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Jan 09, 2024

South Florida restaurants now open and closed

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Rock & Brews, Plantation

The slow drip of eateries opening at the Plantation Walk mega-shopping wonderland continues with this 8,000-square-foot scratch kitchen founded by KISS Hall-of-Famers Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. The restaurant, which opened in mid-May, boasts two bars — one indoors, one patio — serving craft beers on tap and full liquor. Its menu features "opening acts" such as crispy calamari, Gulf shrimp sriracha, garlic-herb bruschetta and chicken wings, along with "headliners" such as its Demon Chicken Sandwich, Extreme Pepperoni Pizza, barbecue baby back ribs and seven styles of craft hamburgers. 341 N. University Drive, Suite 1100, Plantation; 754-289-7625; RockandBrews.com

Cluck Face, Boca Raton

South Florida is officially caught up in a chicken fight, with more than a dozen independently owned fried-bird joints opening over the past 12 months, each hoping to court diners with its seasoned wings. The latest contender is Cluck Face, a Nashville hot chicken-inspired spot registered to Shaban Malik and Sabri Arslankara that offers tacos, sliders and tenders in four different spice levels, from "mild" to "cluck it!" The restaurant also serves nacho-cheese fries, coleslaw, mac ‘n’ cheese and french fries a la carte, plus sodas, orange juice and Red Bull slushies. 1179 S. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; 561-465-4545; CluckFace.com

American Social Bar & Kitchen, Boca Raton

This local sports-pub chain with locations in Brickell and Las Olas has shuffled into yet another touristy enclave of South Florida — ritzy Mizner Park — with its newest outpost that opened on May 23. The 9,100-square-foot location touting American pub grub, craft beer and walls of giant flat-screen TVs comes from Laurie and Tony Mijares Jr., son Rick Mijares, and partner Paul Greenberg, and touts a rustic-chic dining room accented in exposed brick, metal and wood. AmSo's menu, identical to that of other locations, features Wagyu steak fried rice, pan-roasted salmon and grilled chicken mac ‘n’ cheese, along with handhelds including smash burgers, mahi sandwiches and Wagyu truffle melts. Brunch offers fare including Fruity Pebbles chicken and waffles topped with maple mascarpone, mimosas and Bloody Marys. 351 W. Plaza Real, Boca Raton; 561-710-7272; americansocialbar.com/boca-raton

Pizza Cucinova, Wellington

Just shy of a year and a half ago, Pizza Cucinova opened three blocks from Fort Lauderdale beach, near where Las Olas Boulevard ends at State Road A1A. Then roughly 10 months later, that location suddenly closed with zero notice on their website or social media. Now, the restaurant has moved operations. Having opened at The Mall at Wellington Green on May 5, Pizza Cucinova offers pizzas, pastas and salads in the $8 to $15 range. 10300 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington; shopwellingtongreen.com

Verino's Pizzeria & Grill, Fort Lauderdale

The recipes for Verino's Pizzeria & Grill come from pals with restaurants in Boston's North End neighborhood — with menu fare such as brick-oven, thin-crust pizza, lasagna, grilled skewers of steak tips, lamb, chicken or house-made sausage. That was the plan all along for husband-and-wife owners Brian Turnbull and Sayaka Tobimatsu, who opened Verino's on April 28 in the former spot of Jade Palace Restaurant, across Sunrise Boulevard from The Galleria mall. Tobimatsu is from Tokyo, where generations of her family ran an eatery in the entertainment enclave Asakusa for more than 150 years. After getting a hospitality management degree from Florida International University, she worked for Benihana and the Ritz-Carlton. Turnbull worked in the casino industry in Connecticut and Boston. Verino's is named after his grandparents who immigrated from Italy. "We love the art and science of making pizza," Turnbull says. 2465 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-999-5506; verinospizza.com

KAO Bar & Grill, Hallandale Beach

A spinoff of the KAO Sushi & Grill brick-and-mortar in Coral Gables, this two-story, Argentine-American fusion restaurant opened May 19 within repurposed shipping containers. The 5,000-square-foot KAO Bar & Grill, splashed in rainbow-hued murals, is a project from restaurateur Matias Pagano (J&J's Fresh Kitchen in Boca Raton) and features an al fresco patio with lounge chairs, sofas and a 14-seat bar. KAO's menu includes Argentine-style prosciutto pizza, empanada platters, fire-grilled lamb ribs, ribeyes and branzino plated with housemade chimichurri, along with choripan handhelds and Angus cheeseburgers on brioche. 11 NE First Ave., Hallandale Beach; 786-864-1212; KaoBarandGrill.com

