Food & Drink

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

A meal on the patio at Sweet Nectar can feel like a boozy picnic. The tapas-style menu calls for groups to gather at its wooden tables; the bar, front and center, taking up nearly half the outdoor space, serves up slightly sweet—and surprisingly potent—libations. Take the Drunken Dragon, the most popular cocktail because of its look

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:

In Brickell, nightlife impresario David Grutman is the brains behind Komodo, a three-story Pan-Asian restaurant and lounge. On the menu, patrons find rolls of truffle honey salmon, tuna tataki and tempura shrimp, paired with Peking duck, crab lo mein and miso lobster. But beyond the food, the restaurant is best known for its robust bar

The Hideaway stands out amid the changing winds of downtown Fort Lauderdale. The speakeasy-style bar, juxtaposed with the construction of modern high-rise apartment complexes nearby, makes its home in the Bryan Building, a sturdy brick structure named for Thomas Bryan, one of Fort Lauderdale’s pioneers. The building, protected by its inclusion in the National Register

The Hideaway stands out amid the changing winds of downtown Fort Lauderdale. The speakeasy-style bar, juxtaposed with the construction of modern high-rise apartment complexes nearby, makes its home in the Bryan Building, a sturdy brick structure named for Thomas Bryan, one of Fort Lauderdale’s pioneers. The building, protected by its inclusion in the National Register

The 17th annual premier event for culinary fans— the Food Network and Cooking Channel South Beach Wine and Food Festival—has more than 90 events over five days, Feb. 21-25. With so much to pick from, what’s a fan to do? Here are some highlights in the new and noteworthy category. Oh, and Broward County foodies

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.