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Wrigley BBQ, Palm Springs
Eager to live closer to his retired parents, pitboss Mitch Liebovich packed up his smokers in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood and moved his entire Wrigley BBQ outfit to South Florida. His 5,900-square-foot barbecue house, open Feb. 4, replaces the old Tom Sawyer Country Restaurant, and serves 12-hour brisket smoked with cherry wood, St. Louis-style spare ribs, gator wings and the Sam and Erna, a pulled pork-and-brisket combination sandwich named after his fussy mother and father. 3208 Forest Hill Blvd.; 561-720-2257, WrigleyBBQ.com
Sunset Club, Hollywood Beach
This rooftop bar and lounge, open Feb. 4, sits atop the new Costa Hollywood Beach Resort. The open-air venue has an ocean view on one side and a lounge area that rests in front of the Stranahan River. The menus include tropical craft cocktails and global cuisine with a seafood focus. The team behind Sunset Club is Last Call Hospitality Group, whose food and beverage stable includes Tipsy Flamingo, Sweet Caroline Karaoke Bar and Redbar in Brickell. This is their first property in Broward County. 777 N. Ocean Drive, Hollywood Beach. .
Ya Mas! Taverna, Fort Lauderdale
The Mediterranean eatery from Memphis Garrett’s hospitality group (No Man’s Land, Poke House, Blue Wave Sushi) opened Feb. 1, promising to be a lively indoor/outdoor taverna focused on classic and modern interpretations from Greece, Turkey, Israel and more. Executive Chef Austin Blake’s menu includes mussels, farro salad, lamb meatballs, harissa Buffalo wings. 1103 E Las Olas Boulevard, yamastaverna.com
Jaffa Israeli Kitchen and Wine Bar, Hallandale Beach
Hate cauliflower? Not if chef Yaniv Cohen can help it: The most-popular dish at his test kitchen inside the MIA Market food hall in Miami’s Design District is his turmeric-roasted cauliflower, drizzled with tahini and spiced with za’atar and fresh herbs. That dish is on the menu at Jaffa’s second location in the Atlantic Village plaza, as will a hummus bar, deconstructed baba ghanoush and other meze drawn from Cohen’s family recipes. 801 N. Federal Highway; JaffaMiami.com
Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar, Hallandale Beach
This all-day breakfast coffeehouse features egg sandwiches on baguettes and croissants, avocado toast, acai bowls, oatmeal, chocolate-chip pancakes and 21 styles of coffee and tea. The Miami-raised chain has been in rapid franchising mode lately, adding cafes in Davie, Doral and Miami Beach earlier this year. 701 N. Federal Highway, #101; 954-239-8763, CremaGourmet.com
Morea, Fort Lauderdale
This Mediterranean restaurant with its expansive oceanfront view has opened along the terrace of Paramount Fort Lauderdale condo. Expect small dish mezze/appetizers and wood-grilled meats and seafood in the 275-seat eatery. The concept comes from Lou Moshakos, the restaurateur whose LM Restaurants also includes Two Georges at The Cove Restaurant in Deerfield Beach, Oceanic in Pompano Beach and the upcoming Lucky Fish Dania Beach. 701 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. MoreaDining.com.
Quickie’s Burgers & Wings, Margate
A hamburger drive-thru with a loyal following at their Pembroke Pines, Dania Beach and Hollywood locations, Quickie’s opened in late January in the sparse area Margate dubs its downtown. The hamburgers are char-grilled and cooked over hickory, topped with onion strings and slathered in a spicy remoulade-style Quickie’s sauce (which we recommend). Stronger stomachs still should sample the meaty behemoth known as the MOAB – aka the Mother of All Burgers – a one-pounder stuffed with cheese and topped with onions and French fries. 1011 N. State Road 7, Margate; 954-366-3043, QuickiesBurgers.com
Crumbl Cookies, Boynton Beach
Owner Tanner Reaveley opened Crumble after moving to SoFlo from Salt Lake City, where his family owned a catering business. “I moved to Florida last year for an employment opportunity,” Reaveley says. “We realized that this area didn’t have a Crumbl Cookies, which has always been my wife’s favorite dessert.” The franchise has a weekly rotation of specialty flavors as well as ice cream. There are other locations in Coral Springs, Davie, Kendall and Pembroke Pines. 546 East Woolbright Road, Boynton Beach. CrumblCookies.com.
