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The Blind Monk
655 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach; TheBlindMonk.com
After warning customers for a year about a pending move, wine bar and hip tapas hotspot The Blind Monk shut its Evernia Street location after 13 years last December — and migrated in mid-April into the chic AKA Hotel, also in vibey downtown West Palm Beach. The Blind Monk debuted in 2010 under the auspices of former U.S. Marine Capt. Ben Lubin, who’s also a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and a certified sommelier. The new location — triple the size of its OG perch on Evernia — lets Blind Monk leap from wine bar to tastefully appointed bistro, with new covered terrace seating on the patio and new craft co*cktails. The all-day menu (also new) features items such as sour cream pancakes, shakshouka, chicken liver mousse, and grilled swordfish skewers with black lentils.
Coast to Coast Pizza Co.
656 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 954-368-5443; CoasttoCoastPizzaCompany.com
We have an embarrassment of slice-shop riches in SoFlo, so you’d be forgiven for giving this Victoria Park pizzeria a double-take and thinking, “Wait, wasn’t this already here?” Answer: Nope. The space used to be Flagler Pizza & Pasta, and before that Anthony’s Pronto Kitchen, an Italian grab-and-go from Anthony Bruno of Anthony’s Runway 84 fame. Now it’s Coast to Coast, which opened in late April from owners Omar and Nicole Maldonado, and serves N.Y.-style pies from Margherita to the 7.7 Cheese Pie, named after its one-bite review score from Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy. The recipes come from Philadelphia-raised manager Anthony Ludovici-DeBrigida, pried away from a career as a dolphin trainer at Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key to cook pies at Coast to Coast’s Marathon flagship. (Fort Lauderdale is the second location.) There are also Detroit-style pies, salads, garlic knots and steak calzones.
Masala Mantra
11051 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach; 561-328-7497; masalamantraroyalpalmbeach.com
This recently opened Indian restaurant serves entrees such as Jini Dosa (stuffed crepe), Biryani (mixed rice), Chicken Lollipops and Stuffed Mushrooms. There are also dessert options like the Chocolate Samosa and crafted co*cktails. Hridaan Patel, son of founders Purnima and Krunalbhai Patel, used the video game Minecraft to help come up with the restaurant’s design, evoking the vibrancy of India’s streets. “This is an immersive journey into the essence of Indian street food, re-envisioned through a contemporary lens,” Krunalbhai Patel said. “Each dish is crafted to narrate a story, blending tradition with innovation in a manner designed to surprise and delight our patrons and their palates.”
The Modern Rose
4300 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; 954-967-0444; themodernrose.com
Emilio and Jimena Dominguez opened their third location of the boutique brand The Modern Rose in early March with business partners Ida and Ray Passaro and UFC commentator/former fighter Din Thomas. The menu is the same: avocado toast, egg sammies, breakfast dishes, mixed greens salads, a wide selection of coffees, teas and entree options ranging from panini and hummus to shrimp scramble and bruschettas. Commenting on the menu, Emilio Dominguez said, “No notable changes, except here we offer full table service and will have bottomless mimosas on weekends soon.” He described the decor as “Victorian vibes with a vintage aesthetic.”
Bedda Mia Ristorante & Pizzette
427 S. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach; 954-943-5387; beddamiaristorante.com
Serving “Sicilian/Italian dishes with a kick from New Jersey,” this restaurant has everything from pinwheel knots to lasagna to eggplant parmigiana. There are burgers (even a Pizza Burger!), Sicilian-style pizzas (of course!) and Sfincione pizzas that have more than 8 pounds of seafood and feed eight to 10 people. Partners Maria Santini and master chef Ettore Maestoso officially opened the eatery on March 1 after being on the New Jersey restaurant scene for decades. “This is our passion and our dream,” Santini said. “Ettore is beyond talented in the kitchen. There honestly is no other way to describe it. Everything that he prepares is full of flavor and can never be duplicated. He is meticulous and the blends of everything is unforgettable.”
