Yellow Yolk is a breakfast-and-lunch concept now open at The Walk at University in Coral Springs. Next up, owner Steve Tsatas plans on opening a second location in Pompano Beach by the end of 2022. (Yellow Yolk / Courtesy)
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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
Saxies Restaurant & Lounge, Lantana
An upscale surf-and-turf scratch kitchen from owner Erik Betts, Saxies debuted in early September across the street from the new Water Tower Commons live-shop complex. The menu combines steakhouse classics and pub-style comfort foods, including Maryland lump crab cakes, Atlantic blackened salmon, baby back ribs, New York strips and filet mignon au poivre, along with Philly cheesesteaks and other handhelds, chicken wings and barbecue pulled-pork quesadillas, as well as craft cocktails. 618 Lantana Road, Lantana; 561-355-0936; Facebook.com/SaxiesLantana
Sweetgreen continues its expansion into South Florida with the latest location in Palm Beach Gardens. The national fast-casual chain touts healthy seasonal warm bowls and salads. (Sweetgreen / Courtesy)
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 on Oct. 8 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
Miso black cod with baby bok choy, sizzling soy vinaigrette is served at Blackbird Modern Asian in Jupiter. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Blackbird Modern Asian restaurant debuted this week with 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
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
The new location of Kapow Noodle Bar in Boca Raton's Mizner Park has an omakase bar, a wraparound patio, three private karaoke rooms and a fancy Peking duck oven from China. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Kapow Noodle Bar, Boca Raton
Long leather banquettes, murals of mysterious geishas, dramatic lighting and an overhauled menu are among the boldly seductive upgrades at Kapow, the pan-Asian hotspot that reopened Sept. 16 in buzzing Mizner Park. Co-owned by Vaughan Dugan and Rodney Mayo, the 5,000-square-foot eatery is double the size of its former storefront across the street and steeped in youthful energy. For now, much of its old menu — including Angry Shrimp Dumplings, Tuna Tartare Crispy Rice, Hoisin BBQ Baby Back Ribs and Peking Duck — will be retained, but new additions under executive chef Anthony Williams and executive sushi chef Vincent Lau include Wagyu New York strip steak, King Prawn Banh Mi and, of course, sushi. Meanwhile, a new eight-seat omakase bar hosted by Lau will serve 10 courses on Fridays and Saturdays. 402 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; KapowNoodleBar.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
This Flagler Village-spawned gourmet confection shop formerly called Batch, the Cookie Co. now 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
Specializing in all-vegan, brick-oven pies and lentil-based pastas, this New York-style pizzeria from owner Samuel Cobas opened in early September within the Stirling Town Center. The shop, located next door to Coba’s other all-vegan restaurant in the same plaza, Vegan Tierra, serves specialty pizzas including Jackfruit BBQ and Meatless Lovers, as well as cauliflower wings, gluten-free baked ziti, salads, soups and calzones. 8763 Stirling Road, Cooper City; 754-223-5835; PlantPizza.net
This Latin-inspired sushi house owned by Venezuelan nationals Nino Ravicini and Sandra Mauro debuted in early September on University Drive. This is Sushiato’s third location after opening storefronts in the Brickell area and Weston. The menu features Japanese and Nikkei-style (Japanese-Peruvian) dishes such as maki topped with acevichada sauce and sweet plantain puree, octopus nigiri in olive sauce, Samba Ceviche tossed in Peruvian corn, fried tostones and leche de tigre passionfruit, and hamachi jalapeño tiraditos. 7961 N. University Drive, Parkland; 754-529-8560; Sushi-ato.com
Fat Boyz Barbecue, Deerfield Beach
After shrinking his smoky empire from three brick-and-mortar locations to one during the pandemic, owner and pitmaster Jarael Holston-Jones is on the barbecue rebound. Fat Boyz debuted its second storefront on Sept. 24 inside the former Charlie’s Fish Fry & Seafood, east of Federal Highway and next to Hillsboro Square plaza. The new pit-stop marks Holston-Jones’ homecoming to Deerfield Beach, where he closed his flagship — inside a trailer with a red caboose attached — pre-pandemic. His barbecue serves dry-rubbed St. Louis spare ribs kissed with hickory and spice, Texas-style brisket and smoked lean pastrami. His Fort Lauderdale outpost on Cypress Creek Road remains in operation, as does a food truck. 1200 E. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach; FatBoyzBarbecue.com
