Locations in South Florida: Critics' Pick

17 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-256-7873

New American, Critics' Pick, Sponsor, Menu

The clean and modern décor of the Atlantic Surf Club is a stark contrast to the dark sports-bar-type aesthetics of the majority of Beach Place. With varying shades of soft blues, pops of orange, warm woods, stainless-steel accents, and sea-glass-inspired light fixtures, the ambiance incorporates contemporary dining concepts for an atmosphere that is trendy without the pretense; beachy and inviting. And the food offers a welcome alternative to the sports bar fare found at the rest of the plaza. Dishes range from burgers and thin-crust pizzas (think salumis and chicken pesto) to lobster mac 'n' cheese and tuna tartare.

4 articles

El Camino

15 NE Second Ave. Delray Beach

561-265-5093

Mexican, Soul Food, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Sponsor, Menu

Delray Beach wasn't complete until it received its new taqueria-ish El Camino. Here, owners Brandon Belluscio, Brian Albe, and Anthony Pizzo -- also of Cut 432 and Park Tavern -- deliver Mexican soul food and a topnotch tequila bar just a few steps from the city's Atlantic Avenue restaurant row, at the entrance to Pineapple Grove. The building is adorned with colorful street-style graffiti from artist Ruben Ubiera, including a custom portrait of Emiliano Zapata Salazar, leader of the Mexican Revolution -- along with Day of the Dead skulls and an El Camino car. Inside, bright lime-green booth seating and a handmade, rustic wood-beam bar run the length of the space where bartenders sling craft-style margaritas and customers put them back like they're nothing more than water on a hot summer day. The establishment offers patrons a taste of Mexico through the lens of executive chef Victor Meneses, originally from Juarez. Like the drinks, the food is a little more craft than you'd expect, including hand-formed blue corn tortillas, homemade chorizo, and more than a dozen sauces, including Meneses' secret recipe for hot sauce. In addition to tacos, speciality items adorn the appetizer and entree menu, with highlights like smoked brisket nachos and charred octopus or chili relleno pan-fried with egg -- no breading -- to keep with Meneses' family recipe. A favorite starter: the crispy fried pork skins, or chicharron. Crunchy strips of fried pig's ear let off a muffled pop in your mouth with every bite, like some sort of edible fire cracker, served with a cactus slaw and sour cream. Read our full review.

17 articles

3030 Ocean

3030 Holiday Dr. Fort Lauderdale

954-765-3030

Seafood, New American, Contemporary, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow

This hotel restaurant inside the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa brings a fresh perspective to the well-known and beloved concept with a seafood-heavy menu. It begins with several crudo options like the wahoo sashimi, given an unexpected crunch of crispy fried shallots and an umami rush from a touch of dashi, followed by starters like a traditional tuna poke with a soy-sambal chili sauce that lends a garlicky, gingery-sweet heat to the delicate tuna, and ends with larger plates and entrées highlight the best of both land and sea.

62 articles

Adena Grill & Wine Bar

900 Silks Run Hallandale Beach

954-464-2333

Contemporary, Critics' Pick

If you order the Million Dollar Burger at Adena Grill & Wine Bar, the swanky steak house located in the Village at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, you won't have to run out on the tab after dinner. Instead, the name of this burger is a reference to the amount of money Adena Foods founder Frank Stronach has invested to create Adena Meats, which supplies the fancy new steak house with all its beef, chicken, and pork. Far ahead of the health-crazed, organic, and GMO-free frenzy, Stronach — founder of auto parts giant Magna International and owner of Gulfstream Park — wanted to raise cattle without the conventional cocktail of hormones, processed grain feed, and antibiotics. Today, the ranch supplies only his restaurants. The menu highlights both seafood and meat, specialty cuts that include a bone-in cowboy steak, rib eye, New York Strip, and prime rib. The petit filet is a hearty cube of meat, seasoned with nothing more than a sprinkling of pink Himalayan sea salt and pepper. It can be ordered with one of several sides, including a heavenly celeriac purée — Stronach's favorite — a healthier option than mashed potatoes. The aforementioned burger arrives disassembled, giving the diner a chance to appreciate each meticulously prepared component. The nine-ounce patty is the size of the small steel pan it's served in, proudly bearing the geometric pattern imparted from the grill. The accompanying brioche bun is placed just so alongside it, the shiny top similarly branded, this time with "A" for Adena. It would be a crime to leave out the house-made Dijon truffle mustard, made daily with imported black truffles, whole-grain mustard, shallots, and sherry vinegar. Sure, it won't cost you $1 million, but Adena aims to make it well worth the $24 price tag.Read our full review.