Ona Coastal Cuisine
3800 N. Ocean Drive, Singer Island; 561-340-1795; onacoastalcuisine.com
Ona Coastal Cuisine is the new flagship restaurant at the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa, replacing the former 3800 Ocean Restaurant & Lounge in early May. The lunch, dinner and all-day lounge menus offer modern coastal cuisine with dishes such as Pistachio Baked Clams, Truffle and Gratitude Mushrooms Flatbread, Tangerine-Glazed Faroe Island Salmon, Potato Gnocchi Sorrentina (house-made), Coconut Panna Cotta, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Lemon Pavlova. Tropical co*cktails include the Pistachio Key Lime and the Pineapple and Sweet Corn Margarita.
511 Bar & Lounge
511 NE Third Ave, Fort Lauderdale; 954-401-0450; Instagram.com/511bar_/
On April Fools’ Day, this venue took over the space that was Aqui Bar & Kitchens in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village neighborhood. Billed as a co*cktail and live music venue (with a rotating list of food trucks), 511 Bar & Lounge is owned by Digby Nothard and Trenton O’Connor. Also, 511 boasts a bunch of rare bourbons. The space can accommodate 78 people inside and about the same number outside, on the shaded outdoor patio.
Fresh Mangos
10300 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 2000, Wellington; 561-847-4504; myfreshmangos.com
This addition to The Mall at Wellington Green’s food scene offers fresh fruit smoothies, boba drinks and teas, natural juices as well as acai bowls, sandwiches, salads, snacks and the newest menu item, made-to-order Avocado Toast topped with sliced tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs — all with clean-label ingredients and virtually no artificial flavors. In 2018, Carlos and Jessica Tafur opened their first Fresh Mangos at what is now Tanger Outlets Palm Beach in West Palm Beach. Now there are kiosks in Broward Mall, Boynton Beach Mall and Coral Square Mall. This latest one opened on April 1.
Kool Runnings Café
1036 Royal Palm Beach Blvd., Royal Palm Beach; Facebook.com
This ice cream eatery in the Village of Royal Palm Beach’s Veterans Park opened on May 31 and is owned and operated by the Brennan family: Kathy, Sean and their daughter, Autumn. “What makes us unique is our small batch options,” Sean Brennan said. “This keeps the product incredibly fresh and allows us to offer some unusual flavor choices … flavors like soursop, mantecado, mango and coconut. Many people are not familiar with them in ice cream form and have to give them a try.”
Cake Daddy’s
2047 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors; 954-361-1239; CakeDaddys.com
Cuban-born baker Victor Calderon is the culinary muscle behind this new Wilton Drive bake shop — emphasis on the muscle. Branding on social media depicts the tattooed and shirtless Calderon sporting an apron, triumphantly hoisting a 9-inch cake. The bakery debuted in mid-April. Calderon, who immigrated to the states in 2012, says in a GoFundMe post that he originally baked and sold cakes to support himself and his mother while funding his way out of Cuba.
Just Salad
780 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach; 866-673-3757; justsalad.com
This NYC-based, fast-casual restaurant chain opened its sixth Palm Beach County location, and 18th overall in the state, in late April. Menu highlights include wraps, warm bowls, soups, smoothies and — of course — 15 chef-designed salads, including fan faves such as the Crispy Chicken Poblano, Thai Chicken Crunch and Tokyo Supergreens.
Tap 42 Craft Kitchen & Bar
3101 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens; 561-725-0100; tap42.com
This is the 10th Tap 42 in SoFlo and its largest location in the area at 8,000-square-foot spread out on the second level of The Gardens Mall’s east wing. It can handle 270 guests, and the menu has all of the brand’s fan favorites such as Truffle Street Corn Guacamole, Barbecue Baby Back Ribs and Grilled Salmon Zen Bowl. The location opened May 10. “We’ve always seen northern Palm Beach County as a perfect fit for Tap 42,” said vice president and Tap 42 partner Alex Rudolph. “The Gardens Mall is an iconic location to expand our elevated cuisine and hospitality.”
