Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Voodoo Bayou adding French Quarter cool to Las Olas
When it comes to food, South Florida is a great place to be. So many new places open up every day. Here’s what’s coming soon to a city near you.
Voodoo Bayou, Fort Lauderdale
Radiating French Quarter cool with a wroughtiron balcony to match, this pandemic-delayed Southern Cajun cafe is expected to finally open on the Las Olas Boulevard drag sometime this spring, replacing the former Café de Paris. Voodoo Bayou is owner Curtis Peery’s (Calaveras Cantina in Boca Raton, Jupiter) vision of New Orleans cuisine, with entrées spanning Crescent City staples (gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp and crawfish étouffée, po’ boys) as well as inventive dishes (such as an 18-ounce, bone-in Cajun ribeye with bourbon jus, woodfired redfish — and even gator tail). This would be Voodoo’s second location after its flagship opened in Palm Beach Gardens in 2020. 715 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; VoodooBayou.com
CRU Lounge, West Palm Beach
This clubby hookah bar and small-plates franchise expects to shuffle this spring into West Palm Beach’s hip, muralsplashed Northwood Village district. CRU, to be operated by local franchisee Stephon Williams, touts a hookah menu as sweet as its sugary cocktails, which include Liquid Hemp (coconut rum, pineapple juice) and Nyak Hulk (fruit juice, vodka, cognac, sour patch candy straws). The lounge also serves Philly cheesesteaks, lollipop lamb chops, garlic shrimp skewers and lobster mac ‘n’ cheese. CRU’s West Palm Beach location will join outposts in Atlanta,
Los Angeles, Austin and New Orleans, with a Coral Gables location expected first in April. 538 Northwood Road, West Palm Beach; CRULounge.com
5th Element Indian Grill, Delray Beach
Coming in hotter than red curry is this Florida-born Indian chain, which this winter will quickly shuffle into the Palm Court Plaza storefront once occupied by
Mr. Chen’s Hunan Palace (which abruptly closed in January). The restaurant, which is registered to Vijaya Kumar Indhupuru, will serve tandoor-baked chicken tikka and lamb kebabs, paneer, chicken curry and goat masala. 5th Element’s Delray location joins sister stores in Pompano Beach, Sanford, Daytona Beach, Palm Coast and Jacksonville. 5130 Linton Blvd., Unit E1, Delray Beach; My5thElement.com
Truluck’s, Fort Lauderdale
After three years away, the upscale steak-andseafood restaurant chain that once anchored Fort Lauderdale’s Galleria Mall is returning to the city, expected to open later this spring in the Paramount condominiums storefront once occupied by Moréa. LM Restaurants founder Lou Moshakos, owner of Moréa, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he sold the restaurant to Truluck’s in October. The beachfront restaurant and al fresco terrace will serve in-season Florida stone crabs, lobster bisque and wedge salads, crab cake sandwiches on buttered potato buns, and entrées ranging from trout amandine and miso-glazed seabass to super colossal prawns and broiled centercut ribeyes. The surf-andturf eatery, which has Southern Florida outposts in Miami and Naples, last appeared in Fort Lauderdale in May 2020, when it abruptly closed early in the pandemic after a decade.
