Published On: November 26th, 2022Categories: Florida News

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Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar, Fort Lauderdale

This all-day breakfast coffeehouse debuted Nov. 21 on Las Olas Boulevard, shuffling into the space once occupied by Offerdahl’s Off-The-Grill. As with its sister cafes, Crema slings egg sandwiches on baguettes and croissants, avocado toast, acai bowls, oatmeal, chocolate-chip pancakes and 21 styles of coffee and tea. The Miami-based chain has been in rapid franchising mode since 2021, adding a flurry of locations to Hallandale Beach, Davie and Miami Beach, with future spots destined for Boca Raton, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Dania Beach (inside Dania Pointe). 401 E. Las Olas Blvd., Suite 190, Fort Lauderdale; CremaGourmet.com

AIDA Fort Lauderdale

This new addition to Flagler Village’s buzzy culinary scene had its soft opening on Nov. 18 with a menu inspired by the coastal regions of Mexico, much like that of its predecessor, AIDA Coconut Grove. Look for decorative touches such as sun-shaped mirrors and a cherry blossom tree at the center of the space. There will also be a mural created by Cuban-American artist ABSTRK. “The next chapter of the AIDA brand runs through Fort Lauderdale and offers visitors a modern and cozy vibe created through art, impeccable service, and an innovative menu,” says Eduardo Gavilan, co-owner of Colibri 4 Restaurant Group, which owns AIDA. “Our restaurant pays homage to Mexican and international cuisine through a combination of dishes and styles.” Signature AIDA dishes include the Aguachile Negro de Camarón (shrimp in black sauce with serrano pepper, cucumber and red onion) for $20 and the Huachinango a la Talla (red snapper in a Mexican dry pepper emulsion) for $49. 911 NE Fourth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; AidaRestaurant.com

The Fresh Pita Club, Wellington

This restaurant — at the Wellington Marketplace shopping center — had a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 21. The fast-casual is owned by Bill and Raeda Houraney and their four college-age kids, who also work at the restaurant. Bill owned two restaurants in New York City before moving to South Florida in 1989 and opening Boca Raton’s The Lunch Club, which delivered pita bread sandwiches to local businesses. Their pita bread manufacturing took off so they opened a full-scale wholesale pita bread bakery in Boca Raton in 1992. In 2004 he sold his interest after creating a patented pocket pita bread baking method, something now in practice at The Fresh Pita Club. “We make everything here but the soda & water,” Bill Houraney says. The Mediterranean menu features shiskabobs, gyros, falafels, tabouli, kefta, hummus, baklawa (Lebanese baklava), maamoul and brazik (sesame seed & honey) cookies. 13873 Wellington Trace, Wellington; 561-461-7707; FreshPitaClub.com

Chef Darrell Johnson prepares beignets at his NOLA Creations food truck back in 2021. Johnson and his wife, Aunna won the Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race” in 2019. Now Johnson and his business partners have opened The Hen and The Hog in Pompano Beach and most recently in Boca Raton.

The Hen and The Hog, Boca Raton

This rustic restaurant with pig roasts every Friday, an all-day breakfast and pork-centric decorative signs (“Don’t go bacon my heart”) opened its second location on Nov. 21, replacing the former Blue Ocean Poke in Boca Raton. The new eatery serves breakfast and lunch as well as a separate chef-crafted happy hour menu, according to chef/co-owner Darrell Johnson. He first conquered the South Florida market in 2021 with the NOLA Creations food truck, which won the Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race” in 2019. The flagship sits on North Federal Highway in Pompano Beach. For both locations, Johnson has partnered with Yardlene Tabora and George Abbondante. The Hog serves smoked meat platters, sandwiches, burgers, bowls and salads. 2151 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; HenAndTheHogBoca.com

Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen, Fort Lauderdale

This fast-casual eatery debuted the latest outpost of its signature “build-your-own Bol” concept on Nov. 18, the restaurant announced on social media. Founded in Wellington in 2016, it now has 22 locations throughout Florida. Bolay was created by Outback Steakhouse co-founder Tim Gannon and his son, Chris Gannon. Recently, Bolay added wraps to the menu. By the way, Bolay plans to open its Aventura restaurant, at 18801 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 275, on Dec. 1. 1730 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; Bolay.com

Mazza Kitchen, Fort Lauderdale

This fast-casual eatery from Faris Bushnaq, owner of the 15-year-old Mazza Mediterranean Cuisine in Pembroke Pines, had its grand opening on Nov. 21 in Fort Lauderdale’s 1600 Commons plaza (where Trader Joe’s is located), according to the restaurant’s social media. Customers may choose from proteins, as well as vegetarian and vegan options, to build their bowls, pitas and salads. 1530 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 954-630-3777; MazzaKitchen.com

Florida-based Huey Magoo’s was founded in 2004 by Matt Armstrong and Thad Hudgens.

Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders, North Lauderdale

Huey Magoo’s latest South Florida location is in North Lauderdale’s recently renovated Arena Shoppes. The Florida-based, fast-casual chain bills itself as the “Filet Mignon Of Chicken.” The 2,000-square-foot restaurant is the fourth franchised Magoo’s owned by Tyler and Bob Cafferty and family. The company’s president and CEO, Andy Howard, said: “I am ecstatic to see another Huey Magoo’s in this area, my hometown. We are also thrilled for … the Caffertys’ tremendous growth and success of the brand in South Florida.” The company says next up will be restaurants in Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Magoo’s signature chicken tenders are served grilled, hand-breaded or “sauced” and are free of antibiotics, hormones, steroids and preservatives. Salads, sandwiches and wraps are also on the menu. 7206 W. McNab Road, North Lauderdale; 754-220-3440; HueyMagoos.com

Meatball Room, Boca Raton

This Italian restaurant devoted to spaghetti’s best friend — the almighty meatball — hosted its grand opening on Nov. 16 in the Paseos Plaza, roughly a mile south of Spanish River Boulevard. Diners may order eight styles of meatballs by itself, with salads or with pasta, and flavors include shredded brisket, classic (beef, pork and veal blend), vegetarian (roasted eggplant, portobello mushroom and chickpeas) and spaghetaboutit (stuffed with three cheeses and fusilli pasta). 2621 N. Federal Highway, Suite Y; 561-756-8993; MeatballBoca.com

Leziz Mediterranean Restaurant, Boca Raton

This restaurant registered to owner Ibrahim Ibrahim debuted in late October in Boca Raton’s Piccadilly Square plaza. The menu includes Turkish pizza including lahmacun, a spicy, cheeseless version topped with ground lamb, spicy peppers, tomatoes, onions and red bell peppers. Along with kibbeh and falafel appetizers, they serve up tabbouli salad and entrees such as moussaka, braised lamb shank and chicken sauté (served with vegetables, garlic and bulghur). 8221 Glades Road, Suite 2, Boca Raton; 561-477-3272; LezizBoca.com

Flamingo Seafood, Pompano Beach

An abandoned Marathon gas station between the Intracoastal Waterway and an Umberto’s has been revived as Flamingo Seafood, a raw bar, wholesale market and seafood retailer. The shop debuted Nov. 9, per social media, from owner Charles Parker. Their specialty: “sustainably caught, traceable, locally sourced seafood, as well as a selection of raw and cured fish, including oysters on the half shell, ceviche, crudo and assorted caviar,” Mattocks says. 2798 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach; FlamingoSeafood.com