Wood oven-fired pies distinguish this upscale pizzeria, which reopened Sept. 23 after moving from its former perch near Little Haiti to the trendy Atlantic Village shopping complex in Hallandale Beach. The menu features Neapolitan-style pizzas, some with unique toppings (homemade pistachio and artichoke creams, pecans, oven-baked potatoes, spicy ‘nduja), along with fresh burrata, paninis, carpaccio and insalata. 701 N. Federal Highway, Suite 112, Hallandale Beach; LaPiazzettaMiami.com
Yo Momma’s Kitchen, Pembroke Pines
This breakfast-brunch café from owners Kimberly Ann Parks and Carlos De Las Salas debuted in early September inside the Pembroke Lakes Shopping Plaza. Along with café con leche, there are fruit-and-yogurt parfaits, chia-seed pudding, breakfast biscuits and the Momma’s Platter (two eggs, choice of meat, hash browns, toast). Pastries include pies, cupcakes, gelato and even funnel cakes. 10410 Taft St.; 954-362-4994
Just in time for the fall sports season, Bokamper's Sports Bar & Grill in Miramar reopened after five months with renovations, a new chef and an updated menu. The Bokamper's restaurant group was founded by former Miami Dolphins player Kim Bokamper and his three partners, P.J. Kavanagh, Damon DeSantis and Noel Cullen. (D. Joseph Photography / Courtesy)
Bokamper’s Sports Bar & Grill, Miramar
This location of the Bokamper’s restaurant brand closed in April for renovations and updates — and now it’s back with a new chef and a new menu. The lakefront restaurant, which reopened on Sept. 20, still has a kids’ game room, private party suite (with its own bar) and the expansive indoor/outdoor seating. Head chef Christian Zancolla has added perfect-for-game-day dishes such as buffalo chicken tater kegs, which are tater tots stuffed with shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, Wisconsin cheddar cheese, cream cheese and ranch dressing. Other new menu items include rigatoni and meatballs, a Mediterranean grilled salmon salad and a variety of tacos. In case you don’t know, Bokamper’s is part of the PDKN Restaurant Group, founded by former Miami Dolphins gridiron great Kim Bokamper and partners P.J. Kavanagh, Damon DeSantis and Noel Cullen. The PDKN brand includes other Bokamper’s in Plantation and Fort Lauderdale. There is also Bo’s Beach, La Playa Dayclub, Bo’s Pub, The Balcony and The Hidden Garden, all in Fort Lauderdale. 15500 SW 29th St., Miramar; 754-400-8558; Bokampers.com/miramar
Mari’s Kitchen, Fort Lauderdale
The Pellecchias have opened a second location for their Italian fare of paninis, carpaccios and bruschettas. The family now has a kiosk at the food hall Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery in Fort Lauderdale. “Most of our customers are from Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton,” says Luigi Pellecchia. “It’s the same concept, but what’s new is you can get fresh pasta here.” There is also the original Mari’s Kitchen Rosticceria in the Yellow Green Farmers Market in Hollywood, which opened in 2018 after the family descendant from Napoli, Italy, moved to SoFlo from Venezuela (where the family operated five Italian restaurants). Here in the States, Luigi and brother Giancarlo help run the family business with their father Toni and mother Mari, the eatery’s namesake. 115 NW Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale (Sistrunk Marketplace); 305-915-0408; mariskitchenmiami.com
Dope Vegan, West Palm Beach
What began as a vegan hamburger food truck that rolled around West Palm Beach during the pandemic is now owner Rhona Nain’s first brick-and-mortar restaurant. Nain, who debuted Dope Vegan’s storefront in early August on North Military Trail with partner John LeJeune, had recently operated as a Friday-Saturday pop-up inside Big John’s Eatery across the street from iThink Financial Amphitheatre. Dope Vegan’s small menu touts four plant-based burgers, plant-based fish and the DFC (Dope Fried Chicken), as well as french fries and vegan chocolate-chip cookies. 175 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach; 561-788-5139; EatDopeVegan.com
