke is Tuesdays during ladies’ night. Wine specials are offered on Wednesdays. 1909 Hollywood Boulevard, 954-251-3698; VillaRomanaRestaurant.com
Coming soon
Vicky Bakery, Hollywood
Iced cafecitos and a seasonal pumpkin y queso pastelito (cheese pastry) are on the menu at Vicky’s, one of our areas original Cuban bakeries. This is the 17th location for the family-owned business, which began in Hialeah nearly 50 years ago. 2319 N. State Road 7, vickybakery.com Mai-Kai, Oakland Park Nearly nine months after the Mai-Kai Restaurant put its iconic building and land up for sale, the restaurant has found new buyers: Mad Room Hospitality (owners of Little Havana’s Ball & Chain bar), in partnership with real-estate company Barlington Group and Oakland Park’s American National Bank. The new partnership will spend $8.5 million to fix extensive damage caused by age and last October’s roof cave-in to reopen the Mai-Kai within six to 14 months. The Molokai bar is expected to open by next spring, and the entire property by the end of 2022. 3599 N. Federal Highway; maikai.com
Holly Blue, Fort Lauderdale
Chef Giovanni Rocchio (Valentino) returns to the Fort Lauderdale dining scene with Holly Blue, an ambitious, elevated dining experience distinguished by his incomparable housemade pastas, artfully plated dishes and relatively expensive prices. Holly Blue is expected to open in early November as part of he multimillion-dollar remodel of the historic First Evangelical Lutheran Church. The former nave of the church will be home to a two-story nightclub called The Angeles. 441 NE Third Ave.; HollyBlueFTL. com.
Dune by Laurent Tourondel, Fort Lauderdale
The elegant beachfront restaurant inside the Auberge Beach Residences and Spa that closed in June will reopen later this fall under new owner Laurent Tourondel, the Michelin-star chef best known for his BLT Prime and
BLT Steak brands. 2200 N. Ocean Blvd.; dunebylt.com
Circle House Coffee, Oakland Park
The Flagler Village drivethru coffeehouse owned by former NFL linebacker Stephen Tulloch will open a sister café on Oct. 30. Along with Mojo Donut flavors, Circle House does CBD-infused coffee, breakfast sandwiches, empanadas, slushies, vegan cookies and guava cheesecake pie shakes. 119 W. Oakland Park Blvd.; 954-870-6456, CircleHouseCoffee.com
Patio Bar & Pizza, Fort Lauderdale
Currently under construction at the landmark Progresso Plaza, the new pizza restaurant and bar from hospitality veteran Brian Parenteau (DrYnk Bar & Lounge, Tulio’s Tacos and Tequila Bar) will open on the ground floor and share patio space with craft beer bar Laser Wolf. Expected opening in late December or early January. 901 Progresso Drive.
Pubbelly Sushi
The Japanese-Latin inspired sushi restaurant founded by James Beard Award winning chef Jose Mendin is aiming to have four new locations across South Florida by next year, adding to the existing eateries in Aventura, Brickell City Centre, downtown Dadeland and the flagship in Miami Beach. This fall Doral will debut first, then Pembroke Pines, with Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale opening next year. Popular menu items include short rib and truffle dumplings, the butter krab roll and bao buns. PubbellyGlobal.com
Bakery Fusion Café, Pompano Beach
Fresh-baked croissants and French pastries, Italian cakes, Brazilian bread and other international goods distinguish this new bistro-style lounge, opening early October inside Pompano Citi Centre. The 2,200-square-foot café — which comes from brothers Jailton and Thomas Sousa (a South Beach nightclub DJ) and chef-owner Jane Cruz, their sister — will also offer Belgian chocolates and ice cream topped with 24-carat edible gold. 1901 N. Federal Highway, Suite #112; 954-532-7383, BakeryFusion.com
Ya Mas! Taverna, Fort Lauderdale
No official menu is out just yet, but the Greek eatery from Memphis Garrett’s hospitality group will have plates focused around a Mediterranean diet and fresh ingredients, according to the restaurant’s Instagram account. 1103 E Las Olas Boulevard, yamastaverna.com
Maple Street Biscuit Company, Pembroke Pines
Biscuit-based creations, as the name implies, are the big attraction at this Jacksonville-born fast-casual chain bought by Cracker Barrel in 2019. Maple Street dishes biscuit sandwiches like the Squawking Goat (fried chicken breast, fried goat-cheese medallions, pepper jelly), topped with choice of sausage or shiitake mushroom gravy, plus hash brown cakes, fried green tomatoes and collard greens. This will be its first South Florida location. 10280 Pines Blvd., Suite 102; MapleStreetBiscuitCompany.com
Matchbox and Big Buns Damn Good Burgers,
Fort Lauderdale
Two Thompson Hospitality restaurants are coming to Society Las Olas, a mixed-use space along the New River. Matchbox will take on a larger space serving items like the “ginormous meatball” and “hangover burrito.” Big Buns Damn Good Burgers will offer all types of stacked burgers or burger bowls with side options like Jammin’ sprouts (fried Brussels sprouts, bacon jam, sriracha drizzle) and milkshakes that can be boozy or not. eatbigbuns. com
Old School Philly Cheesesteaks, Pompano Beach
It’s the guilty pleasure of cheesesteaks with Cheez Whiz as one of the toppings. The Boca Raton eatery is expanding, replacing a former Subway across the street from the Pompano AirPark. This location will showcase sandwich-making directly in front of customers who can choose to create their own Philly or get a classic. 898 N. Federal Highway, 561-488-6906.