La Fuga, Fort Lauderdale

There’s a lot of newness at this location a few blocks away from the sands of Fort Lauderdale beach. La Fuga (Italian for “the escape”) debuted Oct. 24, the day after its predecessor — Botanic — closed. The eatery’s hotel base has changed as well: The former Kimpton Goodland Hotel Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort is now the recently rechristened Kimpton Shorebreak Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. Under the auspices of executive chef Michael Mayer, La Fuga bills itself as a “coastal Italian cuisine” concept. Dishes include veal meatballs with mascarpone polenta, puttanesca and parmigiano for $16; housemade pasta Bolognese for $28; grilled swordfish with lemon-oregano vinaigrette and fingerling potatoes for $36, as well as pizza with pesto, parma ham, fig, pine nuts, goat cheese and rocket (arugula) for $24. 2900 Riomar St., Fort Lauderdale. 954-908-7301, ext. 3; ShorebreakFortLauderdale.com.

Willie T’s Seafood Shack, Fort Lauderdale

A replacement for Elliot Wolf’s pandemic-closed sandwicherie, Lunchroom, this seafood house from Virginia’s Thompson Hospitality opened Nov. 7 inside the Harbor Shops on 17th Street. Willie T’s, which has locations in the Washington, D.C., area, serves baskets of white shrimp and catfish filets, jumbo lump crab and lobster rolls, hushpuppies, mac ‘n’ cheese and Old Bay-seasoned, crinkle-cut fries. 1824 Cordova Road, Fort Lauderdale; WillieTsSeafoodShack.com

Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop, Fort Lauderdale

Former Miami firefighter Derek Kaplan has brought his arsenal of acclaimed pies, cakes and cookies to downtown Fort Lauderdale, with this third location, situated across the street from The Dalmar hotel. Delayed from its planned opening last spring, Kaplan’s 1,500-square-foot shop carries an expansive menu of cheesecakes, brownies and bread pudding, plus hand-churned ice cream and savory items such as homemade pot pies and empanadas. Most of Kaplan’s sweets are baked daily at his Little Haiti commissary. Future expansion plans include an outpost in Palm Beach County. 250 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; FiremanDereks.com

Gold leaf on the sushi at Sushi Lab in Pompano Beach. Hospitality honchos Brandon (son) and Hank Freid (father) are bringing the culinary-forward concept to their resort, the Residence Inn by Marriott in Pompano Beach.

Sushi Lab, Pompano Beach

Father-and-son dynamic duo Hank and Brandon Freid have brought their Sushi Lab New York concept down to South Florida and placed it inside the Residence Inn Marriott at Pompano Beach. “It’s exploratory sushi, both traditional and untraditional, with different types of pieces that you would not normally find somewhere else,” says Hank Freid. In Manhattan, the Freids are known for The Sanctuary Hotel, Haven Rooftop and The Ameritania Hotel. “Sushi is still an untapped market in Pompano,” adds Brandon Freid. “Sushi Lab is an elevated, high-quality, oceanfront omakase and sushi experience, but it’s approachable.” Entrees cost $20 to $35 and the omakase is $50 to $100. 1350 N. Ocean Blvd., Pompano Beach; 954-937-7366; SushiLab.com

Death by Pizza, Delray Beach

Koby Wexler’s popular pizza pop-up has begun slinging Detroit-style pies out of its new brick-and-mortar in Delray Beach, on the corner of Northeast Second Street and South Federal Highway. Early in the pandemic, customers who saw Death By Pizza’s tantalizing rectangles (and death metal-reminiscent logo) on Instagram first had to prepay online, then wait all week for Wexler’s “pizza drops” the following Wednesday or Sunday. The foundation of his pizza crust is sourdough, created with a 9-month-old starter Wexler fed daily out of his family’s Two Fat Cookies bakery off Atlantic Avenue. The new space gives him breathing room — and gives customers freedom to eat pies on-site or order them to-go. Death by Pizza orders will no longer be filled at Two Fat Cookies, its original pop-up. 528 NE Second St., Delray Beach; DeathByPizzaDelray.com