Pâté Bar, HollywoodWhether you know it as a pâté, patty, empanada or pastellio, the handheld snack is a staple among Caribbean, African and Latin fare. Chef The Rose (the nom de cuisine of Rose Jean) celebrated May's Haitian Heritage Month with the grand opening of her food kiosk at the Polo Bar and Grill on May 18. "Our menu is all about sharing the flavors from various cultures and traditions of my home country, and we can't wait to introduce our guests to these unique dishes," says Chef The Rose. Among other menu items, the signature pâté has 12 filling options, including seafood and vegan. Polo Bar and Grill owner Paul Neil adds, "This is a unique dining experience that you won't find anywhere else in Hollywood, and we’re looking forward to sharing the Pâté Bar experience with the community. This is one of South Florida's best-kept secrets." 5590 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd., No. 5329, Hollywood; thepolobarandgrill.com/pate-bar

MISO Japanese Tapas, Fort LauderdaleChef Thuan Lam, best known for creating Phat Boy Sushi and Poke Lolo, quietly opened his long-awaited restaurant to no social-media fanfare on May 18, inside a bold blue-and-white-streaked building in Fort Lauderdale's industrial Progresso Village. The restaurant has been in the works since mid-2021. A cross-pollination of Japanese and Latin cuisine in small plates, MISO, led by chef Julien "Jay" Barashari of Poke Lolo fame, will also feature a sushi bar. And there are plans to host a monthly omakase series and offer brunch on a patio out front. 801 NE Second Ave., Fort Lauderdale; instagram.com/miso_ftl

Baked561, Delray Beach

This dessert shop specializing in Nutella pizzas, cookie dough, ice cream sandwiches and custom cakes has opened its first location in Delray Beach, in a small west-of-Interstate-95 strip mall shared with Rogie Pierogies and Proper Ice Cream. This pickup-only bakery, with no indoor seating, opened May 18 with delivery via Postmates and Grubhub, and is owned by Diana Grow, Juan Tunon and baker Carolyn Tunon Schmidt. The shop, of course, also offers over-the-top cookies studded with Lucky Charms marshmallows, Oreos and s’mores. 1445 N. Congress Ave., Delray Beach; 305-979-0667; Baked305.com

Padrino's, PlantationThe original location of this 31-year-old Cuban classics chain has relocated across the street into a 5,000-square-foot location, undergoing a decor and menu facelift to match its newest digs. The restaurant, which had its ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 11, comes from third-generation owners Eduardo and Mario Padrino and their sister, Laura Padrino Corredoria, and is adorned with art deco lighting, indoor palms, geometric chandeliers and tropical wallpaper. The menu — which uses recipes created by their grandmother — features lechon asado, churrasco, arroz con pollo and flan, plus mojitos and cocktails. The Plantation location joins other outposts in Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach and Boca Raton. 1039 S. University Drive, Suite 210; Padrinos.com

Cookie Plug, West Palm Beach

At this rapidly growing California franchise of sweet shops, the soft and brownie-thick cookies are dubbed "phatties," graffiti coats the walls, and ’90s West Coast hip-hop flows over loudspeakers. The bakery founded by Erik Martinez is bringing six locations to South Florida, the first of which had its grand opening on May 6 near Clematis Street and South Olive Avenue, a block west of the downtown waterfront. The menu includes the self-explanatory Snooperdoodle, Mac Daddy (white chocolate macadamia nut), Crunch Nugget (chocolate peanut butter), Bam Bam (fruity cereal) and the Pink Elephant (strawberry cheesecake). The five other locations are heading to Miami-Dade County, joining 300 total Cookie Plugs planned by the end of 2026. 105 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach; CookiePlug.com

The House on the River, Fort Lauderdale

The historic River House lives again. That's what restaurateur Steven D’Apuzzo of Society 8 Hospitality Group says about The House on the River, a seafood-centric restaurant with 270 seats (120 on the patio, 150 indoors) that will open on May 12. Built in 1903, the landmark was originally the home of city fathers Tom and Reed Bryan. The city owns the property and has leased it to various restaurant brands over the years, most recently the short-lived Jonny NoBones Old Riverhouse Vegan Village. Society 8 currently operates Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery, Park & Ocean, and Wild Thyme Oceanside Eatery. 301 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale; TheHouseOnTheRiver.com

