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Chef Anthony's
Home Savings Bank
954/920-0510
1720 Harrison St., Hollywood
Chef-owner Anthony Washington is struggling mightily to overcome a counterculture setting in a fifth floor former cafeteria; ignore the surroundings and dig into the giant antipasto platter as prelude to pasta. The trendy bombolotti splashed with vodka is terrific, to be followed by one of his outstanding variations of veal classics. Lunch served Monday through Friday and dinner, with entrees $10 to $19, nightly.
Giorgios Grill
606 N. Ocean Drive
954/929-7030
Hollywood
Partners Giorgio Bakatsias and Peter Tsialiamanis put $2 million into the total remake of Joe Sonken's Gold Coast restaurant, allegedly a popular mob rendezvous. Local super chef Scott Howard consulted on the menu, one that's more Mediterranean than Howard's previous triumphs at Martha's up the street. That means such standouts as roasted grouper served with caramelized saffron onions and served with lemon-lovely wilted spinach; rack of roast pork glazed with star anise, and rosemary-rubbed leg of lamb with a touch of thyme. Lunch and dinner, with entrees $8 to $25, served daily.
Gigi's Tavern
Mizner Park
561/368-4488
346 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
Owner Karl Alterman, an alum of the Burt Rapaport-Dennis Max school of restaurant wizardry, paired with Bobby Lane, chef and owner of Oxley's in Boca, to produce a Florida version of Paris' famed La Coupole, naming p?t?-brie appetizers after the original Gigi, Leslie Caron. There's a popular "priced by the tide" oyster bar and such mains as salmon au poivre with spinach and leek-loaded mashed potatoes, and the house specialty, prime strip sirloins. For Sunday brunch, order the dill-sprinkled scrambled eggs with their own cured gravlax. Lunch served Monday through Saturday, brunch on Sunday and dinner, with entrees $12 to $22, nightly.
Mercury
764 Washington Ave.
305/532-0070
South Miami Beach
The martini bar and live jazz Sunday evenings add to the appeal of this trendy black and silver slice of ultra-sleek modernity. Start with a soup combining the colors of red and yellow sweet peppers surrounding lightly grilled raddicchio leaves occupied by smoked mozzarella. Then move on to grouper sporting pistachio over red bliss potato and herb rough mash, or the risotto powered by bits of lemonized chicken sausage. Dinner, with entrees $14 to $32, served Tuesday through Sunday.
Oasis Cafe
976 41st Street
305/674-7676
Miami Beach
Another indication that the South Beach crush might be causing some pioneers to move north (to revive the area entertainer Arthur Godfrey made famous) is this newcomer by partners Simon Brenson and Sam Hackman, who owned nearby health-food feedery, Pineapples. Among the waist-watching fare I favor are the brewed daily soups, the turkey treats, grilled vegetable lasagna and anything with Middle Eastern origins - hummus and falafel, stuffed grape leaves and couscous. Lunch served Monday through Saturday and dinner, with entrees $8 to $14, nightly.
Pacific Heights
2530 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
305/461-1774
Coral Gables
This indeed is the heights, brilliantly created by the partnership that blessed us with Pacific Time on Lincoln Road: super chef Jonathan Eismann and partner Yves Picot with long-time associate and chef de cuisine Frank Jeannetti full-time in the kitchen. Don't miss the shrimp starter on basil and mint leaves. Then proceed to farm-fresh herbed chicken and roasted garlic, or lamb shanks soaked in California red wine and Anchor Steam stout, one of five microbrews on tap. Lunch, Monday through Friday, and dinner, with entrees $15 to $26, Monday through Saturday.
Pangaea Floribbean Bistro
Boca Center
561/338-2401
21150 Military Trail, Boca Raton
The name is from the long ago when the continents were joined and the world was one - presumably without additives and pesticides, high-fat fare and sodium-saturated foods. There's little of that here, but there are schools of fresh fish; outstanding organic spinach salads; herb-marinated portobellos, grilled and laid to rest on arugula and baby greens with balsamic vinaigrette; oak-smoked catch of the day with citrus wedges; Floribbean chili; and a macrobiotic dinner of black beans and assorted sea vegetables with brown rice. Lunch, Monday through Friday, and dinner, with entrees $10 to $19, nightly.
Pusser's DownUnder
3000 E. Oakland Park Blvd
954/563-4123
Fort Lauderdale
Where long-time restaurateur Leonce Picot called the shots for 28 years, Charles Tobias and his Virgin Island-based group, a $20 million operation with ten restaurants, is now in charge. They spent more than $1 million in upgrade and modernization, creating the proper West Indies atmosphere with a sensational setting on the Waterway. The menu features a lot of snack stuff - conch fritters, smoked salmon, pork quesadillas and crab cakes - plus such entrees as fish and chips, shrimp Creole, onion-crusted fresh Florida snapper, pan-seared tuna with black bean puree, roasted corn and chayote hash with key lime sour cream. Lunch and dinner, with entrees $9 to $23, served daily.
Red Fish
Matheson Hammock Park
305/668-8788
9610 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables
Obviously believing that one very good restaurant deserves another, the owners of Christy's in the Gables, Charles Hauser and Michael Namour, opened this fresh-air find last October, revitalizing a forgotten coral rock bayside retreat built by the WPA during the Great Depression. The fish is fresh and absolutely outstanding when not gussied up with distracting add-ons, and the conch fritters, smaller than most, are close to fabulous. Dinner, with entrees $10 to $17, served Tuesday through Sunday.
RESTAURANTS AROUND THE STATE
SOUTHEAST
PALM BEACH
Acquario
The Esplanade, 150 Worth Ave. (561/655-9999)
Cucina Vitale, perfectly balanced, refreshing and energizing food for the body and mind. Lunch and dinner; entrees $19-$27.
SOUTHWEST/TAMPA BAY
TAMPA
Boca
1930 E. 7th St., Ybor City (813/241-2622)
Cutting-edge Cuban cuisine, using ginger, garlic, truffle oils, wild mushrooms, goat cheese and gorgonzola. Lunch and dinner; entrees $11-$18.
NAPLES
Terra
1300 Third St. S. (941/262-5500)
Lots of grilled seafood and meats in the Mediterranean manner are offered at this cafe. Sunday brunch, lunch and dinner; entrees $10-$23.
CENTRAL
Longwood
Cafe Citron
1869 West S.R. 434 (407/831-2504)
Midday marvels such as salmon Ni?oise and curry chicken with almonds, raisins and mango chutney. For dinner, seafood chowder and then roasted duck with an orange soy glaze. Closed Sunday; lunch and dinner; entrees $11-$19.
NORTHEAST
JACKSONVILLE
Marker 32
14549 Beach Blvd. (904/223-1534)
A romantic setting for roasted lambchops, sauteed fresh fish, and wood-grilled Angus steaks. Lunch and dinner; entrees $16-$25.
ST. AUGUSTINE
The Manatee Cafe
179-A San Marco Ave. (904/826-0210)
Best breakfast in town: whole wheat waffles, veggie omelets. For lunch try a pita filled with hummus and tabbouleh or the Reuben. Closed Monday; lunch entrees $4-$5.
NORTHWEST
DESTIN
Flamingo Cafe
414 Highway 98 East (904/837-0961)
Crab-cashew-mango salad, roast sweet potatoes, grilled seafood and slabs of meat, all served on the waterfront. Dinner entrees $17-$24.