Ma-Prao Thai Cuisine, Fort Lauderdale

This Thai street-food restaurant registered to Kamolwan Kawpunna debuted in mid-October across the street from Holy Cross Hospital, replacing the former Thai Bayshore Restaurant that closed this summer. Touting five levels of heat (from “baby” to “hot mama”), the restaurant features tom yum and duck noodle soups, pork dumplings and spring rolls. There are also Thai staples such as pad Thai and malang tod, a dish of deep-fried silkworms. 4838 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 954-651-8242; Ma-PraoThaiCuisine.com

Amado Market, Wilton Manors

This Argentine market and sandwicherie registered to Elisa G. Gonzalez and Amado G. Elgadban, which began its life as a Miami-area food truck, has opened on trendy Wilton Drive, replacing the Nicaraguan restaurant Fritanga Managua. The eatery, which debuted Oct. 20, serves empanadas and canastitas (basically open-faced empanadas filled with beef, spinach and cheese, and bacon and plum), along with beef Milanesa with fries and a prosciutto and burrata sandwich. 2410 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors; 786-672-3759; Instagram.com/amadomarket.usa

Lewis Prime Grill, Loxahatchee

The Lewis family clan behind 75-year-old West Palm Beach icon Okeechobee Steakhouse is on a tear of late, and the latest example is this high-end steakhouse and seafood bar that debuted on Nov. 16 in the Publix at The Acreage Plaza, replacing the former Kocomo’s. (It follows the opening of Lewis Steakhouse in Jupiter earlier this year.) The 120-seat Lewis Prime Grill, under executive chef Jamie Steinbrecher, came together in a partnership with owner Ralph Lewis and several investors, including Okeechobee Steakhouse managers Christina Wishart, Luis Fernandez and Kyle Blake. The menu shares some of its DNA with the Okeechobee flagship, including appetizers (shrimp cocktails and crispy calamari) and sides (mac ‘n’ cheese, roasted mushrooms). There are also wet-aged Angus tomahawks and boneless ribeyes, served with choice of baked potato, fries, black radish slaw or spinach Victoria. 7040 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, Loxahatchee; 561-619-5115; LewisPrimeGrill.com

La Traila Barbecue, Hallandale Beach

This Miami Lakes barbecue spot — founded in 2021 by Texas pitmaster Mel Rodriguez and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie (a Miami native) — has opened its first outpost in the Carousel Club at Gulfstream Park, the trackside gathering spot from the hospitality group behind The Wharf Fort Lauderdale. The sister location quietly opened in late October. La Traila’s Carousel Club menu will be smaller than the one at the Miami Lakes flagship, firing up smoked turkey BLT wraps, a smokehouse sandwich with chopped smoked brisket, chicharrones, a burger and brisket elotes, and Mexican street corn topped with brisket, cotija cheese, crema and housemade sauce. 901 S. Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach; 954-228-3378; CarouselClub.com

Portside Breakfast & Lunch, West Palm Beach

This daytime diner-style restaurant, registered to Francis Cecere Jr. and sons Phillip, Matthew and Francis III, opened in October in West Palm Beach’s Golden Lakes neighborhood. In addition to breakfast combos with 8-ounce ribeyes and slow-roasted pork belly, expect items such as french toast casserole and eggs benedict (salmon, Cajun shrimp). For lunch, try handhelds (shaved ribeye, Buffalo chicken), smash burgers and blue crab cakes. 8480 Okeechobee Blvd., Suite 7, West Palm Beach; 561-619-7172; PortsideOnline.com

The Veggie Special at the new Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in Plantation includes crushed tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, mozzarella, mushrooms, peppers, onions, olive oil and grated pecorino romano.

