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Wiseguy Pizza
401 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-284-0630; wiseguypizza.com
Wiseguy Pizza joined the booming dining scene in downtown Fort Lauderdale’s business district at the Bank of America Financial Center in early May. The fast-casual eatery bills itself as “old-school,” cooking pizza on a stone deck oven (no pizza screens; your pizza bakes directly on the stones). “We are ecstatic to introduce our award-winning pizza slices and pies to the vibrant neighborhood of Las Olas,” says Alex Berentzen, COO of Thompson Hospitality. “We are very much looking forward to this community experiencing Wiseguy’s iconic New York style pizza and unparalleled quality as we make our grand entrance into the region.” The cheese comes from Wisconsin. The tomato sauce comes from California. The extra virgin olive oil and parmigiano-reggiano are from Italy. The sauces and dressings are made in-house. Along with the classics, Wiseguy Pizza has a rotating menu of specials including vegan and vegetarian pies, as well as Korean Chicken, Paneer Tikka and Mushroom Truffle. There’s also a cauliflower gluten-free pie. This concept is part of the stable of brands under the Thompson Restaurants group. The company’s president, Warren Thompson, is a part-time Fort Lauderdale resident with a home in Harbor Beach.
Mitch’s Downtown Bagel Cafe
601 N. Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach; 954-342-9960; MitchsDowntown.com
A self-avowed “old-school” New York-style deli with a website that cheekily proclaims ”bagels don’t count as carbs,” Mitch’s is in expansion mode, with a third location debuting in March within Hallandale Beach’s mega-shopping complex, Atlantic Village. The new bakery joins sister bagel shops in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village and in Weston, and is operated by father-and-son duo Mitch and Adam Shidlofsky. Mitch’s offers a variety of handhelds, including a rainbow bagel, as well as deli sandwiches, avocado toast, all-day breakfast sandwiches, matzo ball soup and java from Fort Lauderdale-based roaster Wells Coffee Co.
Dick’s Last Resort
17 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 754-223-3263; dickslastresort.com/locations/ft-lauderdale
This national chain opened up a SoFlo location in Fort Lauderdale’s Beach Place mall on April 15. The brand is known for what it calls an “anti-service” dining experience. Tanya Hartsock, Dick’s director of marketing, explains, “In all reality, service is … on point — good food, prompt refills — but we like to make a ruckus out of your dining time with us. Bonus is, it’s all in fun, and the guest can give it right back.” The lore supports that with sayings such as: “Servin’ up sass and grub since 1985,” and “The beer is cold and the service is colder.” They even have a Dick’s Crappy Hour. The menu offers American fare such as steaks, ribs, chicken and seafood. “We actually do think our mouthwatering ribs are a plus, since we’re surrounded by so many seafood concepts,” she says.
Casa Playa
401 N. Birch Road, Fort Lauderdale; 954-376-5512; casaplaya.com
This Latin fusion restaurant, just two blocks from Fort Lauderdale beach, is owned by the same wife-and-husband team behind The Chimney House restaurant, Yady and Frank Rodriguez. Casa Playa had a soft opening the last week of April, debuting a menu with appetizer tapas such as Crispy Pork Belly with Lime Salsa and Spicy Tuna Guacamole and entrees including Lechon Asada (mojo marinated pork), Chilean Seabass, Grilled Wagyu Skirt Steak and Peruvian Seafood Jalea (a crispy mixture of calamari, scallops, white fish, mussels and shrimp). There are also ceviches, tiraditos (Peruvian raw fish dish), American and Latin sides and desserts ranging from Spanish Flan and Tres Leches Cake to Passion Fruit Mousse and Rice Pudding.
Juici Patties
5830 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; 754-254-7045
5419 N. University Drive, Lauderhill; 954-530-3876
juicipattiesusa.com
Jamaican fast-food chain Juici Patties is planning an ambitious expansion into the U.S. market, and it has started with South Florida. Over the last two months, it opened franchises in Hollywood and Lauderhill — and CEO Daniel Chin already has his eye on Sunrise, Lauderdale Lakes, Miramar, Miami Gardens and Orlando. “Our Florida locations will focus on our core products, which are the Jamaican patty and coco bread,” Chin told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “The spicy beef patty with cheese is the most popular item in Florida so far.”
