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Ma-Prao Thai Cuisine, Fort Lauderdale
This Thai street-food restaurant registered to Kamolwan Kawpunna debuted in mid-October across the street from Holy Cross Hospital, replacing the former Thai Bayshore Restaurant that closed this summer. Touting five levels of heat (from “baby” to “hot mama”), the restaurant features tom yum and duck noodle soups, pork dumplings and spring rolls. There are also Thai staples such as pad Thai and malang tod, a dish of deep-fried silkworms. 4838 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 954-651-8242; Ma-PraoThaiCuisine.com
Amado Market, Wilton Manors
This Argentine market and sandwicherie registered to Elisa G. Gonzalez and Amado G. Elgadban, which began its life as a Miami-area food truck, has opened on trendy Wilton Drive, replacing the Nicaraguan restaurant Fritanga Managua. The eatery, which debuted Oct. 20, serves empanadas and canastitas (basically open-faced empanadas filled with beef, spinach and cheese, and bacon and plum), along with beef Milanesa with fries and a prosciutto and burrata sandwich. 2410 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors; 786-672-3759;
Portside Breakfast & Lunch, West Palm Beach
This daytime diner-style restaurant, registered to Francis Cecere Jr. and sons Phillip, Matthew and Francis III, opened in October in West Palm Beach’s Golden Lakes neighborhood. In addition to breakfast combos with 8-ounce ribeyes and slow-roasted pork belly, expect items such as french toast casserole and eggs benedict (salmon, Cajun shrimp). For lunch, try handhelds (shaved ribeye, Buffalo chicken), smash burgers and blue crab cakes. 8480 Okeechobee Blvd., Suite 7, West Palm Beach; 561-619-7172; PortsideOnline.com
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, Plantation
Admirers of white clam apizza, assemble: This beloved shrine for New Haven-style pie connoisseurs opened its first South Florida location on Oct. 24 inside the buzzy live-shop complex Plantation Walk. Frank Pepe’s coal-fired slices are baked at a super-hot 600 degrees Fahrenheit for a few minutes, yielding an oblong pie with charred — not burnt — crispy-chewy crust and cheese like molten lava. At each new location, the restaurant recreates the same 104,000-pound oven it has at its New Haven flagship. The menu specializes in white clam pies and cheeseless tomato pies, along with salads, Foxon Park sodas, cannoli pie and tiramisu. A second, 4,160-square-foot Frank Pepe is expected to open in the second quarter of 2023 in Delray Beach. 341 N. University Drive, Suite 800, Plantation; 954-906-7373; PepesPizzeria.com
The Madre’s Mexican Fresh, Wellington
This addition to The Mall at Wellington Green was slated to open Oct. 24. In addition to well-known Mexican and Tex-Mex menu items, the kiosk in the food court features build-your-own burritos, tacos, quesadillas, bowls and salads. 10300 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington. 567-623-7157;
Mama YaTai and Donut, Davie
Replacing the Cantonese/Hong Kong style eatery Tasty Café in Davie, this Japanese restaurant registered to Ngoc Chau and Loc Nguyen debuted in mid-October. The space occupies the popular Carriage Hills Plaza (also known as Foodtown), a strip-mall fantasyland of Asian cuisine. Mama’s menu features items such as yakitori (chicken on skewers), Japanese corn dogs and mochi doughnuts. 6477 Stirling Road, Davie; no website or phone number yet available
Yellow Yolk, Coral Springs
Restaurateur Steve Tsatas recently opened this breakfast and lunch concept at The Walk at University in Coral Springs, making it the brand’s debut. (There are plans for Pompano Beach to be the next site, possibly by year’s end.) The breakfast menu includes options such as triple-stacked pancakes; classic egg Benedict; vegetable- or meat-filled omelets; avocado toast on walnut and raisin bread with two poached eggs or a breakfast burrito filled with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, salsa and guacamole. Lunch menu selections include house-made soups; handhelds such as smashed beef burgers, chicken and steak sandwiches; huevos rancheros; carnitas burrito with tomatillo salsa verde, and Florida key lime pie. 2864 N. University Drive, Coral Springs; 954-688-9862; YellowYolk.com
Saxies Restaurant & Lounge, Lantana