Tin Fish Boca
9101 Lake Ridge Blvd., Boca Raton; 561-987-0088; tinfishboca.com
Tin Fish Boca is more upscale than the fast-casual Tin Fish Sunrise, both helmed by chef Joseph Melluso. The Palm Beach County iteration’s menu features a full raw bar with a wide variety of oysters and clams as well as sushi hand-rolled by their classically trained sushi chef. Since opening in March, popular dishes include the namesake Tin Fish Roll (scallop dynamite topped with shrimp, salmon, avocado and tempura flakes in a house-made Fuji sauce) and the Sloppy Fish (lightly-breaded cod on house-made slaw topped with signature tartar, hot and kaboom sauces). Co-owners Alan Annichiarico and Tracy Newmark have restaurant/hospitality business experience across seven states. Tin Fish Boca can seat 60 guests in the dining room, 45 people at the bar and 28 on the patio.
Guaca Go
5064 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561-501-5861, GuacaGo.com
This guacamole-obsessed kitchen leans fast-casual in the same way, say, that SoFresh serves chicken or Rice Mediterranean Kitchen does grains: with build-your-own bowls cobbled with lean protein and leafy greens. What is now a tried-and-familiar business template started as a catering company in 2016 by cofounders Carson Bennett and Amber Benjamin, who planted their first storefront on Boynton Beach’s Ocean Avenue in the summer of 2020. Their third location, which opened June 5 in Delray Commons, sits beside a Sprouts Farmers Market in a tasteful bright space the color of ripe avocados. There are five savory bowls swimming in your choice of chicken, steak, sweet chili shrimp, roasted pork or falafel, then topped with an acidic punch of dressings from pineapple jalapeño to creamy cilantro lime. The same proteins are offered in salad and wrap forms.
Mango Mercado
4650 Donald Ross Road, Suite 110, Palm Beach Gardens; MangoMercado.com
Chef Pushkar Marathe is not above pushing boundaries with Indian cuisine in incongruous neighborhoods. Take Stage Kitchen & Bar in the golfing mecca of Palm Beach Gardens, a global kitchen that dared to mash up Spanish octopus with chutneys and naan — and earned Marathe, for his boldness, a 2023 James Beard semifinalist nod. Or take Ela Curry & co*cktail, his take on street food like vada pav (deep-fried potato fritters in bread buns) alongside thali-style platters of chutneys, pickles, rice, seafood and meats. Mango Mercado, by contrast, fits deceptively on Donald Ross Road like a golf ball on the back nine, his breakfast-lunch counter blending in with the city’s many cafes. The restaurant, which Marathe opened May 28 with partner Andy Dugard, shares its storefront with Ela. At first blush, it’s a slim, subway-tiled space with cosmopolitan flourishes and grab-and-go breakfast, lunch and dinner items. But look closer, and … are those jars of butter-chicken sauce and pickled vegetables over the counter? And there, next to ham-and-cheese croissants and buckwheat pancakes, is breakfast congee, a Chinese rice porridge of egg, bacon, kimchi, mushrooms and chili crunch. Sandwich-focused lunches are served on Italian hoagies or piadinas, flatbreads (baked by West Palm Beach’s Aioli bakery) that here are stuffed with Marathe’s take on curried chicken salad and beef carpaccio (with fried capers and sherry shallot vinaigrette). There are even Cuban handhelds, always welcome anywhere in Palm Beach County.
