South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
19 best bites of 2019
Our food critic picks his favorite South Florida restaurant dishes of the year
As usual, it was a stressful year. As usual, there was comfort in food. As usual, I ate too much and remember too little. But I remember some of the bigger things of 2019. I remember binge-eating junk food and binge-watching spaghetti models as Hurricane Dorian loomed. I remember long lines and short fuses as chicken sandwich mania at Popeyes turned fast food slow. I remember the improbable time when the hottest thing at Burger King was a burger that wasn’t a burger, the Impossible Whopper made from faux meat. After eating out nearly every day — dining at more than 250 restaurants and reviewing 53 — I also remember the items that stood apart from the crowd. Here are my 19 favorite dishes from South Florida restaurants in 2019.
1. Agnolotti carbonara, Valentino Cucina, Fort Lauderdale. I’m a pasta junkie, and when I bit into these heavenly stuffed pockets at chef Giovanni Rocchio’s gastronomic temple in a former tire shop just south of the New River tunnel, thunderbolts clapped and time stood still. This angelic re-imagining of a heavy dish typically made with spaghetti featured light handmade pillows filled with a custard of organic egg yolk, pecorino cheese and black pepper. It practically floated off the plate, held in place by a scattering of Parmesan crisps and strips of crunchy pancetta. “I cannot fathom how I will have a better bite ... all year,” I wrote in a four-star review in January. I didn’t. At the time, I didn’t know that Rocchio would depart his creation 10 months later. The $24 dish remains on the menu under new chef Joel Ehrlich, but I haven’t yet tried his version. Sometimes it’s best not to mess with a perfect food memory.
Valentino Cucina Italiana,
620 S. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale,
954-523-5767, ValentinoCucinaItaliana.com
2. Tomato and peach carpaccio, Florie’s, Palm Beach. Even the most ardent carnivores will not miss meat in this gorgeous, plant-based revision of a classic appetizer at Florie’s at the Four Seasons Palm Beach, my only other fourstar recipient this year. Razor-thin slices of yellow and red heirloom tomatoes were layered with golden, red-rimmed slices of peach, dusted green with a scattering of chives and herbs and given crunch with Sicilian pistachios. A drizzle of olive oil and ginger vinaigrette finished the dish. With peaches out of season, the dish ($21) now features California persimmons. The 1-year-old Florie’s is overseen by star chef Mauro Colagreco, whose Mirazur restaurant in southern France this year was bestowed a third Michelin star and awarded No. 1 on the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, a vote conducted among chefs, restaurateurs and other food professionals. Holding up an absentee star chef ’s reputation can be a heavy lift indeed, but the kitchen crew at Florie’s does it with the lightness and grace of a ballet troupe.
Florie’s at the Palm Beach Four Seasons, 2800 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach, 561-582-2800, FloriesPB.com
3. Grilled whole yellowtail snapper, Abiaka, Hollywood. It’s hard to pronounce and tricky to find, but food treasure awaits at Abiaka, among the new restaurants at the expanded Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Abiaka was the tribal name for Miccosukee-Seminole warrior Sam Jones. The sleek, David Rockwell-designed restaurant is located on the second floor of a poolside building outside the new Guitar hotel. Chef Tito Vargas and crew are doing some wonderful things with seafood, including a nifty deboned snapper
($40) that is reassembled with head and tail. Fillets are brined in dashi before the fish is reconstructed, then grilled over Florida white oak and finished in a high-temperature Josper oven with cherry oak. The result? A smoke-kissed marvel of crisp skin, moist meat, hassle-free eating and sweet, charred cheeks that fish lovers can still dig their fingers into. The fish is on the small side, but the flavors are big. It’s served with fermented black garlic sauce and a pico de gallo of grilled pineapple, jicama and apple. Yes, please.
Abiaka at Seminole Hard Rock, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, 954-248-5944, SeminoleHardRockHollywood.com/Abiaka
4. Cilantro soup, Eduardo de San Angel, Fort Lauderdale. After 27 years, chef-owner Eduardo Pria will close his upscale Mexican-global restaurant on Dec. 31. With it will go his cilantro soup ($12), one of the Fort Lauderdale culinary scene’s landmark dishes. If you’ve never had it, I strongly suggest snagging one of the dwindling reservations. I got my last licks in this week, and I felt pangs of bittersweet joy as I slurped each creamy, spicy spoonful. The pureed green base of cilantro, zucchini and chicken stock is enlivened with garlic, onions and jalapenos, then finished with a dollop of sour cream and a crumble of feta cheese. At the bottom of the bowl, like a prize in a box of Cracker Jack, was a firm cheese ravioli. Gracias y
salud, Señor Pria.