Lucy’s Sweets & Bakery
902 S. Powerline Road, Pompano Beach; 954-326-4212; chocolitasmiami.com
Lucy Cano has been building her baked goods enterprise out of her home for the past 10 years. Now she and husband Jose Gomez have their very own brick-and-mortar bakery, which opened in February. “When we arrived in this country, I was looking for a job I could do while taking care of my disabled son,” recalls Cano. “That’s when we began making our famous Chocolitas cookies, a beloved family tradition from Venezuela that had been cherished for many years. They quickly became a favorite among our customers, who loved them just as much as we did.” Lucy’s Sweets features homemade Latin desserts, “the ones your mom or grandma used to make,” she adds. “We also like to shake things up with new desserts from different countries.”
La Doña Seafood & Grill
1800 Sawgrass Mills Circle, Suite 2460, Sunrise (at Sawgrass Mills); 754-324-5743; ladonarestaurants.com
The dynamic duo of chef James Tahhan from Telemundo’s “Un Nuevo Día” and Michelin Star chef Patrick Baloup are behind this concept billed as authentic Mexican cuisine. “La Doña” translates to “the lady,” which is a gastronomic shout-out to the women who have helped shape Mexican cuisine. The 224-seat, open-air dining room features a large fish tank filled with jellyfish. The menu includes lighter dishes such as Jicama Shrimp Tacos, Tortilla Soup and Octopus Carpaccio as well as entrees like Puebla Tenderloin, Pescado Estilo “Yucatan” and Birria de Res. There’s also an extensive tequila and mezcal collection. Tahhan says, “Selecting Sawgrass Mills as the home for my first venture in seven years was a strategic decision driven by the desire to introduce a unique Mexican experience to the South Florida community.” Tahhan launched cooking school Foodiescuela and has appeared on TV shows including “Chopped,” “Rachael Ray Show” and “Worst Cooks in America.” Originally from Paris, Baloup lived in Mexico for 20 years and has sautéed his way through elegant eateries such as Pasticceria Marchesi in Milan, Résidence de la Pinède in Saint-Tropez and Louis XV in Monte Carlo. “We aim to elevate the dining experience through an interactive menu where culinary artistry unfolds at each table, like homemade salsa and guacamole prepared before guests’ eyes,” Baloup says.
Violet’s & Zen’s
2010 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors; VandZWilton.com
This sushi-tapas rooftop lounge from the same owners behind Jasmine Thai & Sushi in Margate — Preecha and Benjamin Hongnopkhun — had its ribbon-cutting on April 12. The eatery is on the southern edge of Wilton Drive, in the space formerly occupied by Siam Cuisine. The restaurant features $10 happy hour tapas plates as well as entrees such as Korean Fried Chicken and Waffles, Wok Charred Octopus, Street Corn Ribs, Jumbo Lump Crab Fritters. There are also several double-entendre-named signature cocktails along the lines of Rhub n’ Tug, Tongue Thai’d and Matcha Man.
Duck Donuts
11225 Miramar Parkway, Unit 205, Miramar; 954-391-8360; duckdonuts.com/miramar
This North Carolina-born franchise slinging fried-to-order doughnuts opened a second South Florida location on April 27 at Miramar Park Place. The shop is locally owned and operated by Edward Kaplan, owner of the other South Florida location, in Boca Raton, as well as those in Fort Myers and Naples. “We are delighted to be opening in Miramar and expanding our presence in the Sunshine State,” Kaplan says. “The community has been patiently waiting for us to open our doors, and now we cannot wait to sprinkle happiness to all with our warm, delicious and made-to-order doughnuts.” Deep-fried in soybean oil, these vanilla cake-based rings are topped with glazes (blueberry, lemon, maple), toppings (chopped bacon, Oreo cookies) and drizzles (hot fudge, raspberry). Breakfast sandwiches, made with halved doughnuts, are equally decadent, as are its doughnut sundaes and milkshakes.