5 articles

Agave Taco Bar

2949 N. Federal Highway, #3 Fort Lauderdale

954-530-9065

Mexican, Tex-Mex, Critics' Pick, Slideshow, Takeout-Home, Takeout-Cuisine, Takeout-Neighborhood

The chain of Agave Taco Bars are Tex-Mex inspired fast-casual eateries offering a healthy mix of modern and traditional dishes from the chef's hometown of Monterrey, Mexico. The menu boasts a staggering 15 different meats for your taco, a selection of beef, chicken, and fish ranging from a carne asada and picadillo to chicken marinated in salsa verde or ancho tinga.

5 articles

Angelo Elia Pizza Bar Tapas

4215 N. Federal Highway Fort Lauderdale

954-561-7300

Pizza, Tapas, Italian, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu

The menu here is full of tapas, pizzas, salads, calzones, and other traditional Italian eats. More than a dozen varieties of pizza with red or white sauce dominate the menu and arrive perfectly crisp from a wood-fired oven that anchors an open kitchen.

10 articles

Arun’s Indian Kitchen

10278 W. Sample Rd. Coral Springs

954-227-1123

Indian, Critics' Pick, Menu, Slideshow, Takeout-Home, Takeout-Cuisine, Takeout-Neighborhood

Arun's is the number-one-rated Indian restaurant in the area, serving Indian staples like biryani, paneer korma, butter chicken and galubjamun for dessert.

3 articles

Bangkok Palace

4345 N. State Road 7 Lauderhill

Thai, Critics' Pick

Hallelujah for Bangkok Palace, where delicious Thai dishes are made from family recipes. Don't expect goopy pad Thai or the usual lineup of boring curries, because the Kasinpila family makes its curry pastes from scratch and turns out a few dishes you probably haven't seen before. There's a delicious fried-egg salad, dinner-sized bowls of wonton and pork soup (kiew nam), a spicy and warming seafood clay pot filled with mussels, shrimp, scallops, and calamari, and half a dozen inspired noodle dishes. Don't miss the special Bangkok Palace rolls, miniature bites of bliss to roll up with lettuce and cilantro. Charming, cheap, addictive.

2 articles

Beauty and the Feast

601 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-567-8070

New American, Tapas, Critics' Pick

Reclaimed wood and brick, Edison bulbs, tufted leather booths, small plates, and an emphasis on craft seem to be the main ingredients for a trendy restaurant these days. Beauty and the Feast Bar | Kitchen on Fort Lauderdale Beach has all of the above. Set in the ground floor of the boutique Atlantic Resort & Spa, the restaurant boasts that rustic vibe that has been sprouting up all around South Florida. And the fare is just as hip. The restaurant offers a range of global comfort dishes intended for sharing. Sea scallops are served over sweet basil oil with porcini mushroom sauce and microgreens. Crispy chicken sliders are slathered with honey sriracha and mango slaw, then sandwiched between Hawaiian buns. Pizzas range from old-school meatball to white clam. The dishes are interesting, the decor is nice, and the place offers great views of the beach.

44 articles

Bistro 1902

1885 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood

305-316-3136

French, Bistro, Critics' Pick, Takeout-Home, Takeout-Cuisine, Takeout-Neighborhood

In Hollywood, Bistro 1902's menu of bistro-style classics encourages adventurous orders: frogs' legs, boeuf bourguignon, foie gras, and escargots.