Clean Eatz
4800 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Suite A10, Coconut Creek; 954-420-9559; CleanEatz.com
You’ll find no vegan options at this healthy-eats franchise, which instead leans into keto-friendly, high-protein wraps, bowls, burgers, smoothies and flatbreads under 500 calories. The Coconut Creek cafe, owned by franchisee Robert Dolce, debuted in May in the Westcreek Plaza, joining locations in 23 states. (Storefronts in Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach have also recently opened.) Customers can select prepackaged meals from grab-and-go cases or order at the counter. There’s barbecue brisket pizza, bourbon chicken mac ‘n’ cheese, pumpkin ravioli and whole-grain wheat pasta with boneless chicken-wing bites dressed in one of six house-made sauces, from sweet-spicy Thai chili to Green Goddess with shredded kale and lemon.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
105 Breakwater Court, Jupiter; 561-831-4440; ruthschris.com/jupiter
The newest SoFlo location for the restaurant brand known for sizzling steaks opened to the public on June 3. Ruth’s Chris Steak House uses a patented broiling method, and each cut is served on a 500-degree plate to better ensure that the last bite is as close as possible to the first. Popular items include the aged center-cut filet, bone-in New York Strip and 40-ounce Tomahawk Ribeye. The menu also has seafood, appetizers and sides served family-style, as well as desserts made in-house. The Jupiter location will have a main dining room, bar area, patio seating and space for private events, all spanning 8,452 square feet. Founded by Ruth Fertel in 1965, Ruth’s Chris has more than 150 locations globally.
Ah-Beetz New Haven Pizza
Multiple locations; Ah-Beetz.com
Ah-beetz, for the uninformed, is the only proper way to pronounce “apizza” in New Haven, Connecticut — locals say it loudly and emphatically, like “achoo!” — which should tell you something about the authenticity of the pies served there. After debuting in Delray Beach in 2022, the pizzeria is adding three more franchises, the first of which bowed June 4 (per social media) in West Palm Beach (2600 Broadway Ave.), in funky-chic restaurant row Northwood Village, 2 miles north of downtown. The other two are expected to open this year in Royal Palm Beach (11051 Southern Blvd.) and Lake Park (9475 A1A Alternate). Founded by Kassondra Frantz and Nick Laudano Jr., the restaurant touts Connecticut favorites such as white clam ah-beetz, “mootz” (or mozzarella) pies with toppings, plus calzones, wings, salads and grinders.
Block 40 Food Hall
1818 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Block40FoodHall.com
On land that once included the Great Southern Hotel sits South Florida’s newest food hall, a 10-kiosk dining hub and central bar that opened to the public on June 7 on the ground floor of the 1818 Park residential tower. Block 40, whose sidewalk patio will overlook Hollywood’s tony ArtsPark at Young Circle, comes from Society 8 Hospitality, which knows a few things about running food halls. Vendors include: Donut Cream; DalMoros Fresh Pasta to Go (offers pasta in a box); Von Asia Kitchen (Jamaican-Asian mashup with robata-grilled jerk chicken); Catch Seafood Market (kosher whole fish, filets and whole-catch dishes); Hangry Joe’s (a hot chicken sandwich franchise), Cho:Tu (Indian street food), PhastBreak Cheesesteaks; Ocho Loco (street tacos and other Mexican dishes); C.L.A.S.S. Lux Burger (a burger joint from the same owners behind C.L.A.S.S. Soiree Steakhouse in downtown Hollywood); and Hollywood Creamery (housemade ice cream and ice-cream sandwiches).
Volare Italian Cuisine, Pizza & Wine Bar
1823 E. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-900-3621; VolareFL.com
Maybe it seemed inevitable that the owners behind Italian fast-food joint Pick-ITA-Up would crave a different name, if not price point. Owners Kremena and Filomeno Giannino (Dal Contadino Trattoria) have revamped their year-old space on East Commercial Boulevard into a higher-end restaurant and pizzeria, which formally debuted as Volare with a grand opening on June 11,. No longer will every Italian entree be $12, as it was under the Pick-ITA-Up moniker. Instead, the expanded menu of dishes (now $7-$32) includes starters such as seafood croquettes and baby back ribs; lunch-only handhelds like La Bomba (salami, mortadella, provolone on ciabatta); and, for entrees, spaghetti and meatballs and linguine alle vongole. There are also 21 signature red-sauce and white pies from Nuccio’s Pizza (confit cherry tomatoes, baked onions, guanciale, ricotta, crumbled Taralli crackers) to Volare (a star-shaped pizza with mozzarella, speck, pesto burrata, shaved Parmesan). Expect a variety of beers, proseccos, white and red wines.