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, Plantation

Admirers of white clam apizza, assemble: This beloved shrine for New Haven-style pie connoisseurs opened its first South Florida location on Oct. 24 inside the buzzy live-shop complex Plantation Walk. Frank Pepe’s coal-fired slices are baked at a super-hot 600 degrees Fahrenheit for a few minutes, yielding an oblong pie with charred — not burnt — crispy-chewy crust and cheese like molten lava. At each new location, the restaurant recreates the same 104,000-pound oven it has at its New Haven flagship. The menu specializes in white clam pies and cheeseless tomato pies, along with salads, Foxon Park sodas, cannoli pie and tiramisu. A second, 4,160-square-foot Frank Pepe is expected to open in the second quarter of 2023 in Delray Beach. 341 N. University Drive, Suite 800, Plantation; 954-906-7373; PepesPizzeria.com

The Madre’s Mexican Fresh, Wellington

In addition to well-known Mexican and Tex-Mex menu items, the kiosk in the food court at The Mall at Wellington Green features build-your-own burritos, tacos, quesadillas, bowls and salads. 10300 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington. 567-623-7157; Facebook.com/TheMadresMexicanFresh

Mama YaTai and Donut, Davie

Replacing the Cantonese/Hong Kong style eatery Tasty Café in Davie, this Japanese restaurant registered to Ngoc Chau and Loc Nguyen debuted in mid-October. The space occupies the popular Carriage Hills Plaza (also known as Foodtown), a strip-mall fantasyland of Asian cuisine. Mama’s menu features items such as yakitori (chicken on skewers), Japanese corn dogs and mochi doughnuts. 6477 Stirling Road, Davie; no website or phone number yet available

Yellow Yolk, Coral Springs

Restaurateur Steve Tsatas recently opened this breakfast and lunch concept at The Walk at University in Coral Springs, making it the brand’s debut. (There are plans for Pompano Beach to be the next site, possibly by year’s end.) The breakfast menu includes options such as triple-stacked pancakes; classic egg Benedict; vegetable- or meat-filled omelets; avocado toast on walnut and raisin bread with two poached eggs or a breakfast burrito filled with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, salsa and guacamole. Lunch menu selections include house-made soups; handhelds such as smashed beef burgers, chicken and steak sandwiches; huevos rancheros; carnitas burrito with tomatillo salsa verde, and Florida key lime pie. 2864 N. University Drive, Coral Springs; 954-688-9862; YellowYolk.com

Sweetgreen, Palm Beach Gardens

This national fast-casual chain, which touts healthy seasonal warm bowls and salads, is rapidly expanding in Florida with this seventh location opening late last month in the Downtown Palm Beach Gardens shopping center. Sweetgreen opened in West Palm Beach last year and debuted in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood and Coral Gables in 2020. There’s also a pickup/delivery outpost in downtown Miami. Exclusive to the South Florida eateries, including this new one, is the Citrus Shrimp Bowl. 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave., Palm Beach Gardens; Sweetgreen.com

Merci Bimini, West Palm Beach

This French-American café had its grand opening in October with a menu that includes sandwiches, salads, and a signature vegetarian avocado toast baguette, as well as pastries, coffee and espresso beverages. They also offer beer, wine and sparkling wine. “That is what makes us so unique [in the neighborhood],” says owner Stephanie Bogdan. “You can come for brunch or lunch during the day and relax with us in the evening over dessert or drinks.” Soon there will be special events such as a Date Night and French Film Fridays. 8480 Okeechobee Blvd., Suite 5; 561-360-2645; MerciBiminiWPB.com

The bar at Blackbird Modern Asian in Jupiter on Tuesday October 4, 2022.

Blackbird, Jupiter

Blackbird Modern Asian restaurant has an impressive ownership team behind it: restaurateurs Scott Frielich (SubCulture Group) and Angelo Abbenante (Lynora’s) as well as nightlife maestro Cleve Mash (Pawn Shop, Clematis Social) and executive chef Tim Nickey (Komodo, China Grill, Joe Namath’s Lucky Shuck). Taking the space vacated by Shipwreck Bar & Grille, the two-story eatery has a view of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and the Loxahatchee River. The design — evoking 1940s-era Shanghai — is the creation of Kat Solomon, who worked side by side with Venus Williams at V Starr in West Palm Beach. The menu features Pan-Asian cuisine such as smoked salmon with everything bagel ragoons; Shanghai soup dumplings; sweet and sour pork with pineapple and dragon fruit; Australian Wagyu tomahawk with truffle ponzu butter sauce; and Szechuan ribs inside a smoke-infused glass dome that’s removed tableside. 1511 N. Old Dixie Highway, Jupiter; BlackbirdModernAsian.com