701 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; Trulucks.com
Black Rock Bar & Grill, Coral Springs
A new location of this Michigan-born, grill-yourown-steaks chain is set to debut in early 2023 in the space formerly occupied by The New York Bagel Factory. As with its Fort Lauderdale location (which opened in April 2019),
Black Rock’s DIY gimmick is simple: Customers grill and flip their raw Angus beef steaks and seafood to desired doneness over 755-degree volcanic bricks served tableside. The restaurant (which touts a mammoth 14-page menu) also features hamburgers, French dips and Reubens, rib slabs and Maine lobster tail. For dessert, there’s a towering brownie “volcano” loaded with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate and caramel, and speared with shooting sparklers. 2554 N. University Drive, Coral Springs; BlackRockRestaurants.com
Grain & Berry, Fort Lauderdale
This Tampa-based, build-your-own-bowl chain plans to plant its newest outpost this spring in Flagler Village, across the street from Holiday Park. Grain’s first South Florida location (and 13th in the state) comes from co-franchisee Jeremy Dover, one half of Fort Lauderdale’s Demesmin & Dover law firm. The chain focuses on superfoods and serves bowls with different bases including acai, spirulina, pitaya or yogurt. The menu also features flatbreads and quesadillas with cauliflower or broccoli crusts, avocado toast, smoothies and juices. A Pembroke Pines location is expected to follow in early 2023. 701 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; GrainandBerry.com
Bliss Bar & Nightclub, Lauderdale Lakes
This trendy boîte registered to owners Richard and Lisa Roopnarine and Visham and Radhica Ramlochan is expected to open this spring in the plaza shared with Yeasty Brews Artisanal Beers. Along with hip-hop, Latin, Caribbean dancehall and electronica music, the club will feature a full liquor bar and a menu of light appetizers. 3936-3950 NW 19th St.; no website or phone number yet
Naked Farmer, Sunrise
This casual American restaurant whose healthy menu changes with the seasons is scheduled to open in February on West Sunrise Boulevard. A farmto-fork born in Tampa, Naked Farmer created its own direct supply chain with Florida farms, where it sources proteins and vegetables. The restaurant specializes in “build-yourown-harvest-bowls” filled with rosemary-roasted chicken, Faroe Island salmon and grass-fed beef, and topped with “your choice of (un)dressing,” per its website. Bowls also include sides such as chilled beets and feta, roasted sweet potatoes and carrots with lemon gremolata. The mini-chain operates three other outposts in Coral Gables, Tampa and St. Petersburg. 13945 W. Sunrise Blvd., Sunrise; EatNakedFarmer.com
Cluckin Hot Chicks, Dania Beach
Yet another new chicken franchise is arriving in South Florida, this one planned for sometime in February on South Federal Highway, replacing a former Checkers fast-food restaurant. Registered to owners Ahshan Latif and David Shaw, this fast-casual spot leans into Nashville-style hot chicken and every other poultry configuration imaginable: wings, tenders, quarters, sandwiches, waffles and tacos. Chicken is doused in 10 different sauces, from honey-cinnamon “Sweet Heat” to “What the Cluck.” (The menu is, of course, pun-heavy.) Sides include fries, coleslaw and mac ‘n’ cheese. 645 S. Federal Highway, Dania Beach; 754-7777901; CluckinHotChicks.com
DalMoros Fresh Pasta To Go, West Palm Beach and Delray Beach
Picture this: Heaps of scratch-made pasta served not on dinnerware but inside Chinese takeout-style rice containers. That’s the fast-casual premise behind this Venice, Italy-spawned pasta franchise, which plans to open its first South Florida location on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach in early 2023 under local franchisee David Caruso. The 1,436-squarefoot restaurant will offer build-your-own-pasta bowls, starting with a base of four styles — fusilli, rigatoni, fettuccine, bigoli — followed by sauce toppings that range from pesto and cacio e pepe to amatriciana and bolognese. Other recent openings have included St. Petersburg, Tampa and Sarasota, and another outpost is expected to debut later this year at 439 E. Atlantic Ave., in downtown Delray Beach. 400 Clematis St., West Palm Beach; Dalmoros.us
Carmela Gourmet Toast & Coffee Bar, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach
This coffee-and-avocado-toast chain, cofounded in Parkland by owners Rainer Abreu and Rafael Baretta, is in rapid expansion mode, with a rebranded name (changed from Carmela Coffee Co.) and nine new locations planned for 2023. Before that, Carmela’s next Boca Raton location expects to open within the upscale Park Place plaza in February. Along with caffeine, they sling empanadas, avocado toast, flatbreads, salads and more. A West Palm Beach outpost is set to follow at the Village Commons plaza. 5560 N. Military Trail, Suite 322, Boca Raton; 701 Village Blvd., Suites 101-102, West Palm Beach; CarmelaCoffee.com
Amar Bistro, Boca Raton
In just two years, Amar is quickly becoming a bit of a boutique brand with the first eatery (and a nearby separate bakery) in Delray Beach as well as another bakery in Boynton Beach. Now comes word that the Amar Bistro reach will extend into
Boca Raton, where Amar’s owners — wife-husband team Susanna and Nicolas Kurban — plan to open a second restaurant this summer. “In general, the menu will be 80% similar to our Delray Beach offerings of authentic Lebanese cuisine,” Nicolas Kurban said. “But we will be adding a modern twist to several dishes along with Eastern Mediterranean specialties from Turkey, Greece and the other countries in that region. The Boca Raton location will have a bar, so we plan to offer small bar bites and a happy hour menu, something we couldn’t do in Delray due to the lack of space.” Time will tell, but he adds that the service may include lunch on weekdays and brunch on weekends. The new 2,250-square-foot location will be able to seat 76 people indoors (plus another eight at the bar) and 20 to 24 outdoors. 9982 Glades Road, Boca Raton; amardelray.com
Disdwet Restaurant, Boynton Beach
This Haitian takeout restaurant registered to owner Wilphanie Alcegaire is expected to open this winter near the intersection of North Congress Avenue, a few blocks south of the Boynton Beach Mall. Disdwet (which translates from Creole to “10 fingers”), serves Haitianstyle pasta, fried plantains, pikliz, boulèt vyann (Haitian-style meatballs), rice and beans, pate kòde (fried Haitian patties) and house-made akra, or crunchy malanga fritters tossed in bold spices. 1403 Boynton Beach Blvd., Unit 12, Boynton Beach; 262-6716998; Instagram.com/ Disdwet
Culver’s, Loxahatchee
After its Broward County debut in August 2020, this rapidly growing franchise known for its burgers and Wisconsin cheese curds is looking to add its newest SoFlo location in Loxahatchee this June from local franchisees Kase and Jennifer Bethel. Savory dishes aside, there are frozen custard concrete mixers (blended with candy toppings), toothsome sundaes and waffle cones that ooze with warm butterscotch and hot fudge. The menu also features chicken tenders, cranberry bacon-bleu salads and Reuben melt sandwiches, but Culver’s star is undoubtedly the ButterBurger, a smashed beefblend patty so named for its fresh, lightly buttered kaiser roll. 15339 Southern Blvd., Loxahatchee; Culvers. com
Lefkes Estiatorio, Delray Beach
Billed as having a modern take on traditional Greek cuisine, Lefkes Estiatorio is expected to open in the Delray Beach Market food hall in late 2023. The fine dining restaurant morphs into what the brand — out of Englewood Cliffs, N.J. — is calling a “nightlife destination featuring top DJs and entertainment.” Lefkes Estiatorio and Bounce Sporting Club will become two new anchors at the Delray Beach Market when the food hall reopens after renovations this summer.
33 SE Third Ave., Delray Beach; lefkesnj.com
PopStroke, Delray Beach
This 3-acre, minigolf course and restaurant designed by Tiger Woods is expected to open another Florida location on an under-construction lot north of George Bush Boulevard sometime in spring 2023. Along with two 18-hole putting courses, there will be 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. Its Port St. Lucie menu also lists buildyour-own pizzas, salads, chicken wings tossed in 11 different sauces and appetizers such as baby back pork ribs, baked pretzels and potstickers. Delray PopStroke joins outposts in Fort Myers, Port St. Lucie, Sarasota and Orlando. 1314 N. Federal Highway, Delray Beach; PopStroke.com
Naked Taco, Wellington
This clubby Mexican restaurant from chef Ralph Pagano (once of “Hell’s Kitchen” fame) is on its way to debuting its fourth location sometime in mid-2023, within the under-construction Lotis Wellington plaza, north of the corner of State Road 7 and Forest Hills Boulevard. The 3,800-squarefoot space will employ 60 people and join Pagano’s (Yes Hospitality Group) other Naked Tacos in Miami Beach, Coconut Creek and Boca Raton. The restaurant has a full-liquor menu and serves ceviche, enchiladas, burritos and fajitas, plus upscale tacos loaded with grilled octopus, Philly cheesesteak,
Key West shrimp and chipotle-flavored brisket. Two other Naked Tacos are also planned, in Naples and Pinecrest, later in 2023.