Piu Argentinian Ice Cream 6310 Griffin Road, Unit B-101, Davie
This frozen treat shop registered to owner Mauricio Bastidas Castillo debuted at the end of May at the University Pointe apartment complex, next to Pho Bar Vietnamese Kitchen and Taco Love. The shop specializes in Argentinian “helado,” a delicious middle ground that marries the density of Italian gelato with the soft, creamy texture of traditional ice cream, without quite tasting like either.
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,” said 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 co*cktails along the lines of Rhub n’ Tug, Tongue Thai’d and Matcha Man.
CLOSED
Tiffin Box
2491-H Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 561-855-2808; tiffinboxeats.com
This Indian-food, fast-casual eatery has closed its West Palm Beach location after 4 1/2 years and is moving north. To North Florida, that is. “We say we’re relocating rather than saying we’re closing,” owner Anesh Bodasing said. “We’re taking our talents to Tallahassee and Gainesville.” He added that he would like to return to the SoFlo market someday — something he alludes to in farewell Facebook and Instagram posts. By the way, the name comes from the container used in the highly-efficient food delivery in India.
Duck Donuts
5030 Champion Blvd., Boca Raton; 561-277-0687; DuckDonuts.com
One door closes and another opens: Two months after a new Duck Donut franchise bowed in Miramar, its 6-year-old counterpart in Boca Raton’s Polo Club Shops plaza has closed. No explanation was given by franchisees Majid and Sara Khan and Andrea Streeter, who’ve operated their fried-to-order shop since 2018. A since-deleted Facebook account included this post: “Thank you to all of our guests who have supported the shop over the years and the sweet memories.” Their pastry shop, at one point the only South Florida location of the North Carolina-born franchise, served vanilla cake rings deep-fried in soybean oil in front of customers, before being glazed *blueberry, lemon, maple), topped (chopped bacon, Oreo cookies) and drizzled (hot fudge, raspberry). There were also breakfast sandwiches built with halved doughnuts, along with milkshakes and sundaes.
Dino’s Subs & More
6057 NW 31st Ave., Fort Lauderdale
The worst-kept secret of this strip-mall sandwicherie was that owner Scott “Dino” Cohen is actually the grandson of Wolfie Cohen, whose pastrami-scented empire of Rascal House delis (seen on “Miami Vice” and “Golden Girls”) reigned across South Florida for decades. Savvy customers who caught on early flooded the sub shop shortly after it debuted in November, eager for the same over-seasoned corned beef and pastrami that lingered in their memories — until foot traffic waned in springtime. After seven months in business, Dino’s closed June 4, writing on the Sun Sentinel’s “Let’s Eat, South Florida” Facebook group, “Despite our best efforts, we have reached a point where continuing our operations is no longer sustainable. We will cherish the memories and the friendships that have formed within these walls.”
Prison Pals
3553-3555 N. Dixie Highway, Oakland Park; PrisionPals.com
At first, it seemed this Oakland Park taproom had nailed the beer recipe for long-term survival at its two-warehouse taproom on North Dixie Highway: smoothie sours cold and thick enough to subdue any Florida swelter, hazy IPAs and refreshing light lagers in frequent rotation, and a 2,000-square-foot taproom strung out with festive market lights, bands and food trucks. But after two years, Prison Pals — named for three Argentinian friends and beermakers who said they escaped political corruption in their home country — closed on June 8, owners confirmed on Instagram. “We want to thank you for all your support through (these) last 2 years,” the taproom posted last week. “We had a wonderful time hosting you.” The closing of the 20-tap drinking den marks the second time in three years that a beer bar has shuttered in this space. Prison Pals’ flagship brewery and taproom in Doral remains open.