Kanpai, Boca Raton

Shut nearly two years after an electrical fire caused structural damage to the restaurant in July 2021, this Japanese sushi-barbecue mashup from restaurateur Lixii Sun is back for its second act. "Transitioning from a fire can be challenging for a restaurateur, but it never stopped me," Sun says. "Kanpai has been reborn." The rebooted izakaya, which debuted May 10, will serve yakiniku (Japanese barbecue) on 13 smokeless grills, including prime steak and Wagyu beef sourced from Palm Beach Meats in West Palm Beach. New chefs Choum Loy and Jimmy Hernandez, meanwhile, will man the 256-seat Kanpai's new sushi bar. The menu includes paella with Wagyu fried rice, housemade kimchi, poached egg and nori furikake; mentaiko udon (a creamy, spicy cod roe udon) with ikura, shiso and sake butter; and flame-grilled bluefin salmon belly with togarashi sauce, scallion, seared foie gras and black garlic shoyu. The decor, also refreshed, is distinguished with black-and-gold line drawings from Takeshi Kamioka (of Kaminari Ramen), while the bar features Japanese whiskeys and Asian-inspired cocktails. 20 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; 561-361-8688; Facebook.com/kanpaiboca; KanpaiBoca.com

South PMP Bar & Kitchen, Pompano Beach

If Jet Runway Café is owner Mike Linder's love letter to aviation and YOT Bar & Kitchen is his mash note to the sea, then his newest restaurant, South PMP, is stuck securely on terra firma. Linder's Southern comfort food kitchen debuted in early May in Pompano's Old Town district. The menu features smoked and chili-glazed spare ribs, buttermilk biscuits with pepper jelly and whipped honey butter, boudin balls stuffed with Cajun-roasted pork, roasted beef po’boys, pork belly BLTs, shrimp ‘n’ grits and 14-ounce ribeyes doused in cowboy butter. 165 NE First Ave., Pompano Beach; 954-890-2000; SouthPMP.com

Raising Cane's, Boynton Beach and beyond

This fast-expanding national chicken chain from Baton Rouge, La., specializes in one thing: hand-battered tenders served in several combo specials, from its three-finger deal to the Caniac Combo (six tenders with crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw and Texas toast). The first of four new South Florida entries had a grand opening on May 2 on Boynton Beach Boulevard — beside a Chick-fil-A, no less — while the rest are slated to open in Royal Palm Beach (100 N. State Road 7) by June and in Cutler Bay (19705 S. Dixie Highway) by July. In August, a fourth is scheduled to open in Pompano Beach (2501 N. Federal Highway) on the former site of steakhouse icon Bobby Rubino's. Other Florida outposts are planned this year in Largo, Gainesville, Tallahassee and Port St. Lucie. 1550 Boynton Beach Blvd.; 561-237-1300, RaisingCanes.com

Holy Bowly, Fort Lauderdale

This whimsically named build-your-own bowl shop registered to Gianpaolo Di Risio and Ryan Sproveri debuted in early March near the corner of South Andrews Avenue and Davie Boulevard. It serves 15 signature bowls such as the Green Goblin, a pan-seared salmon filet atop a bed of mango chunks, diced avocado, white rice and coconut flakes; and the Bar-B, a medley of slow-cooked pulled pork, mac ‘n’ cheese, sweet cornbread, glazed Brussels sprouts and southern slaw. 112 Davie Blvd., Unit B; 954-295-0086; HolyBowlyFTL.com

Serious Dumplings, Boca Raton

Serving soups, scallion pancakes, Shanghai fried rice and Chinese street foods, this restaurant debuted in April in the Shadowwood Square plaza, replacing the former Sushi Yama. The fast-casual spot registered to Wei Lin, who operates two other Serious outposts in Davie and North Miami, also features xiao long bao (steamed buns prepared in a xiaolong, or bamboo basket), dim sum (such as Peking duck buns, braised chicken feet and beef sanji), along with boba and iced green teas. 9845 Glades Road, Boca Raton; SeriousDumplingsUSA.com