An upscale surf-and-turf scratch kitchen from owner Erik Betts, Saxies debuted in early September across the street from the new Water Tower Commons live-shop complex. The menu combines steakhouse classics and pub-style comfort foods, including Maryland lump crab cakes, Atlantic blackened salmon, baby back ribs, New York strips and filet mignon au poivre, along with Philly cheesesteaks and other handhelds, chicken wings and barbecue pulled-pork quesadillas, as well as craft cocktails. 618 Lantana Road, Lantana; 561-355-0936;
Sweetgreen, Palm Beach Gardens
This national fast-casual chain, which touts healthy seasonal warm bowls and salads, is rapidly expanding in Florida with this seventh location opening late last month in the Downtown Palm Beach Gardens shopping center. Sweetgreen opened in West Palm Beach last year and debuted in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood and Coral Gables in 2020. There’s also a pickup/delivery outpost in downtown Miami. Exclusive to the South Florida eateries, including this new one, is the Citrus Shrimp Bowl. 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave., Palm Beach Gardens; Sweetgreen.com
Merci Bimini, West Palm Beach
This French-American café had its grand opening on Oct. 8 with a menu that includes sandwiches, salads, and a signature vegetarian avocado toast baguette, as well as pastries, coffee and espresso beverages. They also offer beer, wine and sparkling wine. “That is what makes us so unique [in the neighborhood],” says owner Stephanie Bogdan. “You can come for brunch or lunch during the day and relax with us in the evening over dessert or drinks.” Soon there will be special events such as a Date Night and French Film Fridays. 8480 Okeechobee Blvd., Suite 5; 561-360-2645; MerciBiminiWPB.com
Blackbird, Jupiter
Blackbird Modern Asian restaurant debuted this week with an impressive ownership team behind it: restaurateurs Scott Frielich (SubCulture Group) and Angelo Abbenante (Lynora’s) as well as nightlife maestro Cleve Mash (Pawn Shop, Clematis Social) and executive chef Tim Nickey (Komodo, China Grill, Joe Namath’s Lucky Shuck). Taking the space vacated by Shipwreck Bar & Grille, the two-story eatery has a view of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and the Loxahatchee River. The design — evoking 1940s-era Shanghai — is the creation of Kat Solomon, who worked side by side with Venus Williams at V Starr in West Palm Beach. The menu features Pan-Asian cuisine such as smoked salmon with everything bagel ragoons; Shanghai soup dumplings; sweet and sour pork with pineapple and dragon fruit; Australian Wagyu tomahawk with truffle ponzu butter sauce; and Szechuan ribs inside a smoke-infused glass dome that’s removed tableside. 1511 N. Old Dixie Highway, Jupiter; BlackbirdModernAsian.com
Mystic Lobster Roll, Fort Lauderdale
This Beach Haven, N.J.-spawned seafood franchise debuted Sept. 10 within the Causeway Shoppes on Fort Lauderdale’s 17th Street Causeway. (It replaces the former Kubo, which moved into expanded digs at 745 SE 17th St.) Mystic Fort Lauderdale, which is owned by Harry and Jackie Stampler, specializes in Maine lobster rolls, lobster tacos, Alaskan king crab legs, lobster bisque, lobster mac and cheese, and whoopie pies for dessert. In Florida, Mystic already operates locations in Boca Raton and Juno Beach, with one future outpost destined for Orlando. 753 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-999-5605, MysticLobsterRollsFTL.com
Snow Bunny, Boca Raton
This emporium devoted to dim sum, bao buns, boba tea and other Asian treats opened in early September inside Boca’s Fifth Avenue Shops plaza. Snow Bunny, which shares a storefront with sister eatery Eat District, a build-your-own-Asian-bowl, is owned by Lemongrass Hospitality (Lemongrass Asian Bistro, Ramen Lab Eatery, Ganzo, and The Sea Kitchen). The shop offers inventive varieties of boba, from ube taro to tiramisu milk teas topped with salty cream cheese or creme brulee, along with smoothies, ahi tuna pizza, poke nachos and bao bun combo boxes. 1914 NE Fifth Ave.; 561-576-2046, SnowBunnyBoba.com
Kapow Noodle Bar, Boca Raton
Long leather banquettes, murals of mysterious geishas, dramatic lighting and an overhauled menu are among the boldly seductive upgrades at Kapow, the pan-Asian hotspot that reopened Sept. 16 in buzzing Mizner Park. Co-owned by Vaughan Dugan and Rodney Mayo, the 5,000-square-foot eatery is double the size of its former storefront across the street and steeped in youthful energy. For now, much of its old menu — including Angry Shrimp Dumplings, Tuna Tartare Crispy Rice, Hoisin BBQ Baby Back Ribs and Peking Duck — will be retained, but new additions under executive chef Anthony Williams and executive sushi chef Vincent Lau include Wagyu New York strip steak, King Prawn Banh Mi and, of course, sushi. Meanwhile, a new eight-seat omakase bar hosted by Lau will serve 10 courses on Fridays and Saturdays. 402 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; KapowNoodleBar.com
