Aquaterra, 230 Sunrise Ave., Palm Beach _ 561/366-4000
Inspirational source and co-owner of this year-old newcomer is none other than Charlie Palmer, much-feted chef-owner of Manhattan's Alva, Astra, the Lenox Room and Aureole, which many rate the best in the city. He is also involved with Silks in San Francisco, is part-owner of a dairy farm and flower shop and has his own Aureole Good Taste product line. He does find time to journey south when needed, but leaves the running of Aquaterra to veteran Aureole chefs Joseph and Megan Romano. They prepare entrees like braised sea bass fillet with caramelized fennel and aromatic bouillon. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, entrees $18 to $24, daily during season. In off season, dinner only.
Hamiltons, 400 S.E. 2nd Ave., Hyatt Regency Miami _ 305/381-6160
No, this is not a George Hamilton tanning salon, but an in-house restaurant opened last summer by the celebrateur, who has a home in Miami and close ties to Palm Beach, where his mother has lived for years. With predecessors in Pasadena, Calif., and Las Vegas, plus full lines of skin care products, private label cigars and gourmet coffees, Hamiltons International is a multimillion dollar empire, which plans to open nine more restaurants this year and to have a total of 15 by 2000. The setting is ocean liner art deco, and the feel that of a Hollywood-style 1930s nightclub, "all part of the trend toward savoring the moment and living life in pursuit of quality," says the debonair star. The menu is trendy Caribbean and Mediterranean filtered through California. Lunch and dinner, entrees $10 to $25, daily.
Joe Allen, 1787 Purdy Ave., Miami Beach _ 305/531-7007
Last February another notable restaurateur opened a mission to the Miami provinces. Joe Allen's New York City winner of the same name has been successful enough since 1965 to finance half-a-dozen clones as far afield as London and Paris as well as my personal favorite, the Italian Orso outlets in New York City, L.A. and London. Lauren Bacall and Tommy Tune are his partners in the Florida fling. Eclectic specialties range from pizzas and gorgonzola-dressed arugula salads with red peppers and grilled portobellos, to smoked mozzarella, mushroom and spinach-stuffed roasted chicken breast. Other attractions are moderate prices, the friendly, friendly service and the weekend brunch. Lunch and dinner, entrees $11 to $20, daily.
Max's Grille, 300 S.W. 1st Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Las Olas Riverfront _ 954/779-1800
The Max Restaurant Group opened number 15 in Florida in June, providing a welcome sense of restaurant class and lounge sophistication in the heart of marvelous Riverwalk, a 132,000-square-foot complex of food, fun and flicks (23 screens!). Featured foods are the same perfected at other shops of the same name in Boca Raton and Disney's Celebration, and that means boredom-breaking salads and pastas, smashed potatoes, great breads and a good selection of wines by the glass. Lunch and dinner, entrees $9 to $20, daily.
Official All-Star Cafe, 960 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, The Edison Hotel _ 305/604-1999
It seems the only south Florida sports celebrateurs not involved in this cafe are Don Shula and Dan Marino; but then the former coach opened another Shula's Steak House on Miami Beach last March, and the Dolphin quarterback is committed to the new Dan Marino's Town Tavern in central Florida at Pointe Orlando across from the convention center. This cafe settled for tennis stars Monica Seles and Andre Agassi and Miami Heat head coach Pat Riley. Diners have to pass by retail displays on the way in and out and receive a merchandise price list with the menu. The food? Gussied up, far-out architectural eye-poppers and basics like chicken Caesars, ravioli and cheeseburgers good enough to take your eyes off the walls of non-stop TV and endless sportswear showcases. Lunch and dinner, entrees $8 to $20, daily.
(Other celebs with nearby restaurant interests include: Michael Caine, South Beach Brasserie, 910 Lincoln Road; Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Larios on the Beach, 820 Ocean Drive, and Allioli, 1300 Ocean Drive; Traci Lords, the Ready Bar, 560 Washington Ave.; and Madonna, the Delano Hotel, 1685 Collins Ave.)
Reed's River House, 301 S.W. 3rd Ave., Fort Lauderdale _ 954/525-7661
Scotsman Ron Morrison has started and sold a string of local successes, from the Old Cajun House and Sage to the $2 million food and beverage revolution on Las Olas at the historic Riverside Hotel. He still runs Mistral and Evangeline, and his latest triumph has transformed a dramatically situated property on the bank of marvelous Riverwalk: A pair of side-by-side houses built 95 years ago by Philemon Bryan for his two sons are merged into one, beautifully restored memory specializing in Southeastern cuisine. Flavors of the coast and Carolina Low Country stand with tastes of the tropics, as in starters of she-crab soup and thyme-marinated scallops with fresh hearts of palm and curried apple vinaigrette; fried green tomatoes flattered with black-eyed pea cakes and red onion; and my favorite, Conch Two-Ways, cracked, coated and captured by habanero a•oli with conch salad alongside. For the main action, don't miss the rack of lamb with a mint-eggplant relish, crispy chicken breast with jalape-o sauce, Savannah red rice and watermelon relish. Open Monday through Saturday for lunch, Sunday for brunch and afternoon tea, nightly for dinner, entrees $15 to $21.
Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House, 2006 Executive Center Drive Boca Raton _ 561/982-8899
South Florida restauranting genius Wolfgang Cohen started then sold Miami's Wolfie's chain, then started and sold the group Pumpernick's. In 1954, he opened a gold mine called Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House. Opening day he gave away all the meals. What goes around comes around and 44 years later, the new owner of Rascal House did the same on opening day in June. Some 5,000 meals, including appetizer, thickly stacked sandwich or entree plus dessert and beverage, were served to mobs that waited up to two hours. The owner is the publicly traded Jerry's Famous Deli chain based in Studio City, Calif. Lunch and dinner, entrees $7 to $20, daily.