Paris Baguette
1911 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach; ParisBaguette.com
It has roots far from the City of Lights — South Korea, to be exact — but this fast-growing, bakery-café chain devoted to baked breads, pastries and caffeine has landed in South Florida, with its first location debuting April 2 at the Delray Market plaza. The eatery brands itself as a hub for trendy pastries, touting creations such as berry-crowned danishes, sugar-sprinkled mochi doughnuts and cocoa-dusted tiramisu tarts, along with red bean bread loaves, garlic croissants and curry-filled croquettes. There are also cake slices, turkey-mozzarella paninis, caprese baguette sandwiches, salads, and hot and cold Lavazza coffees.
Chef Reece Kitchen
5187 S. University Drive, Davie; 754-888-9994; ChefReece.com
Travis Reece, the top-billed chef who served up simmering oxtail stew poolside at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in February, has upgraded into his first restaurant, which opened March 16 inside Renaissance Plaza on South University Drive. Raised on his grandma’s vegetable and cattle farm in Jamaica’s Saint Elizabeth parish, Reece, 30, had cooked for celebrities such as Kanye West, Travis Scott and Tristan Thompson as a private chef before turning to restaurants. Last year, he opened his namesake Jamaican fusion spot at a Chevron gas station in Pembroke Pines, where he served honey-glazed salmon and oxtail pasta braised in barbecue sauce and jerk seasonings. His new storefront adds an expanded menu of vegetarian items like coconut curry chickpeas, salads and natural juices, and more ambitious dishes including curried goat and whole fried red snapper on Fridays and Saturdays only.
El Pama Tavern
551 N. Federal Highway, Suite 600, Fort Lauderdale; 754-701-0670; ElPamaTavern.com
A Latin steakhouse and tobacco lounge billed as a “haven where culinary mastery and cigar sophistication unite” has replaced the long-running Brass Tap Fort Lauderdale and its upstairs speakeasy, Unit B, on North Federal Highway. No explanation was given for Brass Tap’s abrupt closure. The new restaurant-lounge, which quietly debuted March 8, is registered to managing partner Fernando Santa, who also operates a Miramar-based retail shop called El Pama Cigar Accessories. El Pama is steeped in tropical decor and speakeasy motifs, with cedarwood furniture, hanging moss, a white baby grand piano and servers wearing white satin gloves and 1920s-era flapper gowns. The menu features Cajun-spiced filet mignon steak bites, corn and lobster bisque for starters, soups and salads, and bourbon-glazed tomahawk pork chops, cioppinno, ribeyes and porterhouses for entrees, along with 12 cocktails.
Whit’s Frozen Custard
2886 N. University Drive, Coral Springs; 754-812-1143; WhitsCustard.com
This Ohio-spun emporium for rich frozen custard scooped out its latest South Florida franchise in late March in The Walk of Coral Springs plaza, following a recent flurry of openings in Lighthouse Point, Boca Raton, Wellington, Jupiter and Delray Beach. The sweet shop serves its custard in cups, cake, waffle cones and cookies (affectionately called “Whitties”), which are coated or blended with a choice of 40 toppings. Each shop also presents specialty flavors of the day, week and month, such as s’mores, white-chocolate caramel brownie, black raspberry chip, amaretto biscotti and chocolate caramel cashew.
Yellow Yolk
3200 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach; YellowYolk.com
After a short-lived stint at The Walk at University in Coral Springs, this all-day brunch house from restaurateur Steve Tsatas has migrated to a new storefront on Atlantic Boulevard, one block from the Intracoastal Waterway. The breakfast menu includes triple-stacked pancakes, classic eggs Benedict, corned beef hash skillets with eggs, avocado toast on walnut and raisin bread with poached eggs, as well as coffees and juices. Lunch, meanwhile, includes a Chicken philly with onions, mushrooms and peppers, smash burgers and salads.
Seafarers’ House Cafe by Big Chef
1800 SE 32nd St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-734-1580; Facebook.com/seafarershouseFL
What started as a nonprofit offering resources, a chapel and meeting space for Fort Lauderdale’s maritime community has added its first public café -restaurant, which hosted its grand opening on March 25 in Port Everglades. The 76-seat breakfast-lunch eatery is registered to Rosana Santos Calambichis, who runs a catering company called Big Chef and describes the menu as “nutritious, casual and flavorful” on social media. Along with coffees, the menu includes chicken avocado sandwiches on baguettes, banana nutella crepes, brie-artichoke flatbread pizzas, dumplings and beef fajitas.