Baresco Taqueria & Bar, Pompano Beach

This trendy coastal Mexican eatery touting bamboo basket lighting, hardwood communal tables and chic tropical accents debuted in mid-April across the street from the Pompano Beach Pier hullabaloo. Baresco — which comes from Brimstone Restaurant Group (Beach House Pompano down the block, Brimstone Woodfire Grill in Pembroke Pines) — offers seven taco flavors, from short-rib birria and barbacoa to al pastor and chipotle pollo, along with carnita flatbreads, taco salads, seafood quesadillas, mezcal oysters, enchiladas de pollo and salmon a la Veracruz. There are also craft cocktails, margaritas, domestic beers and wines. 225 N. Pompano Beach Blvd., Pompano Beach; 954-904-4567; EatBaresco.com

The Greek Joint Kitchen & Bar, Davie

The first sister location of Jimmy and Chris Sklaventis’ popular Greek mainstay in downtown Hollywood, this restaurant opened in April on the corner of University Drive and Stirling Road. The menu, from chef Alex Dzhugan, will be identical to the flagship's, and feature a variety of meze such as shrimp saganaki, tiropita and keftedakia. Meanwhile its entrees, straddling the line between modern and traditional, range from grilled pork chops and chicken souvlaki platters to filet mignon kebabs and spicy feta-encrusted salmon. 5810 S. University Drive, Suites 118-119, Davie; 954-541-5828; TheGreekJoint.com

Epazote Mexican Restaurant, Fort Lauderdale

Epazote, which opened April 8, bills itself as "a taste of Mexico" and that means a menu with a variety of tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, enchiladas, tortas, sopas, ensaladas as well as entrées such as the house special — half a duck roasted and coated in a mole sauce. "What makes Epazote unique is the authenticity," says co-owner Simonne Carrasco. "This is a Mexican-born, family-owned restaurant. Not only are all of our plates traditional and authentic, but they also have a gourmet-like presentation. A true Mexican culinary experience. Food, culture, love, that's what we want to share with our customers." 6206 N Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 754-220-6996; epazotemexicanrestaurant.com

Mo:Mo: Avenue, Lake Worth Beach

Here's one reason to rock on through to Mo:Mo: Avenue: Nepalese-style dumplings. Nepali cuisine from owner Sujan Dhimal is devoted to the humble momo, a steam-filled dumpling. The new Lake Worth Beach eatery's menu, which is slim, does momo with chicken, pork, or vegetarian-style, and served steamed (traditional), fried or jhol (with a spicy sesame and tomato-based soup). There's also thukpa, a Himalayan noodle soup; spicy veggie-and-pea samosas; and choila, a Newari dish made with boiled and fried chicken or pork, plus spices and veggies. 7030 Charleston Shores Blvd., Lake Worth Beach; 561-530-4175; MoMoAvenue.com

RedWood Bar & Kitchen, Hollywood

This Mediterranean-Caribbean fusion spot from Hollywood chef Ivan Dorvil (Ivan's Cookhouse in North Miami) debuted in mid-March on Harrison Street, one of downtown Hollywood's charming restaurant rows. Dorvil, for the uninitiated, has racked up much Food Network clout in the past decade, winning an episode of "Chopped," competing on "Cutthroat Kitchen," and showing off his Carib-Asian eatery Ivan's Cookhouse for Guy Fieri on "Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives." RedWood's menu features shrimp tacos, mofongo (an open-face green plantain with pork belly glaze and a kimchi-pikliz slaw), slow-braised pork spare ribs doused in housemade barbecue sauce. There are also entrees including flatbread pizzas and pastas, kebabs with black mushrooms, and curry chicken with basmati rice and roasted plantains. 2009 Harrison St., Hollywood; 954-362-7152, RedWoodBarKitchen.com

Jackson's Chicken Shack, Lake Worth Beach

Fried-chicken purveyors are having a moment in South Florida, and the latest example is this shack registered to owner Stephen Difiore, which opened in early April in a Jog Road plaza shared with Walmart Neighborhood Market. Jackson's touts fried and grilled chicken handhelds, wraps, salads, fries — and tenders, naturally — slathered in toppings, dressings and cheeses. 6169 Jog Road, Lake Worth Beach; JacksonsChickenShack.net

Adrienne's Pizzabar, West Palm Beach

Known for square-shaped pizzas, Adrienne's Pizzabar opened April 15 at the 360 Rosemary building in West Palm Beach. The new eatery is part of the restaurant brand that includes Harry's, a classic cuisine mainstay in the financial district of Manhattan for a half-century and a favorite of the Wall Street crowd. Sometime in late May, when Harry's is expected to join Adrienne's Pizzabar as a sister restaurant here in SoFlo, both eateries will share a combined 11,000-square-foot indoor and outdoor space where patrons can intermingle and order from both. 378 S Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach; adriennespizzabarnyc.com