Upscale Mediterranean fine-dining cuisine is on the menu at Maksim Kornev’s Ispalina, which opened in August on North Federal Highway. A rebranding of Kornev’s Sultan Cafe & Grill in the same space, which shuttered earlier this spring, Ispalina serves up salads, charcuterie boards, red-pepper hummus, wild mushroom fettuccine and porcini risotto with truffle oil, along with ribeyes, chicken marsala and New York-style cheesecake. 5800 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; 561-571-6159, Ispalina.Restaurant
This fast-casual eatery recently opened in Mizner Park, which many consider the de facto downtown of Boca Raton. This is the city’s second location, with plans to add to that number throughout SoFlo (hence the new franchise headquarters in Sunrise). Founded in 2014 by health and fitness expert Ross Franklin, Pure Green is known for cold-pressed juices and juice shots, superfood smoothies, as well as acai and pitaya bowls. Reality TV personality and BFF of the Kardashian clan, Jonathan Cheban — a.k.a. Foodgod — recently collaborated with the brand to release a new Blue Banana Smoothie. 324 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; 561-409-4271; PureGreen.com
The Boca Raton flagship of Rocksteady Jamaican Bistro is on North Federal Highway. The new spot opened at 60 NW Fifth Ave., Delray Beach. (Mike Mayo/SouthFlorida.com )
Rocksteady Jamaican Bistro, Delray Beach
Chef-owner Duane Morgan’s sophisticated take on classic island staples has added a sister location in downtown Delray Beach. The new spot debuted on Sept. 7 and, as with the Boca Raton flagship on North Federal Highway, resembles a romantic French nook. The menu features elevated versions of curried goat, whole fried snapper escovitch, oxtail stew, ackee and jerk chicken. 60 NW Fifth Ave., Delray Beach; 561-865-7091; RocksteadyJamaicanBistro.com
American Tapas Bar, Boca Raton
This small-plates eatery from business partners Jay Oliveira and Christian Jacques opened its first offshoot on Sept. 7 at Boca Raton’s Palmetto Place, less than a year after the original debuted on Commercial Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. Here, Oliveira and Jacques (who also run Spanish tapas kitchen Eatapas in Fort Lauderdale) serve American-style tapas such as grilled octopus and filet mignon sliders, entrées like Cajun jambalaya, short ribs, bacon-wrapped dates and fried chicken. 114 Plaza Real S., Boca Raton; 561-672-7362; AmericanTapasBar.com
Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream's newest franchise recently opened in Pompano Beach. The Miami-based brand flash freezes every scoop using liquid nitrogen at -320° Fahrenheit. (Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream / Courtesy)
Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream, Pompano Beach
You can beat this SoFlo heat with some frozen treats at the newest Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream shop that opened Aug. 27 in Pompano Beach’s Park Plaza Shopping Center. Owned by Michelle and Hugo Sappey, this franchise continues the Miami-based brand’s signature flash-frozen-on-the-spot concept. Here’s the scoop: You choose a base of milk, yogurt or alt-milk (coconut, almond, oat) and your toppings, then your order is frozen in a split second using liquid nitrogen at -320 degrees Fahrenheit. “My wife, children and I have been longtime customers of the Chill-N in Fort Lauderdale, often making the drive down just to get our favorite ice cream,” says Hugo Sappey. “We fell in love with the brand from the start and decided we wanted to open a Chill-N closer to us in Pompano Beach.” The new location is open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays. Next up, Chill-N plans to open in Plantation in the coming months and then Pembroke Pines and Doral in 2023. 1170 N. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach; 754-205-7222; ChillN.com
Fried calamari is served at Thirsty Turtle Seagrill, a new seafood shack that opened in late August on Northlake Boulevard. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Thirsty Turtle Seagrill, West Palm Beach
The southernmost location of this seafood shack and sports bar mini-franchise debuted Aug. 31 inside the Shoppes at Ibis plaza, and is registered to co-owner Salvatore Zambito. The restaurant on Northlake Boulevard is a clam’s throw from the town of Westlake, Loxahatchee Groves, the Acreage and golf-and-country-club Ibis — a food desert where retail stores and restaurants are scarce. The Turtle specializes in surf-and-turf, including beer-battered shrimp, fried clam strips, shucked oysters and peel-and-eat shrimp, along with burgers, salads, skirt steaks and baby back ribs. The restaurant’s other outposts in Juno Beach, Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce will remain open. 10130 Northlake Blvd., West Palm Beach; 561-660-8911; ThirstyTurtleFL.com