Tacocraft Taqueria and Tequila Bar, Plantation
Expanding Tulum vibes into west Broward, this Mexican-themed eatery’s fourth location is set to open inside the new Plantation Walk complex, a mixed-use renovation of the old Fashion Mall.
The restaurant from Handcrafted Hospitality (Henry’s Sandwich Station, Pizzacraft) touts an expansive tequila selection and homemade tortillas expected to hit booths and bar counters inside the new 4,200-square-foot space this December. 333 N University Dr.; Tacocraft. com
Ramen Lab Eatery, West Boca
This will be the third Palm Beach location
specializing in ramen and other bowl concepts including donburi and poke bowls. Noodles are made in-house and toppings range from pork chashu to a seasoned poached egg. There are also Izakaya tapas and a beer/sake selection from Japan. Address TBD; RamenLabEatery.com Lazy Dog, Boca Raton This Southern California gastropub chain dishes American comfort classics. Barbecue bison meatloaf, pot roast beef dips, peanut butter and jelly burgers, teriyaki bowls and St. Louis-style ribs distinguish the chain’s massive menu, which also features meatless and gluten-sensitive meals.
It’s 10,900-square-foot eatery will debut in Oct. 13 inside the new Uptown Boca shopping village.
9636 Glades Road, Bldg.
C6; 714-596-9960, LazyDogRestaurants.com
Sushi Maki, Fort Lauderdale
For entrepreneur Abe Ng, what began as his father’s Chinese takeout empire is now a thriving dynasty of sushi houses, the latest of which will debut this fall inside the former Beehive Kitchen on Las Olas. The 2,500-square-foot Sushi Maki will feature poke bowls, sushi boats, pad Thai and wok-fried rice. 200 E. Las Olas Blvd.; SushiMaki.com
Throw Social, Delray Beach
A 12,000-square-foot entertainment village on Delray Beach’s Atlantic Avenue will open in November inside former clubby Italian grill il Bacio. The project is the second location of Throw Social’s Washington, D.C. flagship, and will feature ax throwing, darts, shuffleboard tables, two outdoor stages pumping live music and a menu of gastropub fare. 29 SE Second Ave.; 800-5610755, ThrowSocial.com
Asbury Ale House,
Fort Lauderdale
Owner Matt Gullace will expand his New Jerseyborn gastropub into its second location this October on the ground floor of hip residential tower Society Las Olas, and feature a menu of coal-fired pizzas, burgers and the Drunken Bite (or drunken pasta that is Italian-breaded, deepfried and dipped in vodka sauce). The 10,000-squarefoot restaurant also will have 50 beers on tap, sports on dozens of TVs and an outdoor patio filled with Jenga and cornhole. 300 SW First Ave.; AsburyAleHouse.com
Pascal and Cathy Bakery, Pompano Beach
This husband and wifeowned French bakery will be open for breakfast and lunch, offering fresh baked items daily including: viennoiseries, pastries, sandwiches and paninis. 998 N Federal Highway, Suite 4-5; bakerypascal.com
Mitch’s Downtown Bagel Café, Fort Lauderdale
A self-avowed “old school” New York-style deli with a website that cheekily proclaims, “no bearded hipster baristas here,” Mitch’s nonetheless will debut in October in hipsterfied Flagler Village. The bagel shop will showcase Angus hamburgers, deli sandwiches, avocado toast and all-day breakfast sandwiches. 540 N. Andrews Ave.; 954-446-6446, MitchsDowntown.com
Pagoda Kitchen, Delray Beach
Decorated restaurateur Burt Rapoport (Max’s Grille, Deck 84, Prezzo) is behind this new restaurant opening this October at Delray Marketplace. Billed as “home-style Chinese cuisine,” and inspired by the pan-Asian travels of chef Bryan S. Emperor (one of Food and Wine’s Best New Chefs in America), the menu features Peking duck, bao buns, glazed Chinese barbecue spare ribs and shaved ribeye with shishito peppers. 14817 Lyons Road, Suite 100; PagodaKitchen. com
Drift, Delray Beach
A seafood restaurant opening mid November inside the Opal Grand Oceanfront Resort & Spa, Drift will include a rooftop
bar and join the luxury hotel’s Cascades and Monkey Bar eateries. 10 N. Ocean Blvd.; 561-274-3200, OpalGrand.com
Meso Beach House, Delray Beach
With a craft-cocktail bar, patio raw bar and seafood-focused Mediterranean menu that spans grilled octopus to whole roasted branzino, Meso’s trendy fare is designed to hook tourists and the local boating set, owner Bobby Khorrami says.
