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New In Fort Lauderdale
Pretty stiff competition for the other Fort Lauderdale highflyers, places such as former Golden Spoon winner Primavera (830 E. Oakland Park Blvd., 954/564-6363) where owner Carlo Dellepiane expanded his space handsomely, adding a splendid lounge and dining area of his own design.
Clearly, neither Le Dome nor Il Tartufo can rest on its laurels for long. Fort Lauderdale's elite restaurants face competition aplenty for dining patrons, not just from other established dining spots but also from start-ups. And among the newcomers to the local dining scene, these are some of the best in Broward County:
Bar Amici
1301 E. Las Olas Blvd.
954/467-3266
Located alongside owner Mario Spinaci's landmark Paesano, Bar Amici provides a welcome alternative to trattoria fare - from veal chili and toasty tortilla chips, conch fritters and Jamaican jerk barbecue wings, to a delightful pan-seared tuna salad, jalape-o crabcakes, fish and chips and desserts to die for. Lunch and dinner, with entrees $4.95 to $12.95, served Monday through Friday. Open Saturday for dinner only.
Bistro 209
209 S.W. 2nd St.
954/764-5444
Strategically located a block from the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, this spot reminds me of something special in New York City's SoHo, with its intimate setting and imaginative kitchen producing terrific lobster-spiked crabcakes; a vegetable plate of roasted peppers, squash and eggplant; pan-seared tuna carpaccio with wasabi-infused creme fraiche; and squid-ink-blackened risotto with sauteed salmon. Lunch served Monday through Friday and dinner, with entrees $12.95 to $20.95, every night but Sunday and Monday.
B's Las Olas Bistro
609 E. Las Olas Blvd.
954/728-9282
Veteran restaurateur Bea Morley of Mousetrap fame is back on Las Olas with indoor-outdoor seating, an inviting bar and such easy-to-recommend fare as smoked salmon/goat cheese terrine with roasted peppers and fennel-spiked tomato sauce, squid sauteed with chili peppers and garlic, hazel-crusted red snapper with caramelized onions on a bed of angel hair with aioli sauce and red pepper coulis and old-timey meat loaf. Lunch and dinner, with entrees $7.50 to $14.50, served daily.
Cafe Angelo
1201 N. Federal Highway
954/568-9111
Chef-proprietor Angelo Elia, responsible last year for making Caffe Tutto Bene a must stop on the Gastronomic Grand Tour, upgraded his act with a wood-burning oven, perfect for preparation of fresh fish with julienne veggies en cartoccio (in parchment). His farinaceous fare is fabulous, especially the fusili rolled by his mother. The broccoli rabe is incomparable, the tiramisu terrific. Lunch served Monday through Friday and dinner, with entrees $7.95 to $21.95, nightly.
Darrel & Oliver's East City Grill
505 N. Atlantic Blvd.
Riviera Hotel (A1A)
954/565-5569
Darrel Broek and Oliver Saucy have not cloned their Golden Spoon-winning Cafe Maxx. They have created a whole new happening, an oceanfront al fresco oasis where you can start your day with buckwheat-orange waffles, macadamia-mango flapjacks or blue corn blinis with smoked salmon, asparagus and goat cheese mousse. Noon and night mean the best oyster stew in the state, great cioppino and creole jambalaya, plus wok-charred, pepper-encrusted tuna and Korean barbecue pork coated with crushed spicy peanuts. The wine list is excellent and service exemplary. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, with entrees $7.50 to $23.95, served daily.
Indigo & The Golden Lyon
620 Las Olas Blvd.
Riverside Hotel
954/467-0671
Another outdoor delight, this one is spun from the globe-girdling grasp of Ron Morrison, who already has Sage and a pair of oceanfront winners, Evangeline and Mistral, in his restaurant portfolio. Specialties from Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia spice up Indigo's menu. I like to start with fresh tuna in coconut milk with lotus root, or a Javanese salad of steamed al dente veggies served with spiked peanut sauce on a banana leaf. Entrees include ginger-basted Hoisin barbecue pork layered into toasted sourdough, duckling smoked with jasmine tea leaves, pan-seared jumbo scallops with grilled portobello and ginger-scented succotash and the national dish of Indonesia, "Siap Mepanggang" or coconut grilled chicken. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, with entrees $7.95 to $16.50, served daily.
La Tavernetta
926 N.E. 20th Ave.
954/463-2566
The Romanos, Carol and chef G.G., have un-retired, bringing in daughter Laura to help mama in the front room and putting son Andrew in the kitchen, on view from the street just as it was in their Tamarac Tavernetta way out west. Here they're on the water in a marvelous little bistro that could have been transported en toto from Venice. The pasta is all fresh and the golden brown fried calamari superb, as are such classics as saltimbocca alla Romana and osso bucco. For weight watchers there are several excellent Spa Cuisine choices. Lunch and dinner, with entrees $16.95 to $21.95, served Tuesday through Saturday.
Napa Grill
1135 N. Federal Highway
954/568-9977
The smarts of restaurateurs in two counties - Wayne Cordero from Palm Beach's Crab Pot and Old House and John Day from Fort Lauderdale's Mangos and Coconuts - combined with Carl Pandel to open this success in February. With a stellar lineup of live entertainment, it features a heady array of snack stuff and "Little Meals," roasted vegetable Napoleon on basil-tomato coulis, spiced and seared grouper on lentil puree with roasted poblanos, sandwiches made with herb-crusted salmon, arugula and pommeroy mustard on sourdough, grilled chicken sausage on sun-dried garlic-tomato bread and designer pizzas including one with chargrilled cheeseburger, caramelized onions, pancetta and smoked cheddar. Lunch, with entrees $4.25 to $7.75, served Monday through Saturday, and dinner daily.