Incontro Italian Cuisine and Steakhouse, Coral Springs
Owner Pedro Bitar’s Italian and steak restaurant opened Jan. 25 in the Walk of Coral Springs. Pastas and breads are made in-house, and the 180-seat eatery (and 30-seat patio) includes a private VIP room and lounge. 2752 N. University Drive; 754-547-7997, IncontroItalian.com
Naked Taco, Boca Raton
After a devastating explosion in the Bahamas almost ended his career – and his life – chef Ralph Pagano is in a healthier place, and has debuted the third location of his clubby Mexican restaurant inside Boca Raton’s Uptown Boca plaza. Naked Taco – dressed in Day of the Dead-inspired murals and sugar skulls – serves a menu of top-shelf tequila, ceviche, enchiladas, burritos and fajitas, plus a fleet of upscale tacos loaded with grilled octopus, Philly cheese steak, crispy Key West shrimp and duck confit. 9658 Glades Road, Suite 200; 561-717-4132;
Clean Juice, West Palm Beach
Tate Lehtio, former University of West Florida football player and wellness advocate, co-owns with his family this organic juice bar franchise in West Palm Beach (other SoFlo locations are in Boca Raton and Plantation). Clean Juice also offers smoothies, acaí and Greenoa bowls, toasts and wraps. 1900 Okeechobee Blvd., Suite A4, West Palm Beach. 704-918-1217. CleanJuice.com.
Cucinova Las Olas Beach, Fort Lauderdale
This second Fort Lauderdale location, just three blocks from the beach at A1A and Las Olas Boulevard, quietly opened Jan. 22. Like the sign says, the menu at this fast casual eatery is basically “craft-your-own” pizza, pasta and salads in the $7.99-$14.99 price range. 2915 E. Las Olas Boulevard. .
Butcher’s Club, Palm Beach Gardens
The star attraction at this luxury steakhouse inside the PGA National Resort is undoubtedly chef Jeremy Ford, the telegenic tattooed talent behind Miami Beach’s Stubborn Seed. Ford (winner of Bravo’s “Top Chef” Season 13) debuted the steakhouse in late January with a dining room adorned in gold tones and bamboo, and its menu features butternut squash agnolotti, Bell & Evans truffle chicken and prime cuts of dry-aged porterhouses and smoked ribeyes. 400 Ave of the Champions, Palm Beach Gardens; 561-627-4852,
Sweetgreen, West Palm Beach
One of the oldest healthy-eats chains dishing build-your-own-bowls and salads, this fast-casual restaurant has a cult following and, at the Square, a celebrity endorsement from tennis champ Naomi Osaka. This 60-seat location debuted Jan. 25 and serves seasonal specials, including hot honey chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and kale cabbage slaw and roasted steelhead trout in remoulade dressing. Osaka’s eponymous bowl is built with goat cheese, blackened chicken, avocado, lime cilantro jalapeño vinaigrette and Sweetgreen’s hot sauce. 701 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach; 561-556-4700, Sweetgreen.com
Cactus Grille and Tequila Bar, Palm Beach Gardens
This family-owned Tex-Mex restaurant, offspring of the original in Rhode Island, opened Jan. 22 with an expansive outdoor dining and bar area. The menu ranges from blackened grouper with corn risotto and prime pork cheeks with cheddar grits, to tostados and tacos. Brunch service will begin Jan. 30. 4650 Donald Ross Road, Suite 100; 561-249-3090, thecactusgrille.com
Bronx Bagel & Deli, Coral Springs
Owner Michael Friedman’s bagel flagship in Deerfield Beach has expanded west, to Brookside Square. Like the original on Powerline Road, it wears its New York allegiances proudly: Yankees pennants on the walls, boiled-then-baked bagels, gourmet wraps named after the five boroughs and sandwich specials like the Brooklyn Bomber, the Yogi and the Bronx (roast beef, melted cheddar, horseradish sauce). There are also burgers, smoked fish and by-the-pound deli meats. 10645 Wiles Road; 754-227-7276, BronxBagelDeli.com
The Katherine, Fort Lauderdale
Chef Timon Balloo, the James Beard semifinalist who launched Miami’s Sugarcane a decade ago, is ambling up to downtown Fort Lauderdale with this seafood- and vegetable-focused restaurant named for his wife. The intimate restaurant debuted Jan. 20. 723 E. Broward Blvd., TheKatherineRestaurant.com
Truli Italian Food & Drink, Coconut Creek