This will be the first sister location to the original in Westchester County, N.Y. Expected to open in November. 900 E. Atlantic Ave.
Bruno’s Eats, Fort Lauderdale
Owners Bruno “Chef Max” Maxino and Peggy Ann Blain, who’ve been a food-truck power couple since 2013 — especially in Flagler Village — will open their first storefront on Fort Lauderdale’s buzzy 13th Street. Dishes, which mash up Haitian, Jamaican, Latin American and New York street-food influences, include the griot burrito stuffed with pulled pork, red and green peppers, mushroom rice and secret sauces. 603 NE 13th St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-864-9679
Lickie Stickie BBQ, Sunrise
Pitmaster Juliette Johnson’s popular Southern Caribbean food stand — and sellout brisket— is restaurant-bound. After setting up at farmers’ markets around Broward County every weekend for seven years, Chef Juliette says she’s ready to offer her popular items all week long including: spare ribs, salmon, chicken, cheesy grits, collard greens and her homemade jerk and barbecue sauce. Her catering services will also continue. lickiestickiebbq. com; 954-638-2324
Buoy Bites, Fort Lauderdale
The first sister location of this Oakland Park roadside seafood shack will take over the space formerly occupied by Phat Boy Sushi & Kitchen. Buoy Bites features oysters on the halfshell, buckets of mussels and clams, crab cakes, fishfry baskets, lobster clambakes and New England clam chowder. 4391 N. Federal Highway; 954-3062775, BuoyBites.com.
Pig Beach BBQ, West Palm Beach
The first Florida outpost of this Brooklyn barbecue icon will open in October and dish smoked brisket and baby back ribs, cheddar-jalapeno sausage and homemade coleslaw. Pig Beach’s brisket-and-shortrib smash burger also won the People’s Choice and Best Dressed awards at South Beach Wine and Food Festival’s Burger
Bash. 2400 S. Dixie Highway; PigBeachNYC.com
No Man’s Land, Fort Lauderdale
Restaurateur Memphis
Garrett will turn his fast-casual Poke House into a ghost kitchen and convert the space into a No Man’s Land, a cocktail parlor and lounge. The lounge will offer a 10-item menu of small shareable plate dishes. 666 Federal Highway. NoMansLandFTL.com.
Closed
Char-Hut, Fort Lauderdale
Juicy charbroiled burgers are no more at this Fort Lauderdale Char-Hut franchise, which shuttered in August after seven years in the Northridge Shopping Center. Its sister CharHuts in Davie, Pembroke Pines and Tamarac are all still open and owned by Michael and Tony Cammisa, whose father Joe opened the first in 1976. 753 E. Commercial Blvd.; OrderCharHut.com
Ally’s Comfort Café, Sunrise
This café-diner dishing sandwiches, soups, burgers, cinnamon-roll pancakes and other belly-warming breakfasts has closed its Sunrise outpost, according to Ally’s website. Owner Ally Perfecto’s namesake diner also featured a kid’s corner filled with coloring books and a book nook for adults to peruse over coffee. Ally’s flagship on State Road 84 in Davie remains open. 9210 W. Commercial Blvd.; AllysComfortCafe. net