3 articles

Blue Willy's Barbecue

613 SE First Ave., Broward / Palm Beach Fort Lauderdale

954-224-6120

American, Street Food, Food Trucks, Critics' Pick

This food truck -- most commonly stationed at the corner of SE First Avenue and SE Sixth Street in downtown Fort Lauderdale -- is gaining a reputation for the quality of the meats prepared. The staff uses a wood-burning smoker with hickory and pecan wood to impart a sweet, smoky flavor. The red truck serves BBQ favorites like St. Louis-style ribs, Texas-style beef brisket, chicken, chopped pork, and sides like coleslaw, corn bread, and smoky baked beans. Another popular choice for the meatheads: Blue Willy's housemade pastrami.

3 articles

Blue Willy's Barbecue

1190 E. Commercial Blvd. Oakland Park

954-224-6120

Barbecue, Restaurants, Critics' Pick, Slideshow

There's barbecue, and then there's good barbecue. At Blue Willy's BBQ in Oakland Park, you'll get some of the best Texas-style barbecue around, meats such as beef brisket and pork spare ribs prepared the same way chef-owner Will Banks' grandfather cooked them at the family's butcher shop-turned-restaurant. It all starts with the meat, delivered by the same purveyor for over six years, one reason his 'cue remains consistent and some of the best in the tri-county area, from the meaty spare ribs to the juice-dribbling brisket. Aquick drive from I-95 and just a stone's throw from Dixie Highway, the restaurant attracts hundreds of patrons that visit each day. A towering Blue Willy's sign marks the spot, impossible to miss. The menu is the same one Banks has been serving for close to a decade, ten items in all, including five well-constructed staples and five sides, the meat smoked in Banks' hickory-fueled monster, a well-seasoned piece of equipment that's been running almost 24 hours a day for nearly 24 years. In Texas, beef is king, and beef brisket is what Banks does best. His comes out moist and smoky, blanketed in a dense blanket of spices charred black from the smoker, and rendered tender enough to cut with a fork. But make no mistake, though: Banks knows what to do with the hog too. His spare ribs, often considered the Holy Grail of good barbecue, remain this food critic's favorite in these parts. They boast a mélange of flavors, from the pasty spice rub that stains the meat (and your fingers) a rust-colored red to the delicate kiss of hardwood smoke and the distinct flavor of perfectly cooked pork. The juicy, fatty meat is so tender it tugs cleanly off the bone, no scraping or sucking needed. If you so choose, you can end it with Banks' grandfather's tangy, vinegary-sweet barbecue sauce. So what's the secret to all that meaty goodness? Lots of smoke and love.Read our full review.

9 articles

Bravo Peruvian Cuisine

2925 NE Sixth Ave. Wilton Manors

954-533-4350

Peruvian, Sandwiches, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow

The postcard-size menu at Bravo! Gourmet Sandwich Shop in Wilton Manors promises "The Best sandwich you'll ever taste!" The Peruvian sandwiches are full of juicy pork, flavorful country ham, and well-spiced onions, all served on these bulky, flaky buns that perfectly soak up the meat juices and spicy sauce. On Sundays, get a traditional Peruvian feast of fried pork chunks, slices of sweet potatoes, spiced onions, and a banana-leaf-wrapped tamale.

13 articles

Brother Tuckers

3332 E. Atlantic Blvd. Pompano Beach

954-785-1984

American, Bar Food, Burgers, Gastro Pub, Sandwiches, Bars and Clubs, Critics' Pick

Remember Friar Tuck, that rotund disciple of Robin Hood whose proselytizations involved food and booze more often than God? Well, if the goodly father had found his way from 11th-century England and somehow landed smack in the middle of Pompano Beach, he'd have quit the priesthood and opened Brother Tuckers, a saintly themed gastropub that seeks perfection in its most ingestible forms. It's a hole in the wall that would feel dusty if it weren't so clean and homey, literally hidden behind red brick and old wood. Inside, punters sip dozens of varieties of Belgian and Old World brews from style-appropriate glassware (snifters, pint glasses, mugs, and goblets) and feast on the small-but-well-conceived menu of upscale pub food. Daily specials (Thursday to Sunday) offer great variety, like a juicy, fresh mozzarella-and-bacon-stuffed meat-loaf sandwich or sirloin steak pounded thin and doused in homemade chimichurri. Other menu choices include salads with cranberries and grilled chicken, pork tenderloin with "Tucker" BBQ sauce, and a Monk's pizza with clams, garlic, and oregano. The house burger, decked in salsa and jalapeños, could make a case for best in SoFla. Tuckers closing times aren't posted, though it stays open fairly late for those seeking to revel in the great food, beer, and atmosphere.