This modern Italian trattoria and bar debuted Jan. 15 inside the Promenade at Coconut Creek, replacing the former Ciao Cucina space that shuttered this spring. Truli comes from Parkland restaurateur Doug Zeif (former senior vice-president of the Cheesecake Factory) and features build-your-own pasta bowls (with 10 pasta types and nine sauces from alfredo to “Sunday gravy”), build-your-own pizzas, and old-school entrees such as chicken Parmesan and steak tagliatta. 4443 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek; 954-399-7677, TruliItalian.com
Pure Green Garden Shops, Boca Raton
This Lake Mary-raised juice-bar franchise opened its second South Florida location on Jan. 15 inside the Gardens Shops at Boca Del Mar plaza and features pitaya bowls, superfood smoothies, steel-cut oatmeal, cold-pressed juices and at least one probiotic drink created by Instagram influencer Foodgod. After opening a South Beach location in 2021, the wellness outfit will next add a store in Aventura this summer. 7036 W. Palmetto Park Road; 561-826-7800, PureGreen.com
TropiBowls, Pompano Beach
Founder Natasha Teague debuted her juice and bowl bar at the height of pandemic shutdowns in 2020, and now she’s expanding with TropiBowls’ sister location in Pompano Beach, across the street from the Airpark. TropiBowls, which debuted Jan. 15, does build-your-own bowls, coffees, teas and breakfast sandwiches, along with lunchtime rice bowls, paninis and wraps. 1162 N. Federal Highway; 954-532-4121, TropiBowls.com
The Skinny Cheff, Delray Beach
Where does a two-time “Hell’s Kitchen” contestant choose to hang their chef’s hat? If you’re Trevor McGrath, the answer is a café inside the Palm Greens 55-and-older condo community. McGrath (Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen,” CNBC’s “Restaurant Startup”) has transformed a hard-to-find caddy shack – behind a former golf course – into a breakfast-lunch spot that turns out three-day braised brisket and 24-hour corned beef and pastrami sandwiches from scratch, along with soups, salads and heat-and-eat takeaway meals. 5845 Via Delray Blvd.; 561-501-5950, PalmGreens.org
Coco Sushi Lounge and Bar, Delray Beach
Husband-and-wife owners Tina Wang and chef Jason Zheng rolled out another sushi haven in late December, this time touting signature rolls, Peking duck, beef short rib and lamb chops cooked over a robata charcoal grill, and a massive menu of rare sakes and sake cocktails. Coco’s owners also operate Saiko-i Sushi Lounge & Hibachi and Yakitori Sake House, both in Boca Raton, and Koi Sushi Lounge in Fort Lauderdale. 25 NE Second Ave., Ste. 208; 561-908-2557 CocoDelray.com
Naamah Sushi, Boca Raton
This kosher-certified gourmet sushi restaurant, which owners Sabina Balkind and Lopinto Salvatore debuted in December, serves high-grade fish inside handrolls and an omakase experience served as a four-tier sushi tower of nigiri and sashimi. 8177 Glades Road, No. 20; 561-617-7129, NaamahSushi.com
Meso Beach House, Delray Beach
With a craft-cocktail bar, patio raw bar and seafood-focused Mediterranean menu that spans grilled octopus to whole roasted branzino, Meso’s trendy fare is designed to hook tourists and the local boating set, owner Bobby Khorrami says. The restaurant, which opened in early January, is the first sister location to the original in Westchester County, N.Y. 900 E. Atlantic Ave.; 561-562-6416,
Batch New Southern Kitchen and Tap, Fort Lauderdale
Flagler Village is home to a second location, after West Palm Beach, of the restaurant serving Southern favorites, craft cocktails and an “epic brunch party.” The 5,500 square-foot restaurant opened Dec. 30 with an outdoor patio in the former Mellow Mushroom location. The locally sourced farm-to-table, comfort food menu includes slow-smoked burnt ends, shrimp n’ grits and a BBQ jackfruit “pulled pork” sandwich. 525 N Federal Highway; BatchSouthernKitchen.com
Coming soon
Coyo Taco, Fort Lauderdale
This clubby high-end taqueria from Wynwood is migrating north to Las Olas and will debut Feb. 14 in the former SuViche on the ground floor of the Bank of America building. The 2,905-square-foot restaurant won’t feature a speakeasy lounge like its Miami counterparts, co-owner Sven Vogtland says, but the taqueria will serve hand-pressed corn tortillas filled with cochinita pibil, alambre, pollo al carbon and crispy duck, plus salads and burrito bowls. 401 E. Las Olas Blvd.; Coyo-Taco.com