Eduardo de San Angel, 2822 E. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-772-4731, EduardoDeSanAngel.com
5. Burger, Jewell Bistro, Lake Worth. “Today’s menu — Eat it or starve,” reads a sign at quirky, cashonly Jewell Bistro. When the daily-changing menu features chef-owner Dak Kerprich’s sublime burger, you’ll want to eat it. The burger is cooked only one way — medium-rare — with perfect charred crust and pink, juicy meat that crumbles to the bite. An
8.5-ounce blend of sirloin and chuck is freshly ground, in loose French style, and seared in a castiron skillet on Kerprich’s four-burner gas stove, then placed on a house-baked brioche bun with herbed cream cheese, sunflower sprouts and Jamaican Pickapeppa sauce. It is ridiculously expensive — $22 — but I dare say worth it, one of the finest burgers I’ve eaten anywhere. Do not ask for ketchup, pickles or onions. Kerprich will not oblige. “It’s not Burger King,” Kerprich says. “You’re not getting it your way.”
Jewell Bistro, 830 N. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth, no phone, TheJewell.menu
6. Pepperoni pizza and beer, 3 Sons Brewing Co., Dania Beach. Pizza-andbeer is the ultimate carby comfort combo, and it perhaps has never been made to a finer degree under one roof than at 3 Sons Brewing Co. The industrial brewhouse and taproom opened in March in a hard-to-find Federal Highway strip mall. The more I visit the more I appreciate the consistency and craftsmanship of brewer Corey Artanis and chef Nicolay Adinaguev. Adinaguev’s chewy, airy Neapolitan-style small pies are made with cold-fermented, Caputo-flour dough and blistered to leopard-spotted perfection in 90 seconds in a dome oven fueled with Florida oak. Artanis’ creative beers go down easy due to low carbonation. My favorite pairing at the moment is the spicy cup-pepperoni pizza ($14) washed down with Excuse My French Toast, a slightly sweet Irish stout that mimics French toast with hints of maple syrup and cinnamon. If that’s tapped out, one can’t go wrong with the Dopealicious IPA. You’ll leave hoppy and happy.
3 Sons Brewing Co., 236 N. Federal Highway, Dania Beach, 954-601-3833, 3 sons brewing co. com
7. Swordfish with charred broccoli and hazelnut romesco, Oceano Kitchen, Lantana. One big frustration of this job is not getting a chance to return to places I love, but I finally revisited Oceano Kitchen last month for the first time since a 4-star review in
2017. Chef-owners Jeremy and Cindy Bearman are preparing to open High Dive seafood restaurant in West Palm Beach in January, but I’m happy to report Oceano is still operating at
4-star level and remains one of South Florida’s best restaurants. My favorite recent dish portends well for the new project: succulent grilled swordfish ($29) with charred broccoli, smashed fingerling potatoes and hazelnut romesco. I can’t wait to take the plunge at High Dive.
Oceano Kitchen, 201 E. Ocean Ave., Lantana, 561-562-5055, OceanoKitchen.com
8. Pork shank, Ghee Indian Kitchen, Miami. It’s not typical to encounter pork or beef at an Indian restaurant, not with Hindus and Muslims eschewing those meats. But Ghee Indian
Kitchen in midtown Miami defies expectations in a delicious way. After I devoured a cardamomsmoked Niman Ranch pork shank ($28) with scallions in a spiced brown sauce, Indian-born chef Pushkar Marathe explained that pork is a staple in some regions with large Catholic populations and where colonial influences remain. The well-traveled Marathe, a Deerfield Beach resident, has since left Ghee and will soon open Stage in Palm Beach Gardens, where he will feature a daily-changing menu of Indian-influenced global dishes. Prepare to have expectations defied deliciously again. Acclaimed Miami chef Niven Patel still oversees Ghee.
Ghee Indian Kitchen, 3620 NE Second Ave., Miami, 786-636-6122, GheeMiami.com
9. Collard greens, Fat Boyz Barbecue, Coral Springs. Yes, the ribs and smoked meats are good at Fat Boyz Barbecue, which had an active year of openings and closings. But the bite that delighted me most during redemptive review visits to the Coral Spings outpost was the collard greens. It’s a side that too often gets abused, either too mushy or too greaseladen with bacon or pork. But the “grandma greens”
($2.75 small, $5.25 large) from co-owners Jarael and Yolanda Holston-Jones are light and bright. The braised, chopped greens are flecked with shreds of smoked turkey and cooked just right — not too hard, not too soft, The smoked turkey gave it all the depth of fattier versions. Make mine a large.