6 articles

Burlock Coast

1 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-302-6460

Seafood, Modern American, Critics' Pick, Best Of

The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale is reinventing the typical hotel restaurant with Burlock Coast. The oceanfront eatery is equal parts café, market, restaurant, and bar. The restaurant focuses on locally sourced ingredients, from raw bar offerings like tuna poke to mains like slow cooked short ribs.

6 articles

C-Viche Restaurant

7908 Pines Blvd. Pembroke Pines

954-987-0078

Fusion, Peruvian, Critics' Pick, Menu

C-Viche will win no awards for its decor; an outdated dining room is lunchroom-casual, with barren whitewashed walls with nothing but a pair of TVs blaring Spanish programming. A short bar offers nothing but import beers -- like Peruvian Cristal -- and just one type of liquor, enough to make a few potent pisco sours. Yet despite its dismal trappings, C-Viche has managed to make its mark the old-fashioned way: by serving well-made, regional dishes presented by Peruvian-born chef and owner Jorge Velarde. C-Viche is his latest concept, a neighborhood-style establishment with a menu offering both modern and traditional Peruvian cuisine side by side. Dishes include a list of hot and cold appetizers, several takes on ceviche, soups and salads, and entrées that include some meat and chicken but are largely seafoodcentric. Prices offer similar variety and fluctuate from penny-pinching affordable to fine-dining pricey. Starters like causa -- bright yellow potatoes layered with meat and vegetable filling and blended with lime juice and pepper sauce -- will fill you up for less than $8; house specialties and large sharing plates are priced from $20 to $30. the ceviche, a dish served at every Peruvian establishment from the rustic picanterías of the north to the bus-station snack bars of the cities. This South American staple of raw fish is a highlight at the aptly named C-Viche, an example of Peruvian dishes that forgo overpowering sauces and spice for the quieter pleasures of the aji Amarillo chili pepper.

Cafe Martorano

3343 E. Oakland Park Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-561-2554

Italian, Critics' Pick, Best Of

Café Martorano attracts names like Ludacris, Shaq, and the cast of the Sopranos to chow down on baseball-sized meatballs, grilled octopus, veal Sinatra loaded with fresh lobster meat, gourmet Philly cheese steaks, and other high-profile South Philadelphia Italian-American classics.

22 articles

Candela Restaurant

2909 NE Sixth Ave. Wilton Manors

954-563-8088

Latin American, Tapas, Cafe, Critics' Pick, Best Of

In South Florida, where the recent small-plate obsession has tainted our palates (and pockets) with pricey, upmarket concept foods, we have no understanding of the Spanish art of celebrating food and drink. But at Candela Restaurant in Wilton Manors, you can get an idea of what it's all about. Just one block south of Oakland Park Boulevard and over a canal that hems the northern edge of the Island City, you'll find one of the area's best-kept secrets. You may be familiar with a restaurant where the chef knows your name and delivers your dish as if you were family. This is the type of experience you'll get from chef-owner Armando Vega and his wife Yudaris, a Cuban-born couple that dishes out authentic Latin and Mediterranean cuisine. What makes Candela so endearing is Vega's knowledge of his painstakingly sourced ingredients. A medium-grain rice from Murcia, Spain; Mahon, a soft cow's-milk cheese from the island of Minorca; smoky pimenton, a type of Spanish paprika; and olive oil from Jaen, a city in the south of Spain. The rustic, red-walled hideaway is accented with handmade wooden wine racks; Vega's family china and art made with the corks of emptied wine bottles are evidence of the gastronomic merriment that's taken place over the years. Vega is most proud of his paella, prepared in the style of Valencia. The recipe calls for Spanish Calasparra rice, a pearl-shaped variety that won't stick and allows for the complete absorption of the savory calamari-, clam-, mussel-, and shrimp-based broth. The dish is served from a piping-hot paella pan, blackened rice scraped from the steel and onto your plate. Another house specialty is the fideua negra, a noodle dish with an unctuous sauce of squid ink that's filled with fat chunks of tender squid and octopus. Or try the credo asado, confit pork finished in a hot paella pan with olive oil and sofrito. The technique renders the meat into crispy fried tendrils of pulled pork that are served over a bed of rice and black beans seasoned with a pepper-based vinegar sauce Vega gets from his family in Cuba. Read our full review.