The West End Lounge
2100 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors; 954-395-8964; TheWestEndLoungeWM.com
A new cocktail boîte and live music lounge debuted with a grand opening on April 6 on the ground floor of the Gables Wilton Park apartment complex, replacing the former Matty’s. The 2,238-square-foot nightlife space, which comes from owner Chris O’Neill, offers light bites along with mocktails, beer, wine and eight craft cocktails —- many infused with wines. They include a chocolate-forward, brown-butter old-fashioned and the Rosita, with Scotch bonnet-infused tequila, aperol, orange, agave, lime and a Cabernet float.
MaMa YaTai & Donut
1636-1638 SE Third Court, Deerfield Beach; Instagram.com/MamaYatai.donut
If you believe Mama YaTai’s social media, roughly 6,000 mochi donuts are made daily at this fantasyland of Japanese treats, which staged its grand opening on April 4 inside The Cove Shopping Center. The doughnut house — adorned in suspended floral paper lanterns, neo-Tokyo wallpaper and anime murals of Sailor Moon and Naruto — comes from owners Ngoc Chau and Loc Nguyen, who also operate MaMa YaTai’s flagship in Davie and its offshoot, An Banh Japanese Corn Dog and Bakery in Fort Lauderdale. As with other locations, MaMa’s menu features yakitori (chicken on skewers), whimsical Japanese corn dogs (coated in potato chips, Hot Cheetos, Rice Krispies) and 50 doughnut flavors (such as sakura cherry blossom).
El Segundo
3950 Georgia Ave., West Palm Beach; 561-469-8597; ElSegundoWPB.com
This Tex-Mex-themed taqueria from prolific Palm Beach County restaurateur Rodney Mayo (Subculture Coffee, Dada, Kapow!, Sassafras, Howley’s, Hullabaloo, Respectable Street) debuted in March on the northeast corner of Southern Boulevard and Georgia Avenue. Dishes from executive chef Angelo Arboleda include six styles of tacos, from brisket burnt ends to al pastor to Cali fish. There are also double smash burgers, birria tacos, mole chicken quesadillas and chocolate birria churros.
Pizza Salad Pointe & Self-Pour Beer
6370 Griffin Road, Suite C102, Davie; 954-406-5445; PizzaSaladPointe.com
The centerpiece of this new pizzeria, which is registered to Isaac and Elena Golan and debuted in mid-March, literally puts the DIY in IPA: It has an alcohol wall with 30 tap handles where drinkers can pour their own craft beer, along with wine, cider and even cocktails. Dine-in patrons are issued a “drink card,” which they can scan at taps that display the alcohol’s price, name, style and alcohol by volume. (As of this writing, the tap wall offers sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, Moscow mule, margarita cocktails and roughly 20 craft beers.) There is also a build-your-own salad bar with 60 toppings and a medley of New York-style, Sicilian, Detroit and vegan and gluten-free pies, along with calzones, stromboli, pastas and cannolis for dessert. The Golans also operate Zinncredible Pizza 2 miles west on Orange Drive and Pine Island Road.
Saiko-i Sushi Lounge and Hibachi
5791 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs; SaikoiBoca.com
They revived Peking Duck House in Pompano Beach earlier this year, and now husband-and-wife hospitality vets Jason Zheng and Tina Wang (Koi Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Lounge, Coco Sushi Lounge & Bar, Yakitori Sake House) have opened this Japanese restaurant and lounge. The 4,000-square-foot Saiko-i debuted April 2, joining its flagship in Boca Raton, and offers hibachi-style entrees spanning duck and seabass to chicken and Kobe A5 steak, along with Mongolian beef, popcorn chicken, Thai red curry and seafood clay pots of jumbo shrimp, scallop, calamari, snow peas, mushrooms, carrots and XO sauce. There are also sushi boats, cucumber wraps, sashimi, tonkotsu ramen and stir-fry noodles. A long-awaited, 200-seat Plantation outpost is expected to follow by year’s end at 8100-8160 W. Broward Blvd.