World of Beer, Miramar
This Tampa-born chain emporium of porters, stouts, IPAs and Belgian ales opened inside the new Miramar Park Place shopping plaza on Feb. 15. Along with craft suds, the 4,240-square-foot restaurant offers flatbread pizza, pretzels, salads, chicken sliders and other comfort-food nosh. This is World of Beer’s third South Florida location – there’s a Coconut Creek outpost and another new location in Doral. 11225 Miramar Parkway; WorldofBeer.com
Matchbox and Big Buns Damn Good Burgers, Fort Lauderdale
Two Thompson Hospitality restaurants are coming to Society Las Olas along the New River in February. Matchbox will take on a larger space with 90 indoor and 124 outdoor seats, serving items like the “ginormous meatball” and “hangover burrito.” Big Buns Damn Good Burgers, with 40 indoor and 75 outdoor seats, will offer all types of stacked burgers or burger bowls with side options like fried Brussels sprouts and milkshakes that can be boozy or not. 301 SW First Ave., South Tower; eatbigbuns.com, matchboxrestaurants.com
Carousel Club at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach
Described as an “open-air gathering spot” for food, cocktails and entertainment, this dining destination will open at Gulfstream Park Racing and Casino on Feb. 18. So-named because of the antique carousel bar at its center, the trackside venue will have pop-ups by Spris Artisan Pizza and Los Altos Taqueria with more to be announced. Carousel Club will be open noon until late evening (with DJs spinning) Fridays-Sundays. 901 S. Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach; 954-228-3378, CarouselClub.com.
Pagoda Kitchen, Delray Beach
Decorated restaurateur Burt Rapoport (Max’s Grille, Deck 84, Prezzo) is behind this new restaurant opening mid-February at Delray Marketplace. Billed as “home-style Chinese cuisine,” and inspired by the pan-Asian travels of chef Bryan S. Emperor (one of Food and Wine’s Best New Chefs in America), the menu features Peking duck, bao buns, glazed Chinese barbecue spare ribs and shaved ribeye with shishito peppers. 14817 Lyons Road, Suite 100; PagodaKitchen.com
Buoy One Seafood, Fort Lauderdale
After a year and change of dishing salty-sweet New England eats out of its distinctive seafood shack on Commercial Boulevard, Buoy Bites closed in January, the restaurant posted on its website. The restaurant picked up anchor and will reopen as the rebranded Buoy One Seafood this winter on North Federal Highway, in the space formerly occupied by Phat Boy Sushi & Kitchen. Buoy One shares it named with founding chef Dave Girard’s seafood markets on Long Island, and Buoy’s menu is filled with fresh catches, clam chowder, clam fritters, clambakes and fish-fry baskets. 4391 N. Federal Highway; BuoyBites.com
Isla & Co., West Palm Beach
An all-day café from New York’s Parched Hospitality Group, this 100-seater expects to open this spring next door to Grandview Public Market in the growing Warehouse District south of Okeechobee Boulevard. On the menu is brunch and specialty coffee from Australia – a nod to founder and CEO Barry Dry’s Australian roots – along with egg breakfasts and a dinner menu that will include burgers, pastas and salads. 1401 Clare Ave.; Isla-Co.com
Monarch New American Kitchen & Bar, Oakland Park
This family-owned restaurant and cocktail bar inside Oakland Park’s growing Culinary Arts District will take flight this spring and comes from married owners Brice and Leona Williams, whose dishes will include pulled pork sliders, black truffle potato salad plus a blend of Caribbean and Latin cuisine inspired by South Florida. 3492 NE 12 Ave.; 305-204-1001, MonarchKitchen.co
Timbr, Fort Lauderdale
Sometime this year a restaurant will rise where the Cash Only club used to be at Riverfront. No word yet on what the cuisine concept will be, but we do know that there are plans for two dining rooms on the first floor and a private lounge on the second floor. The team behind Timbr is 3 Hospitality, made up of Michael Tronn (Liquid and Crobar in South Beach), Paul Brown (Pawn Shop in West Palm Beach and Miami) and Max Van Fleet (scion of The Las Olas Company family). 15 W. Las Olas Blvd.