Soba Asian Noodles, Fort Lauderdale
The fourth restaurant to occupy this storefront in as many years, Soba Asian Noodles debuted Oct. 6 inside Fort Lauderdale’s Imperial Shopping Plaza. Soba is owned by Teera Jiriyasin, whose family also operates Tee-Jay Thai Sushi in Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors. The menu will include takoyaki (octopus), chicken bao buns, buckwheat soba noodles and other fast-casual dishes. The noodle house replaces Mr. Q Crab House (which closed this spring), Bufarella La Pizza Di Napoli (closed in 2020) and Hurricane BTW (2018). 5975 N. Federal Highway, No. 103, Fort Lauderdale; 954-595-2923; SobaAsianNoodles.com
Subculture Coffee Roasters, Palm Beach Gardens
Palm Beach restaurant impresario Rodney Mayo also has expanded his hip coffeehouse chain north to the Downtown Palm Beach Gardens plaza. Subculture, which debuted Sept. 29 next door to Whole Foods Market, serves golden chai and matcha lattes, cold brew and iced candied pecan espressos, as well as trendy café food staples such as bacon quiche, pesto chicken empanadas, vegan zucchini loaves and frittata brioche sandwiches. 11702 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave., Suite 5090, Palm Beach Gardens; 561-323-7756; SubcultureCoffee.com
Plant Pizza, Cooper City
Specializing in all-vegan, brick-oven pies and lentil-based pastas, this New York-style pizzeria from owner Samuel Cobas opened in early September within the Stirling Town Center. The shop, located next door to Coba’s other all-vegan restaurant in the same plaza, Vegan Tierra, serves specialty pizzas including Jackfruit BBQ and Meatless Lovers, as well as cauliflower wings, gluten-free baked ziti, salads, soups and calzones. 8763 Stirling Road, Cooper City; 754-223-5835; PlantPizza.net
Sushiato, Parkland
This Latin-inspired sushi house owned by Venezuelan nationals Nino Ravicini and Sandra Mauro debuted in early September on University Drive. This is Sushiato’s third location after opening storefronts in the Brickell area and Weston. The menu features Japanese and Nikkei-style (Japanese-Peruvian) dishes such as maki topped with acevichada sauce and sweet plantain puree, octopus nigiri in olive sauce, Samba Ceviche tossed in Peruvian corn, fried tostones and leche de tigre passionfruit, and hamachi jalapeño tiraditos. 7961 N. University Drive, Parkland; 754-529-8560; Sushi-ato.com
Blueprint Cookies, Boca Raton
This Flagler Village-spawned gourmet confection shop formerly called Batch, the Cookie Co. caters to cookie monsters in Boca Raton after hosting a grand opening of its third location on Aug. 20. The confection shop, from itinerant pastry chef Max Santiago and business partners Adam August and Nick Hicks, bakes cookies with flavors such as frosted red velvet, brown-sugar blondies and all-vegan, gluten-free blueberry-lemon swirl and brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tart. In a publicly shared Facebook post on Oct. 3, Santiago explained that they chose to rebrand from Batch to Blueprint to dodge a “lawsuit nightmare” over naming rights with Batch Gastropub, a local mini-chain. 5050 Town Center Circle, Suite 233, Boca Raton; 954-533-8200; BlueprintCookie.com
Ispalina Restaurant, Boca Raton
Upscale Mediterranean fine-dining cuisine is on the menu at Maksim Kornev’s Ispalina, which opened in August on North Federal Highway. A rebranding of Kornev’s Sultan Cafe & Grill in the same space, which shuttered earlier this spring, Ispalina serves up salads, charcuterie boards, red-pepper hummus, wild mushroom fettuccine and porcini risotto with truffle oil, along with ribeyes, chicken marsala and New York-style cheesecake. 5800 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; 561-571-6159, Ispalina.Restaurant
Pure Green, Boca Raton
This fast-casual eatery recently opened in Mizner Park, which many consider the de facto downtown of Boca Raton. This is the city’s second location, with plans to add to that number throughout SoFlo (hence the new franchise headquarters in Sunrise). Founded in 2014 by health and fitness expert Ross Franklin, Pure Green is known for cold-pressed juices and juice shots, superfood smoothies, as well as acai and pitaya bowls. Reality TV personality and BFF of the Kardashian clan, Jonathan Cheban — a.k.a. Foodgod — recently collaborated with the brand to release a new Blue Banana Smoothie. 324 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; 561-409-4271; PureGreen.com
