March 28, 2024

Executive Lifestyles - Dining & Spirits

Water Attraction

Robert W. Tolf | 2/1/2007

The River House has undergone serious upgrades in its recovery from hurricane damage.

River House
301 S.W. Third Ave.,
Fort Lauderdale
954/525-7661
ftlauderdaleriverhouse.com

The River House enters another season brighter and more beckoning than ever before in its long and varied presence smack on the shore of the New River. The recovery and rehabilitation from the hurricanes sparkles with new paint and varnish; inside and out there are serious upgrades in one of the city’s most historic properties.

The origins go back to the beginnings of Fort Lauderdale and the brothers Bryan, Reed and Tom, whose two mansions on the water in the heart of Himmarshee Village were joined to make one magnificent restaurant, known first as the Bryan Homes then the Chart House then Reed’s River House until 1999 when a pair of alums from the Mark Militello school of innovative restauranting, Tim Petrillo and Peter Boulukos, took over, installing their own kind of professionalism and most importantly hiring as executive chef and then partner Doug Riess, a veteran of Mark’s Place.

Riess reworked the menu several times, brought on board a pastry chef, Valentina Capaldo, general manager Shannon Ardo and catering director Viviane Morrison, establishing the lines of supply to provide “day boat fish,” Sterling Silver cuts of beef and reliably fresh local produce in the best Mark Militello tradition.
The wine list was improved mightily, with 21 featured wines by the glass, including Oregon’s King Estate Pinot Gris, sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, shiraz from Australia and cabernets and merlots from California.

The wines are great companions for such menu zingers as Vietnamese ginger-glazed lamb spare ribs with a tamarind-rum sauce and sweet onion relish; fried calamari with smoky jalapeno-honey dipping sauce and ancho-honey glaze; or the coconut-lime glazed Gulf shrimp and crab meat cocktail with avocado-mango-papaya, toasted garlic-lime vinaigrette and red and yellow curry — three of the eight starters from $5.95 to $14.95.
The 11 mains start at $18.95 for orecchiette pasta with spicy Italian sausage and pesto sauce, some broccoli and roast chicken spiked with toasted garlic, mozzarella and parmesan, or Moroccan-rubbed grilled double chicken breast with pumpkin-pistachio cous cous, feta, pomegranate syrup and a drizzle of yogurt tahini, served with curry pita chips.


Harissa-glazed day boat scallops, forbidden black Thai rice, hot and sour mango sauce, jumbo lump crab meat slaw

Unique standouts include the $26.75 porcini-dusted Marine skate wings and purple potato-pancetta salad with sage hazelnut sauce; the $28.95 beef short ribs with chive goat cheese mash, natural braising sauce and horseradish drizzle; the $30.95 pan-flashed day boat sea scallops crowned with a cool jumbo crabmeat wonton slaw, slathered with hot and sour sauce, served with “forbidden black Thai rice;” or the crabmeat crusted slab of Alaskan halibut with asparagus, wild mushroom, shallot, potato ragu and sweet corn sauce for a dollar more; and oak-grilled beef tenderloin with Vermont white cheddar potato gratin, Maytag blue and porcini sauce for $35.95, top of the tariffs.

It’s all what the better-than-ever River House and chef Riess call “New American Food.”

Tags: Dining & Travel, Southeast

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