2 articles

Canyon

1818 E. Sunrise Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-765-1950

American, Southwestern, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu

Ask any Fort Lauderdale foodie for restaurant recommendations, and one name is sure to come up without question. Canyon has been a local gourmand haven for decades. In a town that has new restaurants opening and closing on a daily basis, that really is saying something. Inside this cavernous little restaurant, cuddly couples and lively singles sip prickly pear margaritas at the bar. The lighting is dim. The tables are secluded. The ambiance is ideal for an intimate dinner date. And it shows. The place is always busy, so much so that they refuse to take reservations; weekend customers will oftentimes wait hours for a table. Canyon's southwestern fusion menu features creative dishes with Asian, Southern, and Central American influences. Examples include blue-corn-fried oysters served with pico de gallo, chilli vinaigrette, and cilantro; a Maine lobster avocado salad with warm smoked bacon vinaigrette; and the highly esteemed filet mignon with poblano pesto goat cheese, zinfandel natural sauce, and cilantro potato mash. Read our full review.

18 articles

Casa Frida

5441 N. Federal Highway Fort Lauderdale

954-530-3668

Mexican, Critics' Pick, Menu, Slideshow

After relocating from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale, Victor and Julieta Bocos said they couldn’t find good, authentic Mexican restaurants with fair prices, so they opened their own. Now, they’ve become known for serving traditional Mexican dishes like xochitl soup and slow-roasted pork leg. The husband and wife were raised in Mexico City, met in Cancun, and say they want to teach people about real Mexican food, not Tex-Mex. “No one in Mexico eats burritos!” Julieta exclaims. “We didn’t know what a burrito was until we moved to the U.S.” Still, this handheld Mexican favorite has made it to the menu due to popular demand, where it joins tortas and tacos. While bold, authentic flavors are the owners’ priority, they’ve also created a welcoming environment with bright colors, dozens of Frida Kahlo paintings, and, most important, warm and attentive service.

Chapultepec

23 NW Second Ave. Hallandale Beach

954-456-0771

Mexican, Tex-Mex, Critics' Pick, Best Of

One of Chapultepec's best-kept secrets is the ad hoc taco stand that pops up outside the restaurant late on Friday nights; it offers full service inside the restaurant every other day of the week. Cooks grill juicy carnitas and carne asada in the South Florida breeze, hitting each fragrant stack of meat with chopped onion, cilantro, and lime before wrapping it in a corn tortilla. It's a South Florida scene like none other, and it's not uncommon to find whole families stuffing spicy tacos in their faces alongside construction workers, covered in sweat and grit after a day at the job site.

