Small Plates in South Florida

13|Even, owned by the same couple that runs landmark lesbian bar New Moon just up Wilton Drive, is more a place to meet friends for drinks and fun than it is a dinner destination. If you get hungry, there is an array of globally inspired, fair-priced small plates such as a bruschetta, three-cheese-stuffed portabella mushrooms and an amped-up macaroni and cheese. Really, though, you come for the more than two dozen craft beers from local and national brewers and for the extensive wine list. On weekends, prepare to wade through two or three rows of people to get to the weathered wood bar, but don't worry. While you wait, you can scope out the cool chairs made of recycled palettes, the black-and-white photos shot by owner Carol Moran, and the foot-tall Elvis figurine striking a pose near some suds.

My wife Valarie our son Mike and myself are proprietors of this small family owned establishment. Mike is the general manager and the inspiration behind the name “Bar Red Beard”, you’ll know why when you come in and see him. Mike has been in the food service industry for over 12 years and brings the experience and expertise that we are very comfortable with as we embark on this new chapter in our life. My wife and I are both retired and along with Mike we have dreamed about opening our own place for years. I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio with six siblings and a very close family of aunts’ uncles and cousins. Most weekends were spent with that extended family and countless varieties of individual family recipes. I learned to cook from my mother and grandmother who were both exceptional cooks. All of our recipes are based on the skills and traditions I learned from them. My mother Geraldine and father Mariano established and grew our family values and taught us to be open and share with others as if they were part of our family. Our menu honors their positive influence and culinary expertise. Geraldine’s pizza by the slice is based on my mother’s recipe for homemade pizza. Mariano’s meatballs are a tribute to him and his favorite dish of spaghetti and meatballs. All our menu items are made from scratch including the dough for our pizza, barbeque sauce for our pulled pork sandwich, the special sweet and spicy dressing for our tots and chicken salad sandwich and of course those hand rolled meatballs in wonderful red gravy. Our tots are really homemade never frozen. The American craft beer movement most symbolizes our values of honest, local, and homemade products. We set out to build on that concept with our homemade recipes as well as present other American crafted products. We have worked hard to source all of our ingredients from American providers including our beer and wine lists that are exclusively American made. We want to share our American crafted concept in an atmosphere that is warm, welcoming and most expresses our desire to have our guests feel like they are at home. We designed the bar based on the old local corner tavern concept. Dark wood bar back highlighted by green walls and a hand painted American flag proudly displayed on the wall. There are two large glass doors that fold out of the way that opens up the entire corner. Two large awnings wrap around the corner with outside seating to take advantage of the wonderful Ocean breezes. Wood grain bar and tile floor complete the local tavern atmosphere. We are located on the corner of NE 33rd Street and NE 33rd Ave. between the Ocean and the Intercoastal just north of Oakland Park Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. So our concept of American crafted is simply that a presentation of beer, wine and food that has been crafted in America and presented by our family with love

Nearly a quarter-century old and showing no signs of retiring or resting on its leches, Café Seville is as full of surprises as ever, from a soothing potato-stuffed tortilla Española to a lineup of seafood preparations (trout, merluza, swordfish, salmon, snapper, dolphin, seafood paella, a maritime casserole) and rustic, Spanish-style legs of pork, rib of lamb, and even delicious rabbit cooked in spicy tomato sauce. The food is consistently wonderful and the prices reasonable, with enough variety to keep you busy trying new dishes for years. But it's the friendly, romantic atmosphere that will make this charming café your go-to spot whenever you most need sustenance and succor. A huge list of reasonably priced Spanish, American, and European wines, plus live classical guitar music on weekends, turns the place into a full-on party.

Formerly known as Himmarshee Bar & Grille, PL8 specializes in small plates, which include seafood, sliders, skewers, pizzas, salads, and greens. A stylish dining room is anchored by bar tables of reclaimed wood and sleek steel. Abstract silk-screens and varied textures nod to nature. Accent lighting is easy on the eyes too, especially in the adjacent room at Sidebar, with its name spelled out in orbs like a retro-sexy Lite Brite. Try the local rock shrimp bruschetta with fresh ricotta, roasted cherry tomatoes, and a touch of balsamic or the arugula and roasted corn salad with smoked almonds and strawberries. In both dishes, the kitchen nods to local ingredients and tends to detail by adding complexity with roasted vegetables. Mini bratwurst sliders are also crowd pleasers, served with red-bliss potato salad as a condiment with violet mustard. The menu encourages sharing, so grab a table, graze on a few plates, and allow yourself to people-watch in one of the most animated stretches of town.