Mystic Lobster Roll, Fort Lauderdale

This Beach Haven, N.J.-spawned seafood franchise debuted Sept. 10 within the Causeway Shoppes on Fort Lauderdale’s 17th Street Causeway. (It replaces the former Kubo, which moved into expanded digs at 745 SE 17th St.) Mystic Fort Lauderdale, which is owned by Harry and Jackie Stampler, specializes in Maine lobster rolls, lobster tacos, Alaskan king crab legs, lobster bisque, lobster mac and cheese, and whoopie pies for dessert. In Florida, Mystic already operates locations in Boca Raton and Juno Beach, with one future outpost destined for Orlando. 753 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-999-5605, MysticLobsterRollsFTL.com

Snow Bunny, Boca Raton

This emporium devoted to dim sum, bao buns, boba tea and other Asian treats opened in early September inside Boca’s Fifth Avenue Shops plaza. Snow Bunny, which shares a storefront with sister eatery Eat District, a build-your-own-Asian-bowl, is owned by Lemongrass Hospitality (Lemongrass Asian Bistro, Ramen Lab Eatery, Ganzo, and The Sea Kitchen). The shop offers inventive varieties of boba, from ube taro to tiramisu milk teas topped with salty cream cheese or creme brulee, along with smoothies, ahi tuna pizza, poke nachos and bao bun combo boxes. 1914 NE Fifth Ave.; 561-576-2046, SnowBunnyBoba.com

Soba Asian Noodles, Fort Lauderdale

The fourth restaurant to occupy this storefront in as many years, Soba Asian Noodles debuted Oct. 6 inside Fort Lauderdale’s Imperial Shopping Plaza. Soba is owned by Teera Jiriyasin, whose family also operates Tee-Jay Thai Sushi in Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors. The menu will include takoyaki (octopus), chicken bao buns, buckwheat soba noodles and other fast-casual dishes. The noodle house replaces Mr. Q Crab House (which closed this spring), Bufarella La Pizza Di Napoli (closed in 2020) and Hurricane BTW (2018). 5975 N. Federal Highway, No. 103, Fort Lauderdale; 954-595-2923; SobaAsianNoodles.com

Subculture Coffee Roasters, Palm Beach Gardens

Palm Beach restaurant impresario Rodney Mayo also has expanded his hip coffeehouse chain north to the Downtown Palm Beach Gardens plaza. Subculture, which debuted Sept. 29 next door to Whole Foods Market, serves golden chai and matcha lattes, cold brew and iced candied pecan espressos, as well as trendy café food staples such as bacon quiche, pesto chicken empanadas, vegan zucchini loaves and frittata brioche sandwiches. 11702 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave., Suite 5090, Palm Beach Gardens; 561-323-7756; SubcultureCoffee.com

Blueprint Cookies, Boca Raton

This Flagler Village-spawned gourmet confection shop formerly called Batch, the Cookie Co. caters to cookie monsters in Boca Raton after hosting a grand opening of its third location on Aug. 20. The confection shop, from itinerant pastry chef Max Santiago and business partners Adam August and Nick Hicks, bakes cookies with flavors such as frosted red velvet, brown-sugar blondies and all-vegan, gluten-free blueberry-lemon swirl and brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tart. In a publicly shared Facebook post on Oct. 3, Santiago explained that they chose to rebrand from Batch to Blueprint to dodge a “lawsuit nightmare” over naming rights with Batch Gastropub, a local mini-chain. 5050 Town Center Circle, Suite 233, Boca Raton; 954-533-8200; BlueprintCookie.com

Cucinova, Fort Lauderdale

Back in January, this fast-casual eatery quietly opened just three blocks from the beach at State Road A1A and Las Olas Boulevard. Then, equally on the down-low, the restaurant closed sometime in October without explanation. Cucinova offered “craft-your-own” pizzas, pastas and salads in the $8 to $15 range. 2915 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale.