La Piazzetta, Hallandale Beach
Wood oven-fired pies distinguish this upscale pizzeria, which reopened Sept. 23 after moving from its former perch near Little Haiti to the trendy Atlantic Village shopping complex in Hallandale Beach. The menu features Neapolitan-style pizzas, some with unique toppings (homemade pistachio and artichoke creams, pecans, oven-baked potatoes, spicy ‘nduja), along with fresh burrata, paninis, carpaccio and insalata. 701 N. Federal Highway, Suite 112, Hallandale Beach; LaPiazzettaMiami.com
Yo Momma’s Kitchen, Pembroke Pines
This breakfast-brunch café from owners Kimberly Ann Parks and Carlos De Las Salas debuted in early September inside the Pembroke Lakes Shopping Plaza. Along with café con leche, there are fruit-and-yogurt parfaits, chia-seed pudding, breakfast biscuits and the Momma’s Platter (two eggs, choice of meat, hash browns, toast). Pastries include pies, cupcakes, gelato and even funnel cakes. 10410 Taft St.; 954-362-4994
Bokamper’s Sports Bar & Grill, Miramar
This location of the Bokamper’s restaurant brand closed in April for renovations and updates — and now it’s back with a new chef and a new menu. The lakefront restaurant, which reopened on Sept. 20, still has a kids’ game room, private party suite (with its own bar) and the expansive indoor/outdoor seating. Head chef Christian Zancolla has added perfect-for-game-day dishes such as buffalo chicken tater kegs, which are tater tots stuffed with shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, Wisconsin cheddar cheese, cream cheese and ranch dressing. Other new menu items include rigatoni and meatballs, a Mediterranean grilled salmon salad and a variety of tacos. In case you don’t know, Bokamper’s is part of the PDKN Restaurant Group, founded by former Miami Dolphins gridiron great Kim Bokamper and partners P.J. Kavanagh, Damon DeSantis and Noel Cullen. The PDKN brand includes other Bokamper’s in Plantation and Fort Lauderdale. There is also Bo’s Beach, La Playa Dayclub, Bo’s Pub, The Balcony and The Hidden Garden, all in Fort Lauderdale. 15500 SW 29th St., Miramar; 754-400-8558;
Mari’s Kitchen, Fort Lauderdale
The Pellecchias have opened a second location for their Italian fare of paninis, carpaccios and bruschettas. The family now has a kiosk at the food hall Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery in Fort Lauderdale. “Most of our customers are from Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton,” says Luigi Pellecchia. “It’s the same concept, but what’s new is you can get fresh pasta here.” There is also the original Mari’s Kitchen Rosticceria in the Yellow Green Farmers Market in Hollywood, which opened in 2018 after the family descendant from Napoli, Italy, moved to SoFlo from Venezuela (where the family operated five Italian restaurants). Here in the States, Luigi and brother Giancarlo help run the family business with their father Toni and mother Mari, the eatery’s namesake. 115 NW Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale (Sistrunk Marketplace); 305-915-0408; mariskitchenmiami.com
Dope Vegan, West Palm Beach
What began as a vegan hamburger food truck that rolled around West Palm Beach during the pandemic is now owner Rhona Nain’s first brick-and-mortar restaurant. Nain, who debuted Dope Vegan’s storefront in early August on North Military Trail with partner John LeJeune, had recently operated as a Friday-Saturday pop-up inside Big John’s Eatery across the street from iThink Financial Amphitheatre. Dope Vegan’s small menu touts four plant-based burgers, plant-based fish and the DFC (Dope Fried Chicken), as well as french fries and vegan chocolate-chip cookies. 175 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach; 561-788-5139; EatDopeVegan.com
Closed
Casareccio Trattoria Italiana, Pompano Beach
This neighborhood Italian restaurant founded by co-owners Emylene Egusquiza and Salvatore Spina has closed its Federal Highway flagship after about five years. The small trattoria with seven tables — which the couple serviced by themselves — made no announcement about its closing. Casareccio wove Sicilian specialties and rustic warmth into its Italian offering, which began with complimentary bread and a weekly-rotating menu that included seafood arancini, housemade lobster-stuffed ravioli, cacio e pepe and chicken parm topped with fresh burrata. (At one point, a second Casareccio was destined for Pompano’s forthcoming Bite Eatery food hall, but plans eventually collapsed during the pandemic.) 1386 S. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach; 954-998-3642; CasareccioTrattoria.com
