Featured Restaurants

Carmela Coffee Bar Where: 7967 N. University Drive, Parkland Phone: 954.906.5155 Website: carmelacoffee.com   1. The back story: The friendship between co-owners Rainier Abreu and Rafael Baretta spans 25 years. They met in high school in Venezuela and, later, both earned chemical engineering degrees at Simón Bolívar University. In 2016, Baretta contacted Abreu (who has

Prezzo Where: 5560 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton Phone: 561.314.6840 Website: prezzoboca.com 1. History revisited: It’s been nearly 20 years since restaurateurs Burt Rapoport and Dennis Max sold Prezzo, their beloved Italian outposts in Boca, Aventura and South Miami. At the time, the duo had some 14 restaurants in their stable, so the offer for

Lenore Nolan-Ryan’s food career began with brunch. It was 1974, and she was 19, studying voice and piano at Butler University in Indianapolis. She loved brunch, but there weren’t many options. She could dine at the top of the Hyatt or the Pancake House, but her already-refined palate craved quiches, confitures (similar to fruit preserves),

Lifestyle Change: Michael Hopkins regularly had stomach issues as a child, but it wasn’t until 2010, when he was 50, that he was diagnosed with celiac disease—an adverse reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. A car and Harley Davidson dealer for 25 years, he called on his childhood love

1. In the Beginning: The concept began to take shape during a Fourth of July family barbecue in 2010. Cousins Otto Othman and Nedal Ahmed talked about opening a fast-casual restaurant focused on Latin street food—and starring Brazil’s popular kebabs, known there as espetinhos (in Spanish, kebab is pincho). 2. Mom Knows Best: Othman’s mom,

La Nouvelle Maison: Arturo Gismondi’s ode to sophisticated French fare guarantees an evening to remember. Menu highlights include twice cooked Jurgielewicz Farms duckling, Holland Dover sole, roasted rack of lamb—and artistic dessert creations (like the soufflé) that have to be seen to be believed. (455 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561.338.3003) Caffe Luna Rosa:

1. Taste of Athens: Authentic Greek cuisine finds a modern translation at the recently opened Oliv Pit Athenian Grille. The casual restaurant inside the Shoppes at Village Pointe is the brainchild of Emmanuel Vlahos, the son of Greek immigrants, and Marcos Alexandridis, a Greek native who played soccer for the Costa Rican team Saprissa. 2.

Chef-owner Giovanni Rocchio and his team are bringing a little creative flair to Fort Lauderdale. Now in its second year, One Door East (620 S. Federal Highway) blends worldly flavors with an undeniably hip community vibe. “There really isn’t anything like it in Fort Lauderdale,” Rocchio says. Being well-versed in the culinary scene through his

Coconut Creek with a Western twang. That’s the best way to describe the new Texas Roadhouse that opened in November on Lyons Road. But before you say, “Oh, just another steak house,” think again. You might be pleasantly surprised to know that starting early in the morning, well before Roadhouse opens its doors at 3

At Stubborn Seed, the new Miami Beach restaurant from “Top Chef” winner Jeremy Ford, edible flowers, whimsical dishware and billows of white smoke make for a theatrical dining experience. “There are so many different themes, textures, flavors and visually stunning foods that we offer,” Ford says. “So far, we’ve received a great response from the

1. Isn’t that special?: Since opening the doors to its 4,000-square-foot venue on the Intracoastal Waterway in 2014, Grateful Palate Catering & Events has established itself as one of Broward’s premier special-occasion destinations. Customers are booking the space a year in advance in some cases—and not just for the view. 2. It’s in the details:

Inspired by the Cape Florida Lighthouse, which sits along the edge of Bill Baggs State Park in Key Biscayne, the Ritz-Carlton’s newest restaurant brings coastal dining to the quiet barrier island. Lightkeepers, named for the lighthouse keepers of the 1800s, spotlights Florida-sourced ingredients, such as cheeses from Winter Park, beef from Ocoee, and snapper from