2 articles

Charlotte Bistro

Miracle Mile, Coral Gables South Dade

305-443-3003

French, Bistro, Critics' Pick

Charlotte's distinctiveness begins with the eclectic décor: a quaint and quirky collage of patterned wallpaper, floral nosegays, and white ovoid lamps hanging from a high black ceiling. It all fits together to form an utterly charming ambiance. The cuisine weaves a similarly enchanting web, fusing strands of French bistro fare with ingredients such as the curry and coconut milk that globalize a beurre blanc pooled beneath three bacon-wrapped langoustines. Other winning starters include an onion soup fragrantly fingered with fresh thyme, and coarsely textured pheasant terrine accompanied by a sweet confit of tomato and sharp caper-raisin sauce. A half-dozen entrées are equally fresh, light, and well balanced, none more so than a tender lobster tail poached in brown butter and afloat with five ravioli rounds of minced lobster in saffron-spiked broth. On the other end of the heft spectrum: two hearty domestic lamb chops marinated with thyme and nutmeg and sauced in lamb jus touting just a trifle of truffle oil. The signature dessert is "chocolate soup," dressed with a quenelle of homemade coffee ice cream and a buttery, wispy tuile. Venezuelan chef/owner Elida Villarroel's Charlotte Bistro offers an elegant, enjoyable dining experience at a fair price.

1 article

Charm City Burgers Company

1136 E. Hillsboro Blvd. Deerfield Beach

954-531-0300

Burgers, Fast Food, Sandwiches, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu, Slideshow

Charm City's motto is, "Five star chefs, five dollar burgers." And you'll get just that: gourmet-style burgers topped with so many quality ingredients that they're literally bursting open. The messy sandwiches do pose some serious questions, such as, how do you get your mouth around a six-inch-tall burger and keep dry? But finding the answer is part of the fun. A cowboy burger pairs sautéed onions and mushrooms with thick-cut bacon. The sides rock too: Hand-cut fries are seasoned perfectly, onion rings look as plump as fat donuts, and marinated grilled wings act like Texas barbecue in that the meat falls right off the bone. Wash it all down with a cold microbrew or a Blue Bell milkshake, and you'll forget about the messiness fast.

15 articles

Chef's Palette Cafe and Grill

1650 SE 17th St. Fort Lauderdale

954-760-7957

American, Restaurants, Critics' Pick, Menu, Slideshow

Proving grounds for the students of the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and open only a few nights a week, Chef's Palette provides an unusual dining experience. The school is located just beside the 17th Street bridge, and its see-through design lets you get a view of the action in the kitchen. Doesn't everyone look cute in chef's hats? One could argue that diners are taking a risk, because the cooks are in training, but the menu skews upscale, and teachers' expectations are high. Lunch is a prix-fixe three-course arrangement with soup/salad and fish, chicken, lamb, or beef. Chef's Palette provides an interesting, classroomesque take on fine dining.Read our full review.

2 articles

China Grill

1881 SE 17th St. Causeway Fort Lauderdale

954-759-9950

Asian, Asian Fusion, Contemporary, Sushi, Critics' Pick

Jeffrey Chodorow's famed China Grill waited 20 years to land in Fort Lauderdale, but now that it has, this glitzy pan-Asian fusion eatery is attracting the young and beautiful in droves. From the infused saketinis and Poire cocktails to the giant platters of spareribs, moo shu duck, overwrought sushi rolls, mountains of toro and Kobe, and bananas in a tuile "box," the food at China Grill is excellent even if the flavors, like a decorating scheme that relies on special effects such as a pair of glow-in-the-dark bars, can sometimes seem a little too outrageous.

12 articles

d.b.a./cafe

2364 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale Wilton Manors

954-565-3392

Brunch, Critics' Pick, Menu, Slideshow

Tucked into a corner in a Fort Lauderdale strip mall along Federal Highway (by Whole Foods) is a gastropubby-looking restaurant with some upscale surprises inside. The menu changes monthly; on it, you might find amped-up comfort foods like a soul-food-style fried chicken with a maple-glazed funnel cake in place of the waffle or seared chicken livers draped in sweet, sherry-braised onion atop circular crusts of bread. DBA/Cafe does double duty as a cool neighborhood restaurant with burgers and a relaxed vibe and as an upscale place with European desserts and a great wine list. No reason you can't have your cake and eat it too.

