Five Things to Know About: Déjà Blue

A Diverse Palate: The European-style restaurant, café and lounge features a multi-ethnic menu, highlighting cuisine found in Italy, France, Greece, North Africa and the Middle East. “The recipes are very much authentic to their origin,” says co-owner Sabrina Cozzolino. “We don’t want to be identified as a Greek place or an Italian place or a French place. It’s a Mediterranean journey.”

Tracing Memories: When they moved to Parkland in 2008, the Cozzolinos met people with ancestry around the globe and many others who were nostalgic for past trips abroad. The restaurant opened in January with the intention of bringing out those memories—the “déjà vu part” of the name—with the food and rustic-chic decor (which changes with the seasons). The “blue” is an homage to the Mediterranean Sea.

Daily Deals: The restaurant has a daily happy hour, 3:30 to 7 p.m., where the 12 specialty cocktails are $7 (down from $12). House wine and well drinks are $5, the large beer selection falls in the $3 to $4 range, and appetizers are $6 each. “Sit on the high-top [tables] outside—it’s lovely,” Cozzolino says of the boardwalk on the water.

World Travelers: Cozzolino says her family members consider themselves “citizens of the world.” She is from France, has North African roots and has lived throughout Italy. Her husband and co-owner, Marco, is from Italy, as is their partner and longtime friend, Ignazio Pediconi. Together, they launched two restaurant chains in Italy. She and Marco speak seven languages each, and their children speak three.

Party Time: Since its opening, Déjà Blue has hosted and celebrated countless events: weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, birthdays, reunions, gender reveals, engagements and even business meetings. There are two private rooms: French and Tuscan, which have similar decors and slightly different ambiences.