Phuse Cream
2806 N. University Drive, Sunrise; PhuseCream.com
Joel Franklin’s emporium of sweets debuted March 29 in Sunrise, his second scoop shop specializing in ice cream and his signature treat: macaron ice-cream sandwiches. If the name sounds familiar — or you obsess over dessert anything — Phuse picked up acclaim for winning People’s Choice Champion at the 2023 Dessert Wars Palm Beach convention. Franklin, more entrepreneurial event impresario than baker, also programs Miami’s annual Black Pepper Food & Wine Festival, a showcase of Black-owned restaurants and food trucks. Phuse, which also has a flagship location on State Road 7 in Plantation, touts 40 ice cream flavors (and four vegan-only ones), including banana praline, Oreo Heath caramel crunch, guava cheesecake, cotton candy and vanilla black raspberry.
Night Owl Cookies
4431 Lyons Road, Suite 106, Coconut Creek; NightOwlCookieCo.com
Late-night cookie monsters know all about the over-the-top confections of Andrew Gonzalez, who brought his gourmet creations to Pembroke Pines in 2020. For the uninitiated, Gonzalez started baking in his mother’s kitchen in Miami and, in just a few years, was pumping out 1,000 cookies nightly and making late-night deliveries (as in 2 a.m.-late) to college-aged cookie lovers at Florida International University. (Forbes honored Gonzalez in its lofty “30 Under 30” ranking of top young entrepreneurs in 2017.) He has multiple locations, and now Night Owl has migrated north again, with a new Broward location that debuted in early March inside Promenade at Coconut Creek. (A second Broward outpost is expected to debut this summer inside Plantation’s Market on University plaza). Gourmet cookies on the menu include Ave Maria, topped with Maria cookies, guava chunks and cream cheese; Dirty Diana, which uses chocolate dough stuffed with Nutella; and Rainbow Over Bedrock, topped with Fruity Pebbles.
The Underground Pizza
9920 FL-A1A, Suite 815, Palm Beach Gardens; TheUndergroundPizza.com
No, it shouldn’t be confused with The Pizza Underground, a short-lived comedy band created by “Home Alone” actor Macaulay Culkin to parody the Velvet Underground’s songs with pizza-themed lyrics. But The Underground Pizza, which debuted in mid-March in the Promenade Shopping Plaza, does bill itself as a “punk rock pizza shop” inspired by that 1960s rock band. Owner Cole Herring’s pizzeria specializes in something called “East Coast Deep Dish,” a hybrid pie that resembles Chicago deep dish but has a cornmeal crust and other recipe variations. There are also thin-crust pizzas such as The Blonde (generously topped with garlic-infused olive oil, roasted squash, tomatoes, onions, feta, basil) and Lay’d Back (pineapple, bacon, red onion, jalapeños, feta), plus salads, baked wings and garlic bread.
CLOSED
Duffy’s Sports Grill
1800 Bell Tower Lane Center, Weston; duffysmvp.com
The Weston location of this popular casual-dining, sports-themed chain closed on April 28, according to Joe Webb, president of Duffy’s Sports Grill. “Unfortunately, our lease is not being renewed and, therefore, we are forced to close our Weston location,” Webb told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “It was an honor to have served the Weston community for over 10 years, and we will be looking into possible alternate locations in the future.” Multiple Duffy’s South Florida locations remain, including in Plantation, Fort Lauderdale, Coconut Creek, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach.
Verino’s Pizzeria, Bar & Grill
2465 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; verinospizza.com
A year since opening in the location that formerly housed Jade Palace Restaurant, this casual restaurant on Sunrise Boulevard across from The Galleria mall has closed. Husband-and-wife owners Brian Turnbull and Sayaka Tobimatsu sold the space, and a sign went up on the door announcing that The Sunness Modern American Kitchen is “coming soon.” Verino’s, which was named after Turnbull’s grandparents who immigrated from Italy, featured recipes from pals with restaurants in Boston’s North End neighborhood, with menu fare such as brick-oven, thin-crust pizza and grilled skewers of steak tips, lamb, chicken or housemade sausage.
