Q: We are returning to live in the area after spending years in Los Angeles. We love it here, but most restaurants taste the same. They taste like Sysco. The food tastes like it was frozen at some point. It’s lacking original flavor and the special touch you can taste when a chef/cook puts a lot of love into the dish. Where are all the chefs in this town and fresh ingredients?
What I don’t understand is how a town like Fort Lauderdale can have such a huge amount of wealth yet a small amount of world-class dining. My mom likes a delicate white fish with fingerling potatoes and broccolini on the side, that sort of thing. My husband likes an all-American upscale bar and grill. I’d like a restaurant that’s light, northern Italian (i.e., not just red sauce on everything). What are your recommendations? — Rachel C., Fort Lauderdale
A: Rachel, I smiled when you said South Florida restaurant foods often “taste like Sysco.” We all see the food distributor’s giant trucks around town, emphasizing your point that lots of eateries are getting their goods from the same massive operator.
But there’s no question you can avoid the sameness and flavorlessness you’ve been encountering by researching locally owned establishments whose chefs are making their mark. You’re lucky to have several not far from you in Fort Lauderdale, and also in Wilton Manors, right near you, both epicenters for this creativity.
Here are a few in Fort Lauderdale that are consistently acclaimed or well-kept secrets among foodies:
Heritage, 903 NE Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-635-2335; HeritageFTL.com.
This is the first eatery from chef-owner Rino Cerbone, who honed his Italian cuisine know-how while working at his parents’ Pizza Time Ristorante in Boca Raton. Pastas are made from scratch on-site, and there are 14 pizza varieties, with interesting combinations such as squash blossom and cold-pulled burrata. There are also salads and antipasto plates and Sweet Long Peppers, a modern version of the stuffed-bell pepper dish his mom, Concetta, makes at Pizza Time.
The Katherine, 723 E. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 754-216-0690; TheKatherineRestaurant.com.
James Beard-nominated chef Timon Balloo opened this space just a year ago. Sun Sentinel reporter Phillip Valys described the food as “quintessential home-style dinners infused with the cuisine of (Balloo’s) Chinese, Indian and Trinidadian roots.” Balloo has been showered with accolades; his Miami restaurant Sugarcane has been around since 2010.
Holly Blue, 441 NE Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-488-2117; HollyBlueFTL.com.
Have you ever had a fine dining experience in a former church? Sun Sentinel entertainment writer Ben Crandell says Holly Blue is “distinguished by (chef Giovanni) Rocchio’s incomparable housemade pastas, artfully plated dishes and relatively expensive prices.” The indoor-outdoor restaurant is part of a multimillion-dollar remodel of the historic First Evangelical Lutheran Church on Northeast Third Avenue.
Canyon, 620 S. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 754-779-7199; canyonfl.com.
A recent move to the city’s Rio Vista neighborhood has reinvigorated this cherished Fort Lauderdale gathering spot. Executive chef Aaron Patterson specializes in creative approaches, such as his venison skewers with masala dust and blueberry serrano reduction. Make sure to order the white chocolate bread pudding for dessert.
Here & Now, 433 NW First Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-766-4651; hereandnowftl.com
This joint is described as a “hidden gem” on foodie websites. The restaurant’s website promotes their tapas and cocktails, but they also have salads and sandwiches, short ribs and chicken parm pasta. A Let’s Eat South Florida Facebook group member wrote: “I am truly not sure why this casual, eclectic, intimate restaurant is not packed on a Friday evening. The service was great, the food was fabulous.”
Wine Garden, 608 Breakers Ave., Fort Lauderdale. 954-302-2922; wineandgarden.com
My colleague, entertainment reporter Rod Stafford Hagwood, recommended this intimate spot on Fort Lauderdale beach. Here’s what he said: “Rather than dine among all the hubbub of The (Fort Lauderdale Beach) Strip, we prefer the hidden gem of Wine Garden, which is a block or so off the beach but it might as well be a mile or two. The menu is Italian fare and the vibe is unplugged with al fresco dining. And then, if you want to, you can go get your ‘party on’ over on A1A, but Wine Garden is so romantic, you’ll probably just want to go home and....um....cuddle.”
Here are two more, both in Wilton Manors.
Union Kitchen & Bar, 2309 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors; 754-216-0143; unionkb.com.
This spot gets consistently good reviews for its homemade pastas and creative approaches to entrees (try the chicken with golden raisins, cipollini onions and white wine over creamy polenta). For dessert, indulge in the apple and ricotta donuts with caramel sauce.
Bubbles and Pearls, 2037 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors; 954-533-9553; bubblesandpearls.com.
Bubbles and Pearls bills itself as a champagne and raw bar but also has several meat entrees, chicken and flatbreads. According to one foodie on the Let’s Eat South Florida Facebook page: “Everything was fabulous!!! It’s a casual set up but very cool. We had a bottle of champagne, bone marrow with parmigiana cheese and sweet potato. Then we had oysters from Virginia. The best I’ve had in Florida. ... We relaxed and ate for 3 hours. The employees were so kind, helpful and very nice. I highly recommend it.”
For a comprehensive overview of your eating options, check out the Sun Sentinel’s online Restaurants & Dining page at sunsentinel.com/dining. We cover the South Florida food scene in extraordinary detail. I also recommend that you join the Sun Sentinel’s Facebook group, Let’s Eat, South Florida, where the conversations are energetic and often hilarious.
Got a question about life in South Florida? Email Lois at AskLois@sunsentinel.com.
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