Casareccio Trattoria Italiana, Pompano Beach

This neighborhood Italian restaurant founded by co-owners Emylene Egusquiza and Salvatore Spina has closed its Federal Highway flagship after about five years. The small trattoria with seven tables — which the couple serviced by themselves — made no announcement about its closing. Casareccio wove Sicilian specialties and rustic warmth into its Italian offering, which began with complimentary bread and a weekly-rotating menu that included seafood arancini, housemade lobster-stuffed ravioli, cacio e pepe and chicken parm topped with fresh burrata. (At one point, a second Casareccio was destined for Pompano’s forthcoming Bite Eatery food hall, but plans eventually collapsed during the pandemic.) 1386 S. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach; 954-998-3642; CasareccioTrattoria.com

The sundae at Botanic, which is now closed.

Botanic, Fort Lauderdale

The Eat Beat – Restaurants, Bars and Recipes

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Botanic sprung onto the local scene during spring 2021 and closed last month, on Oct. 23. The restaurant was the culinary centerpiece of what used to be the Kimpton Goodland Hotel Fort Lauderdale Beach, recently rebranded as the Kimpton Shorebreak Fort Lauderdale. Botanic — with its locally-sourced dishes with Latino and Caribbean influences — has been replaced by La Fuga, which is offering “coastal Italian cuisine,” according to its website. 2900 Riomar St., Fort Lauderdale

Pizza Girls, Palm Beach Gardens

The New York-style slice shop that served the downtown West Palm Beach hullabaloo since 1999 is no more. Phoebe Reckseit and Jennifer Morales, the “pizza girls,” have sold their second (and last remaining) pie shop in Palm Beach Gardens to the owners of nearby restaurant Allora, announcing the abrupt closure on Sept. 30. “Phoebe & I have decided that this was the best time for us to Retire,” the intrepid duo posted on social media. As with its downtown West Palm pizzeria, which debuted in 1999 and closed in 2020 thanks to COVID-related shutdowns, their Palm Beach Gardens sister store also blamed pandemic shortages and price hikes for its demise. 10965 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens; 561-812-2400; PizzaGirls.com

Nonna Maria, North Palm Beach

This Italian neighborhood restaurant with a French twist, run by husband-and-wife owners Francois Arsouze and Judy O’Reilly, has permanently closed. The couple declared “arrivederci” on Nonna Maria’s website in October, announcing a sale of the restaurant and their retirement to live in France. Although Arsouze and O’Reilly took over the Northlake Boulevard eatery in 2003, it had been open since the mid-1990s under previous ownership. 529 Northlake Blvd., North Palm Beach

The interior of Press Gourmet Sandwiches in Fort Lauderdale.

Press Gourmet Sandwiches, Fort Lauderdale

What began as a mega-popular food truck specializing in gourmet, journalism-themed handhelds wrapped in faux newspaper — The Sentinel, The Reporter, The Gazette, etc. — has closed after seven years at the Promenade at Bay Colony shopping center. Johnson & Wales graduates Chris DelPrete and Rand Carswell gained a cult following for their pressed sandwiches and over-the-top sides (deep-fried mac ‘n’ cheese balls, crispy onion straws, Buffalo bleu cheese fries). These budding culinarians even won Food Network’s “Food Truck Face Off” in 2015 shortly before opening their brick-and-mortar sandwicherie. The restaurant shut without fanfare in late August; it’s newsprint-style signage and decor removed from the storefront. 6206 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 954-440-0422; PressGourmetSandwiches.com

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