Pizza Girls, Palm Beach Gardens
The New York-style slice shop that served the downtown West Palm Beach hullabaloo since 1999 is no more. Phoebe Reckseit and Jennifer Morales, the “pizza girls,” have sold their second (and last remaining) pie shop in Palm Beach Gardens to the owners of nearby restaurant Allora, announcing the abrupt closure on Sept. 30. “Phoebe & I have decided that this was the best time for us to Retire,” the intrepid duo posted on social media. As with its downtown West Palm pizzeria, which debuted in 1999 and closed in 2020 thanks to COVID-related shutdowns, their Palm Beach Gardens sister store also blamed pandemic shortages and price hikes for its demise. 10965 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens; 561-812-2400; PizzaGirls.com
Nonna Maria, North Palm Beach
This Italian neighborhood restaurant with a French twist, run by husband-and-wife owners Francois Arsouze and Judy O’Reilly, has permanently closed. The couple declared “arrivederci” on Nonna Maria’s website in October, announcing a sale of the restaurant and their retirement to live in France. Although Arsouze and O’Reilly took over the Northlake Boulevard eatery in 2003, it had been open since the mid-1990s under previous ownership. 529 Northlake Blvd., North Palm Beach
Crush’d Beach House, Fort Lauderdale
This Himmarshee Village boite quietly opened in February and it appears it quietly closed sometime in late August or September. At press time there has not been a response from the two owners, Teddy Verbich and Matt Lasinski, but the telephone number has been disconnected, emails are returned “undeliverable” and the latest posts on their Instagram page are from July. If you didn’t make it by there during the short run, what you missed was a eatery/bar devoted to Maryland’s unofficial-but-everyone-knows-it-to-be-true state cocktail, the Orange Crush. Both owners are from Maryland but thought SoFlo was a natural for the drink so named because of the squashing motion that sends the juice from a halved orange inside a juice presser into a glass where it joins triple sec, vodka and ice. The Crush’d menu included snacks like spinach dip and steamed shrimp, handhelds such as grilled cheese and meatball parm as well as dessert options including cotton candy and funnel cakes. Before Crush’d the space was formerly Tacocraft Taqueria & Tequila Bar. 204 SW Second St. 954-777-8600. CrushdBeachHouse.com, .
Press Gourmet Sandwiches, Fort Lauderdale
What began as a mega-popular food truck specializing in gourmet, journalism-themed handhelds wrapped in faux newspaper — The Sentinel, The Reporter, The Gazette, etc. — has closed after seven years at the Promenade at Bay Colony shopping center. Johnson & Wales graduates Chris DelPrete and Rand Carswell gained a cult following for their pressed sandwiches and over-the-top sides (deep-fried mac ‘n’ cheese balls, crispy onion straws, Buffalo bleu cheese fries). These budding culinarians even won Food Network’s “Food Truck Face Off” in 2015 shortly before opening their brick-and-mortar sandwicherie. The restaurant shut without fanfare in late August; it’s newsprint-style signage and decor removed from the storefront. 6206 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 954-440-0422; PressGourmetSandwiches.com
Ford’s Garage, Wellington
This colorful, car-centric, burger-and-beer franchise blessed by the Ford Motor Co. abruptly closed its The Mall at Wellington Green outpost in late September, citing “real estate issues out of our control” in a Sept. 21 social-media post. “We look forward to keeping a market presence in the near future. Thank you for your support,” Ford’s Garage brass posted on Facebook. The restaurant — where classic Ford cars are mounted in the dining room like sculptures and servers are garbed in mechanic shirts — serves starters such as Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna, salads, burgers, mac and cheese, and entrees including Chicken Henry and Mama Ford’s Homemade Meatloaf. 10300 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 122, Wellington; 561-805-3673; FordsGarageUSA.com