This Asian franchise has locations in 34 states, plus in Canada and Mexico. With South Florida outposts in Boca Raton and Miami, Teriyaki Madness now has ventured into Broward County, opening in Oakland Park’s Northridge Shopping Center in early August. Along with chicken, steak and salmon rice and stir-fried noodle bowls loaded with veggies, the menu also offers chicken eggroll and crab rangoon appetizers. 5073 N. Dixie Highway, Oakland Park; 954-541-5867; TeriyakiMadness.com
A sampling of truffles in the display case at the new Hof's House of Sweets in Fort Lauderdale. (Joe Cavaretta / South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Hof’s House of Sweets, Fort Lauderdale
After the Las Olas storefront of Hoffman’s Chocolates closed its doors in July, this wonderland of confections reopened Aug. 31, reborn under a new name and branding — Hof’s House of Sweets. The revival only affects the Las Olas location, which was transformed into a lounge with international sweets and treats, along with doughnuts and pastries. The plan is to also have alcohol, but the spot awaits its beer and wine license. Hof’s, of course, still carries chocolate made from its factory in Greenacres. 601 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-368-4320; HofsHouseofSweets.com
Monka’s Beer and Burger Bar, Lake Worth
This new downtown gastropub from husband-and-wife owners Justin and Rebecca Sirmons hosted its grand opening on Aug. 27 where South H Street meets Lake Avenue. The bar serves up burgers and handhelds including a shrimp po’boy, mahi and pulled pork sandwiches, along with salads, jalapeño bacon bites and fried pickle chips. Monka’s also has beer, of course, as well as wine, and live music on weekends. 921 Lake Ave., Lake Worth; 561-720-2930; Monkas561.com
Just Salad, West Palm Beach
Since 2019, this fast-casual eatery has been steadily expanding in SoFlo. This new location is the eighth in the region and the 10th overall in the state. The chain is known for chef-designed salads, wraps, warm bowls, avocado toast, soups and smoothies in the $10 to $12 range. Popular menu choices include the Crispy Chicken Poblano, Thai Chicken Crunch and Tokyo Supergreens. Just Salad also has a reusable bowl program: If you purchase a bowl for $1, you get a free salad topping with each reuse. 1880 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; JustSalad.com
The Salty, West Palm Beach
Started in 2015 in Wynwood by Amanda Pizarro and Andy Rodriguez, The Salty hosted a grand opening for its seventh location on Aug. 19 at trendy Rosemary Square. The Salty specializes in over-the-top, brioche-raised doughnut treats, with flavors such as horchata, prickly pear margarita, brown butter and “churro + dulce de leche.” The shop, dubbed one of the “31 best donut shops in America” by Thrillist, has been teasing its presence in West Palm Beach since October 2021 with camper pop-ups parked in the square. 700 S. Rosemary Ave., Suite 200, West Palm Beach; SaltyDonut.com
A round of chocolate-chip cookies from Blueprint Cookie, the confection shop formerly known as Batch, the Cookie Co. (Blueprint Cookie / Courtesy)
The mac 'n' cheese balls were a favorite at Press Gourmet Sandwiches in Fort Lauderdale. (Cortesia / Press Gourmet Sandwiches)
Crush’d Beach House, Fort Lauderdale
This Himmarshee Village boîte quietly opened in February and it appears it quietly closed sometime in late August or September. At press time there has not been a response from the two owners, Teddy Verbich and Matt Lasinski, but the telephone number has been disconnected, emails are returned “undeliverable” and the latest posts on their Instagram page are from July. If you didn’t make it by there during the short run, what you missed was a eatery/bar devoted to Maryland’s unofficial-but-everyone-knows-it-to-be-true state cocktail, the Orange Crush. Both owners are from Maryland but thought SoFlo was a natural for the drink so named because of the squashing motion that sends the juice from a halved orange inside a juice presser into a glass where it joins triple sec, vodka and ice. The Crush’d menu included snacks like spinach dip and steamed shrimp, handhelds such as grilled cheese and meatball parm as well as dessert options including cotton candy and funnel cakes. Before Crush’d the space was formerly Tacocraft Taqueria & Tequila Bar. 204 SW Second St. 954-777-8600. CrushdBeachHouse.com, Instagram.com/crushdbeachhouse.