Cork & Barrel Wine Bar and Tapas, Tamarac
Replacing the old Tamarac Diner will be this upscale neighborhood restaurant next to the Paradigm Cinemas movie theater. Cork & Barrel comes from partners Santese Gatlin, Wendell Robbins, Lakedra Howard and Adrienne Hibbert, and features light bites, flatbreads, charcuterie boards and many varieties of wine and craft beer. 10052 W. McNab Road. Tamarac; CBWineBarandTapas.com
Giorgio’s Bakery & Bistro, Fort Lauderdale
Owner Peter Tsialiamanis’ European-style restaurant-bakery, which has dished Greek and American classics on the Hollywood Intracoastal since 1996, will debut its second location this winter on Fort Lauderdale’s Galt Ocean Mile. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant, replacing the old Whale’s Bar & Grill, will offer the same menu as its flagship: wood oven-fired pizzas, 11 sandwiches on house-made baguettes, and entrees such as moussaka and baby back ribs. 3537 Galt Ocean Drive; GiorgiosBakery.com
Rob’s Family BBQ, Plantation
Rob Scruby, the former owner of longtime pit stop Scruby’s BBQ, is now smoking meats at Rob’s Family BBQ, and plans to open a second location this February inside Plantation’s Vizcaya Square. The Plantation Rob’s, at 2,100 square feet, will mostly cater to carryout crowds and feature 14-hour slow-smoked brisket sandwiches, along with pulled chicken, smoked turkey and sides that include sweet corn nuggets, crispy breaded okra and fresh cornbread. 837 N. Nob Hill Road; RobsFamilyBBQ.com
Baires Grill, Fort Lauderdale
This Argentinean steakhouse hopes to open in late March on Las Olas Boulevard, making Fort Lauderdale the fifth location after Weston, Sunny Isles, Brickell and Coral Gables. “We’ve been wanting to expand further north,” says Alejandro Koenig, chief financial officer for Baires Grill. “There is a lot of potential there, a lot of young people.” Baires Grill will fill the space formerly Talento Restaurant. 1307 East Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. BairesGrill.com.
Closed
Bufarella Gourmet Italian Cuisine, Oakland Park
This 1,200-square-foot strip-mall space, home to mozzarella, burrata, stracciatella di bufala made fresh daily plus handhelds on crunchy Gran Forno ciabattina bread, sold its last cold cuts and whole-milk cheese on Jan. 6 after three-and-a-half years in business, co-owner Filippo Trecca told the Sun Sentinel. Trecca says months of bankruptcy proceedings, a risky handshake deal and a lease dispute doomed the sandwich shop. 1682 E. Oakland Park Blvd.; BufarellaGourmet.com
Luv’s Donuts, Coral Springs
Married couple Juan and Kelly Fiallos’ doughnut emporium on Sample permanently closed on Jan. 30, ending 18 months of whimsically fluffy pastries topped with all manner of toasted coconut, honey-maple glaze and chocolate buttercream. Juan Fiallos, a onetime baker at Dandee Donuts, broke the news on social media, closing, “We hope that we were able to deposit some love into our community.” Along with deep-fried rings, Luv’s sold scratch muffins, cookies, croissants and puff pastries. 7893 W. Sample Road, Coral Springs
Falafel Bistro and Wine Bar, Coral Springs
The family-owned restaurant serving falafels, shawarma, baba ganoush and hummus, as well as burgers, has closed after 15 years, citing the difficulties of finding kitchen staff. In September, Lauren and Ilan Cohen opened a sister restaurant, Dvash Mediterranean Fusion, in west Boca Raton. Dvash remains open. 5677 Coral Ridge Drive.
Denise’s Kitchen, Pompano Beach
A longtime greasy spoon on Copans Road since 1981, this breakfast-lunch diner closed in late December and has been sold to Kristen Nealy, who owns Shadowbar, a restaurant and nightclub in the same plaza. Denise’s, most recently operated by George Abbondante (The Hen and the Hog in Pompano Beach), featured Belgian waffles, oversize omelets, eggs benedicts and several more off-menu chalkboard specials like the Havana Skillet with black beans, plantains and eggs. 2335 NE Fifth Ave.; 954-256-8527, Denises-Kitchen.business.site
Japango, Parkland
A Japanese strip-mall sushi haven and a fixture in Parkland’s Riverstone Shoppes for 10 years, Japango permanently closed at the end of December. The restaurant specialized in sashimi and vegan rolls, bento boxes, hibachi fried rice and entrees that included New York teriyaki strip and chicken katsu. 7367 N. State Road 7