Fat Boyz Barbecue, 6192 W. Sample Road, Coral Springs (also Deerfield Beach and Fort Lauderdale), 954-415-4810, FatBoyzBarbecue.com
10. Oyster platter, Even Keel, Fort Lauderdale. I wish there were more seafood restaurants like Even Keel Fish & Oyster, which opened in January from veteran chef-restaurateur Dean James Max. Little things are done right, such as the preparation and presentation of premium oysters, offered at $2 apiece on Tuesdays. Properly shucked and served with bracing mignonette, a squeeze bottle of hot sauce and tins of cocktail sauce and horseradish, the oysters brim with sweetness and salinity. The best part: Offerings from east and west coasts are clearly marked with little popsicle sticks, so it’s easy to remember if you liked the Tottens from Washington, the Wellfleets from Massachusetts or the Shipwrecks from Prince Edward Island best. A dozen more, please.
Even Keel Fish & Oyster.
4100 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale,
954-530-6276, EvenKeelFish.com
11. Mushroom strozzapreti, Rose’s Daughter, Delray Beach. Is there anything more comforting than a bowl of fresh, housemade pasta tossed with Florida oyster mushrooms, Grana Padano cheese, crushed black truffle paste, sherry wine and locally grown peas? If you top it with some Pecorino Romano and a cage-free fried egg and then break the yolk over the pile, the answer is an emphatic no. The Sshaped strozzapreti squiggles, made from Caputo semolina flour and egg yolks, are a marvel and the dish is decadent without needing butter or cream. It’s no wonder chef-owner Suzanne Perrotto’s cozy new trattoria, which opened in the Pineapple Grove neighborhood in August, has been packing them in.
Rose’s Daughter, 167 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach, 561-271-9423, rosesdaughterdelray.com
12. Sushi boat, Kaizen Sushi Bar & Grill, Fort Lauderdale. It’s a joy when a reader tip leads to a gold mine, or in this case an aquarium of pristine, shimmering fish. Particularly when the fish is of such high quality, including many varieties flown in from Japan, and offered at too-good-to-be-true prices. The $60 sushi boat for two at Kaizen, which opened in May, had me shaking my head in disbelief, a huge array of rolls, nigiri and sashimi. Qui Lam, the
30-year-old Cambodianborn chef who runs Kaizen with fiancee Chau Ho, says he is obsessed with sushi, and his obsession shows.
Kaizen Sushi Bar & Grill,
5640 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale,
954-835-5610, or KaizenFlorida.com
13. BBQ brisket tostada, Los Bocados, Coral Springs. A hidden surprise is always a delight, and the half-moon shaped barbecued brisket tostada found in a gas-station convenience store qualifies. Tucked in a Chevron on State Road 7, Los Bocados has some serious culinary cred. Co-owners Anthony Hoff and Robby Bushman come from fine-dining backgrounds. Bushman calls the tantalizing tostadas ($7.50 for 2, $3 each on Tuesdays) an openfaced taco. I describe it as a mix of loaded nacho, chipped beef on toast and brisket pizza. They are sweet, spicy, sultry and soulful. Brisket that takes two days to prepare is layered atop housemade fried corn tortillas, topped with pickled jalapeno relish, avocado crema and Cotija cheese. When presented, it looks like a multi-colored fiesta. When eaten, it’s a party in the mouth.
Los Bocados, 7191 N. State Road 7, Parkland, 954-637-4984, LosBocados.com
14. Mozzarella cheese, Bufarella Genuine Italian Gourmet, Oakland Park. “What’s life without cheese? Longer.” So goes a joke I once heard. But I might be willing to shave a few months for the beautiful alabaster orbs of mozzarella fior de latte ($5), creamy burratas ($10) and striated stacciatellas ($5) at Bufarella Genuine Italian Gourmet market, all made in house daily. Sandwiches
($8-$13) are tremendous. Throw some fresh mozzarella and quality imported Italian cold cuts (prosciutto, speck, etc.) on crusty, chewy ciabattina brought in from Gran Forno bakery in Fort Lauderdale and thank me later.
Bufarella Genuine Italian Gourmet, 1682 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park, 954-368-6286, BufarellaGourmet.com.