8 articles

Eduardo De San Angel

2822 E. Commercial Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-772-4731

Fine Dining, Mexican, Critics' Pick

Fungi, chilies, and squash blossoms; asadero, escargots, and wine reductions. Chef Eduardo de Pria incorporates them all at his award-winning gourmet restaurant, a celebration of native Mexican ingredients and European technique. Pria's daily specials change often and might include tantalizing starters such as escargots sautéed with white wine and onions or Pria's famous cilantro soup, fragrant with herbs and spice. Grilled nopales (cactus paddle) are layered with marinated pork loin and achiote for a homey bocadillo; Florida blue-crab cakes with sweet yellow corn are napped in puebla mole and smoky chipotle sauce. For entrées, try the achiote crepes stuffed with cuitlacoche (a mushroom native to Mexico that grows on corn husks); a more traditional trio of tiny, tender, ruby-centered Colorado lamb chops is brushed with fresh cilantro-garlic oil and served with a wild mushroom-stuffed tamale and a miniature corn-husk boat of puréed black beans scattered with queso fresco. Eduardo De San Angel's service is exquisite, surpassed only by the smart wine list, intimate setting, and exceptional desserts such as a cappuccino, hazelnut, and cocoa Napoleon -- or the legendary coconut flan sponge cake. Read more.

15 articles

11th Street Annex

14 SW 11th St. Fort Lauderdale

954-767-8306

American, Coffeehouse, Tea, Coffee Shops, Critics' Pick, Menu

A charming lunch spot tucked away in a former pastor’s home at Trinity Lutheran Church, the restaurant run by two sisters, Jonny Altobell and Penny Sanfilippo, has hidden in the annex for ten years. In a nod to childhood nicknames, the Ugly Sisters riff on their sense of humor that pervades the spirit of the place. A chalkboard lists the day’s five features, which include homemade soup, a rotation of sandwiches, and variations on mac and cheese. A plus for picky eaters: The sisters accommodate vegan and vegetarians as well as food allergies, so be sure to give a heads-up. And don’t hesitate to stop in for a fly-by coffee or tea and something for a sweet tooth.

5 articles

Ends Meat

1910 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood

954-391-7400

Bar Food, Gastro Pub, Critics' Pick

Here's to hoping nothing changes — as so many good fish tacos at new restaurants almost always do — with Ends Meat chef-owner Kevin Dreifuss' satisfying combination of fresh catch married with a piquant slaw accented with a spicy chipotle aioli, cotija cheese, and large sprigs of fresh cilantro. It's just one of many dishes that are executed perfectly with a creative touch and an eye for detail, while still managing to be fun and approachable. Located in downtown Hollywood, it's a first restaurant for Dreifuss, whose modern-American eatery is earning rave reviews with locals and foodies alike, drawing crowds from as far as the chef's former stomping grounds in Miami for a taste of his creative, quirky dishes. Open for both lunch and dinner, the restaurant's two menus open with similar items. Day and night you'll find close to a dozen starters and a raw bar that includes ceviche, smoked prawns, and an assortment of East or West Coast oysters served with the chef's own apple mignonette and a housemade smoked red pepper cocktail sauce that's good enough to eat on its own. Further down you'll find some of the chef's best creations, ones he's perfected over the years, including mahi-mahi fish sausages and lump crab taquitos. Reuben egg rolls are a must — even if you're not a fan of Reuben sandwiches or traditional egg rolls -- slow-cooked corned beef chopped until it's blended into a fine mince and stuffed into crispy egg roll shells with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. Of course, dessert shouldn't be overlooked, and all of it is handcrafted with the same passionate enthusiasm as the main plates by Dreifuss' wife Georgianna. A de facto manager and also the restaurant's in-house pastry chef, she's constantly baking up a variety of fresh cakes and pies.Read our full review.

2 articles

Fabio the Venetian Wine Bar & Restaurant

3471 N. Federal Highway Oakland Park

954-990-5435

Italian, Restaurants, Critics' Pick, Slideshow

La Cucina Veneziana is owner Fabio Cracco's small piece of Venice in South Florida. The nondescript 35-seat cafe looks like a place to grab a quick salad or sandwich, but inside, Cracco is turning out bold Northern Italian cuisine, inspired by his family and the food he grew up eating. The 40-ish chef, who originally came to Florida to cook on private yachts, not only coaxes basic ingredients into a variety of bold, satisfying plates but does so with a gusto that's uncommon in South Florida. He's the chef but also the lead server, and he explains the menu and the day's specials to each table. He'll cook basic pasta carbonara or more complicated duck ragout, perfectly bronzed in its own fat. A refrigerated case displays an assortment of fine Italian salumis and berry-covered tarts dusted with powdered sugar. The lunch crowd, mostly men from nearby offices in button-up shirts and slacks, call him by name. At night, Fabio doles out kisses to old ladies as they leave the restaurant. He says he enjoys a small space where he can develop a reliable clientele for whom he will cook anything, so long as he has the ingredients. Read our full review.

