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Dining Magic
Beach Bistro, Holmes Beach
Bern's Steak House, Tampa
Brooks Restaurant, Deerfield Beach
Cafe L'Europe, Palm Beach
Chalet Suzanne, Lake Wales
Chef Allen's, North Miami Beach
Criolla's, Grayton Beach
Crystal Cafe, Miami Beach
Euphemia Haye, Longboat Key
Le Festival, Coral Gables
Manuel's on the 28th, Orlando
Mark's Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale
McGuire's Irish Pub, Pensacola
Michael's on East, Sarasota
Mise en Place, Tampa
Norman's, Coral Gables
The Restaurant, Palm Beach
Ritz-Carlton, Naples
Victoria & Albert's, Walt Disney World
For 31 years, Florida Trend has presented the Golden Spoon Awards, the nation's most prestigious statewide restaurant recognition, honoring Florida's 20 finest restaurants. This year, a newcomer, the Crystal Cafe in Miami Beach, made it all the way into the winner's circle. Chef-proprietor Klime Kovaceski orchestrates one of the happiest eating experiences in the state, improving greatly on such simple classics as chicken Kiev and osso buco.
The osso buco is also worth the trip to Armani's in Tampa's Hyatt Regency Westshore, which is back among the Top Twenty. Its penthouse panoramas provide a dramatic backdrop for the outpourings from a kitchen able to assemble eye-popping antipasti displays and the soul-satisfying specialties of Northern Italy.
The Ritz-Carlton in Naples also returns to the high ground of golden living via its performance in the Cafe, Grill and Restaurant, all sparkling with great style following a $2 million facelift. The Ritz also added to the holdings of cellar master Jean L'Herault, now in command of 13,000 bottles with more than 500 labels.
Michael's on East, a seven-time Golden Spoonie, also had a major facelift to celebrate its 10th anniversary, while fattening its portfolio to include Michael's on East Catering, Michael's on East Ballroom, Michael's Fine Wines & Spirits Merchants, Michael's Seafood Grille, The Down Under Jazz Club, The Tasting Room and the Sarasota Food & Wine Academy. Michael Klauber and partner Philip Mancini are obvious overachievers.
In south Florida, two-time winner Beach Bistro concentrated on improving the basics, as did other selectees: Brooks Restaurant, Cafe L'Europe, Chef Allen's, Le Festival, Norman's and The Restaurant at the Four Seasons in Palm Beach, where, happily, Hubert des Marais remains in charge.
McGuire and Molly Martin are consolidating their operations in Pensacola while bringing an addition in Destin up to their standards. Bern's Steak House continues to improve its Side Berns wine bar-brasserie. Johnny Earles at Criolla's went online with a wine shop, and Manny Garcia keeps expanding his ground floor Pebbles outlets while keeping Manuel's on the 28th a peak performer.
The Blitzes of Mise en Place retrenched a bit by closing Mojo's, but, thankfully, there have been no cutbacks by Ray and D'Arcy Arpke at Euphemia Haye, none at Disney's Victoria & Albert's and none at perennial Golden Spoon winner Chalet Suzanne. The death last fall of Carl Hinshaw, the Chalet founder's son, hasn't meant a decline in dedication or performance, precisely the kind of consistency needed in Florida's ever-changing restaurant whirl.
Selecting restaurants this time around for the Golden Spoons, the state's top newcomers and the Top 200 was trying. There were far more than 20 newcomers to make the final cut in that category and all kinds of changes among the front-runners for the Top 200. Deserving of honorable mention are such welcome arrivals as Columbia in Celebration. Then there's Gina's on the Water in Altamonte Springs; The Moon Under Water in St. Petersburg, inspired by Singapore's famous Raffles Hotel; Capital Grille in downtown Miami, where Morton's of Chicago opened its 38th link two months ago; Cafe Erte in Hollywood; Cafe D'Orsay in Delray Beach; Claudius in Coral Gables; ZaZu City Grille and Craig's American Bistro in West Palm Beach; and in Fort Lauderdale no fewer than four: Himmarshee Bar & Grille, Jackson's 450, Max's Beach Place and Splash Tropical Seafood Grille.