15. Chicken ensalata, Casareccio Trattoria, Pompano Beach. There are no menus at this small
(34 seats), leisurely paced restaurant, which opened in 2017. Instead, guests choose from a room-length blackboard with offerings that are updated weekly by chef-owners Emylene Egusquiza and Sicilianborn Salvatore Spina. Chicken ensalata ($35) provides a fresh change of pace from ubiquitous chicken parm. Breadcrumb-coated cutlets are topped by a medley of organic tomatoes and basil snipped from an herb garden out back, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Two orbs of burrata with creamy centers top the generous platter.
Casareccio Trattoria, 1386 S. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach, 954-998-3642, or CasareccioTrattoria.com
16. Roast pork sandwich, Anthony’s Pronto Kitchen, Fort Lauderdale. Forget cheesesteaks. For my money, the sandwich that should be Philadelphia’s signature hoagie is the roast pork with provolone and broccoli rabe, a species that’s seldom seen in South Florida. Fortunately for us swinophiles, Anthony’s Pronto Kitchen, a takeout joint from veteran restaurateur Anthony Bruno that opened in March, has rectified the situation. Pronto chef Anthony “Radar” Risoli, who hails from Philly, was determined to bring a good one to Fort Lauderdale. The $14 result, although a bit pricey, succeeds. Although purists may quibble with the bread (a hefty, chewy ciabatta), there’s no arguing with the interior, thin slices of juicy, garlic-and-spice infused roasted pork topped with a layer of sharp provolone and bitter, sautéed greens. For an added bonus, splurge and throw on a long-hot pepper.
Anthony’s Pronto Kitchen,
656 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale,
954-289-3685, AnthonysPronto.com.
17. Fried chicken, Loch Bar, Boca Raton. This gorgeous, $3 million seafood shrine in Mizner Park missed the mark with its raw bar execution during my visits, but compensated with an unexpected treat: Fried chicken from a Henny Penny pressure fryer that snapped, crackled and popped. Priced at
$19 for a half-bird and served with hand-cut fries and creamy cole slaw, it’s not as cheap as the $6.95 no-sides version at Joe’s Stone Crab, but every bit as good. Crispy, battered skin gave way to a juicy interior. For a satisfying mix-andmatch meal, order the excellent Maryland crab cake, too.
Loch Bar, 346 Plaza Real (Mizner Park), Boca Raton, 561-939-6600, LochBar.com.
18. Lobster ravioli, Fiola, Coral Gables. Lobster ravioli is one of those dishes that invariably disappoints, the lobster meat usually minced or pureed into oblivion and lost in a mediocre sea of creamy or cheesy filling and dense pasta dough. This is not the case at Fiola, a luxurious restaurant from Michelinstarred, Washington, D.Cbased chef Fabio Trabocchi that opened in Coral Gables a year ago. At Fiola, lobster is the undeniable star of the dish, with meat from an entire 1 1⁄2-pound Maine lobster used. Tail and claw meat is arranged on the plate surrounded by three lobster dumplings. The thin, housemade wonton skins are stuffed with whole chunks of knuckle and creamy, umami roe. A reduction of butter, olive oil, persimmon, port wine and chanterelle and trumpet mushrooms finishes the dish. It is expensive ($55 at lunch, $60 dinner), but the indulgence is worth it. You’ll feel richer for the experience.
Fiola, 1500 San Ignacio Ave., Coral Gables, 305-912-2639, fiolamiami.com
19. Heath bread pudding, the Grove, Delray Beach. Typically I include several desserts in my annual roundup, but life seemed a bit less sweet this year. In April I lost my father, a gentle soul who taught me an appreciation for a proper restaurant meal and the restorative effects of good food, good company and good conversation. Last month, I learned I was on the verge of Type 2 diabetes, a disease that afflicts 30 million American adults (with another 80 million deemed pre-diabetic). The condition can be controlled (and in my case reversed) with a healthier diet, more exercise and weight loss. But life is too short to not cheat a little ( just two bites!), and thus I had to include my most memorable dessert of 2019. That came at the Grove in Delray Beach, a bastion of civility and sophistication and one of South Florida’s best restaurants. Its Heath bread pudding ($11) is a marvel of balanced taste and texture, with a warm mound of bread and chocolate, crunchy on the outside and custardy inside, topped by a restrained scoop of housemade vanilla ice cream. Here’s to a happy, healthy and (not too) sweet
2020.