2 articles

Fratelli Lyon

4141 NE Second Ave., Miami Central Dade

305-572-2901

Italian, Contemporary, Critics' Pick, Menu

Fratelli Lyon serves fare that is really, honestly, literally just like the kind you find in Italy. Heck, many of the products here come from the boot, including olive oil, salumi, Italian DOP cheeses, heirloom legumes, and wines from boutique vintners. And what isn't shipped from overseas is equally virtuous, such as organically grown produce, grass-fed beef, and airy loaves of home-baked ciabatta bread. Even the water is flush with integrity; an in-house filtration system produces still and sparkling waters served in reusable one-liter bottles. Try cold antipasti, salads, and some two dozen salumi and formaggi than can be divvied up in different ways: an individual selection (most under $10), a quintet of vegetable or fish antipasti ($25), a trio of either salumi or formaggi ($16), or an esplosione di antipasti. Pastas are near-perfect. Main courses stand out in terms of not only great flavor but also value. Moist, meaty slices of calf's liver come capped with softly sautéed onions and sides of steamed Swiss chard and halved fingerling potatoes - for $18. Add sleek industrial décor, solid service, and a great list of wines and you'll understand why Fratelli Lyon has folks lining up to get in.

Frenchy's Table

235 Commercial Blvd. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

954-533-2580

French, Seafood, Critics' Pick, Best Of

Since 2014, Sea Restaurant chef-owner Edith Barthelemy has been cooking up some of the best French-inspired seafood in Broward County. Lucky for us, she knows a thing or two about French food -- the chef grew up in Limousin, France, and worked at her parents' bed and breakfast for many years before enrolling in a culinary academy, then gaining further experience as a Relais & Chauteaux Maitre’d. Today, South Florida guests can get a taste of her seafood-focused fare (and exceptional service) at her Fort Lauderdale restaurant, where you can order à la carte, fresh catches listed daily on the chalkboard menu. Or go with the flow via a three-course tasting menu that offers a taste of the restaurant's best dishes. That includes a creative riff on the classic bolognese, here served with seared, diced fresh tuna tossed in a homemade tomato sauce. There's also the whole Florida red snapper, baked and finished in a luxurious beurre blanc sauce. The 25-seat dining room blends mid-century modern accents with an Old Florida fish mural, making for stylish environs while staying true to the city's beachy aesthetic. Servers dressed in chef whites add polish to the experience. Whatever you do, don't leave without a taste of one of Barthelemy's signature desserts, perhaps the only thing she does better than seafood.

6 articles

Fresh First

1637 SE 17th St. Fort Lauderdale

954-763-3344

Smoothies, Gluten-Free, American, Mediterranean, Raw Food, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu, Slideshow

Fresh First is Fort Lauderdale's first place to earn the recognition of "Great Kitchen" by National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA), and it caters to diets and lifestyles of all shapes and sizes. Owned by mother/daughter team Mary and Francesca Siragusa, the restaurant offers a wide variety of organic fare ranging from vegan and vegetarian to wild caught fish to free-range chicken. Everything in the spot is gluten-, corn-, and peanut-free as well as non-GMO. The menu spans from meat-based dishes like the mushroom turkey burger with local mozzarella to raw zucchini puttanesca with sprouted garbanzo beans, sprouted lentils, cherry tomatoes, red pepper, kalamata olives, and scallions in a garlic lemon sauce. Vegan chocolate chip cookies for dessert!

4 articles

Locations in South Florida: Critics' Pick

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