Prospect Pizza, Oakland Park

This slice shop from owner Kenneth Mooney debuted in mid-March on Prospect Road, replacing the former Tic Tac Dough Pizza, Subs & Brew, which shuttered in early 2022. The no-frills, New York-style menu slings plain pies for $12 to $16, along with calzones, strombolis and subs, including roast beef and chicken parmesan. There are also specialty pies such as the Hawaiian and the "Jimmy," topped with meatball, onion and ricotta. 53 NE 44th St., Oakland Park; 954-900-3678; ProspectSubs.com (website is under construction)

Fk Your Diet, Sunrise

The brief, wondrous life of this charity-minded diner, which shuttered May 13 in the Sunrise West Shopping Center, was marked by bold deeds and bad timing from the moment it opened in August. Arriving with a provocative name — the "FK" actually stood for "foster kids" — its kitchen pumped out platters of over-the-top food, from 5-pound breakfast burritos as wide as pro wrestler's arms to fried doughnut burgers to maple bacon-flavored milkshakes. (Proceeds went to local foster organizations.) Then, in late September, the lights went dark for four months when father-and-son owners Doug and Jake Miller and Doug's wife, Amy Eldridge, shifted Sunrise workers to FK Fort Myers to cook free meals for West Coast victims walloped by Hurricane Ian. Too preoccupied in Fort Myers, owners eventually sold a partnership stake to first-time restaurateur Chris Thompson, who reopened the Sunrise location in January. Still, the restaurant quietly closed without fanfare or explanation "because we bit off more than we could chew with the storm," Doug Miller told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "Chris needed us to come over and help him run Sunrise, and we couldn't, so we paid off the lease." 9210 Commercial Blvd., Sunrise; FKYourDiet.com

Brighton Beach Bagel and Bakery, Delray Beach

This Brooklyn-inspired bagel pitstop and deli closed on May 20 with a "hug and a schmear" after seven years in business on the corner Military Trail and West Atlantic Avenue. The breakfast-lunch restaurant, which specialized in black-and-white cookies, plump lobster and scallop rolls, spinach-and-feta knishes, matzo-ball soup and thick-cut pastrami sandwiches, shut "due to circumstances out of [our] control," owners Louis and Meredith Rosenwein posted on social media earlier this month. In subsequent announcements, the owners teased that a version of the bagel shop's recent Brighton Seafood Nights, hosted Tuesday through Saturday evenings, could pop up in a nearby location soon. 14587 S. Military Trail, Delray Beach; BrightonBeachBagel.com

The Falcon, Delray Beach

A year after Annie Blake staged a funeral (literally) for her gothy drinking den Death or Glory and reopened it as The Falcon with business partner Sean Iglehart (Sweetwater Bar & Grill in Boynton Beach), this bird has also flown its perch. The craft-cocktail gastropub permanently closed in April after 11 months in business. The menu featured a menu of global street foods, from Mexican (elote loco salad) and Puerto Rican (pork belly mofongo) to Danish (frikadeller meatballs) and Korean (bulgogi bao). This time, the restaurant shut without fanfare, and its website has been deactivated. 116 NE Sixth Ave., Delray Beach

Crosby Kitchen & Bar, JupiterAfter 4 1/2 years on South Cypress Drive near the Jupiter Inlet, this grill devoted to modern American fare announced in a May 9 social-media post that it had permanently closed. "We are exceptionally grateful to our staff, friends, family, and patrons for so many absolutely wonderful moments and memories," the restaurant posted on its Facebook page. Crosby, owned by Peter Pace and Robert Gillin, featured beef short ribs, steak frites, soba noodle bowls and chicken and waffles, along with mahi and steak-blend hamburgers and spanakopita pizza. 1406 Cypress Drive, Jupiter; facebook.com/crosbykitchen

Fiorello's Fort Lauderdale

The oceanside Italian-Mediterranean restaurant opened in the winter of 2022 and closed this spring, sometime in mid-April, according to the real estate broker. Repeated calls and messages to Fiorello's went unanswered. The eatery's Facebook account's last entry was dated March 11. The Instagram page at instagram.com/fiorellosfortlauderdale has been deleted, though there is another page at instagram.com/fiorellosftlbeach that is now touting party events in Atlanta. 905 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 754-200-5146; Fiorellos-Fort-Lauderdale.Business.Site.

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