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
This colorful, car-centric, burger-and-beer franchise blessed by the Ford Motor Co. abruptly closed its The Mall at Wellington Green outpost in late September, citing “real estate issues out of our control” in a Sept. 21 social-media post. “We look forward to keeping a market presence in the near future. Thank you for your support,” Ford’s Garage brass posted on Facebook. The restaurant — where classic Ford cars are mounted in the dining room like sculptures and servers are garbed in mechanic shirts — serves starters such as Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna, salads, burgers, mac and cheese, and entrees including Chicken Henry and Mama Ford’s Homemade Meatloaf. 10300 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 122, Wellington; 561-805-3673; FordsGarageUSA.com
Umberto’s Pizza & Pasta, Pembroke Pines
After 49 years in South Florida, this hallowed, Long Island-spun pizzeria closed its doors in February on North University Drive after longtime owners Salvatore and Joseph Corteo sold the Pembroke Pines building and land to Jian Ying Zou for $1.68 million, according to property records. Then Zou, who planned to reopen Umberto’s with its original staff in September, instead reversed course and shared this news on social media on Sept. 17: “We are sad to announce that the new location we were working on has fell through and sadly we won’t be able to open a new location due to a non-compete agreement.” Umberto’s, which opened in Pembroke Pines in 1973, specialized in classic Italian fare such as chicken cacciatore and lasagna, as well as thin, rectangular Grandma-style pies. The restaurant’s phone number and website are both down. The Umberto’s Fort Lauderdale location on Commercial Boulevard remains open. 1320 N. University Drive, Pembroke Pines; 954-432-5056, UmbertosofPembrokePines.com
Rene Kostoy, the owner of Rene’s Schnitzelhaus which was in the Oakland Village Square shopping center, Thursday, November 12, 2020. (Michael Laughlin/Sun Sentinel)
In a blow to local German and eastern European cuisine, chef-owner Rene Kostoy’s restaurant shuttered in August after 3 1/2 years inside Sunrise Oakland Village Square. Kostoy’s 50-seater featured dishes such as chicken schnitzel, 24-hour roasted pork shank plated with sauerkraut and pretzel dumplings, and an impressive beer lineup for Oktoberfest. The restaurant’s website and phone line have been disconnected. 8318 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Sunrise
Moréa, Fort Lauderdale beach
This oceanside fine-dining restaurant served its last plate of Mediterranean cuisine and shuttered on Aug. 3, about seven months after opening at the Paramount Condominium on Fort Lauderdale beach. The food and beverage company that owned the eatery — North Carolina-based LM Restaurants — said in a statement sent to the South Florida Sun Sentinel (similar to one posted on their website): “Morea gives thanks for our friends and neighbors of Fort Lauderdale for your support. We have loved being a part of this amazing community.” LM Restaurants, which also owns Oceanic in Pompano Beach, went on to say that Moréa was sold but declined to divulge the name of the new owner or possible plans for the venue. 701 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; MoreaDining.com
The Morea restaurant at the Paramount Condominium on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Photographed Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)