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New York Butcher Shoppe, Pompano Beach
This meat shop and prepared-foods market debuted in mid-August across the street from Pompano Citi Centre at the hands of brothers and franchisees Donald and Christopher Scott. It’s the first South Florida outpost of this South Carolina-born brand, joining 26 other locations in six states. Behind the glass cases are prime cuts of Angus beef, rib eyes, porterhouses, beef brisket, baby back ribs and veal chops, as well as prepared entrees and sides such as lasagna, baked manicotti, veal parmesan, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, salads and beef stroganoff. 2050 N. Federal Highway, Bay C, Pompano Beach; 954-532-3026; NYButcher.com
Bay Bays Chicken & Waffle Balls, Delray Beach
His fried chicken was held up with cult-like reverence before his mini-chain of fast-casual shacks shut down in the late 2010s, but after a five-year hiatus, owner Israel Johnson has revived Bay Bays in the city’s Lake Ida Plaza. The menu remains similar to its earlier incarnation but with a twist: Instead of regular waffles, there are red-velvet waffle balls, doughy orbs made with waffle batter and drizzled in Oreo cookie crumble, caramel cream and chocolate. But Johnson’s main draw is his fried-to-order fresh chicken, marinated in buttermilk and cooked in peanut oil, and dusted in secret spices in mild and original “spicy” form. There’s also fried turkey and turkey legs and sides such as fried potato wedges, collard greens in smoked turkey au jus, baked beans with Cayenne bacon, coleslaw and potato salad. 600 N. Congress Ave, Suite 160, Delray Beach; 561-486-5438; BayBaysChicken.getsauce.com
(Damn Good Hospitality)
Damn Good Sweets is located at Plaza Delray in West Delray Beach at the intersection of West Atlantic Avenue and Lyons Road. (Damn Good Hospitality/Courtesy)
Damn Good Sweets, Delray Beach
You probably already know about Damn Good Hospitality Group, which has concepts such as Revolution Live, Stache Drinking Den, Backyard Fort Lauderdale and Warren Delray, Now there’s Damn Good Sweets, a bakery and dessert destination, that opened Aug. 18 in Plaza Delray. Chef Julian Belon is at the helm with signature dishes such as Petit Gâteaux and drip cakes, as well as floats and ice cream sandwiches. Some innovative touches include specialty dishes sold for a limited time such as the Strawberry Cone, a dessert that mimics an upside-down strawberry ice cream cone, and The Pear, which is a green/white chocolate shell in the shape of a pear with Pear William Mousse, pear compote and olive oil inside. “The team at Damn Good Hospitality has been dreaming up this concept for some time now, and we are thrilled to finally open the doors to Damn Good Sweets,” says Jeff John, CEO of Damn Good Hospitality. “The amazing and talented chef Julian was able to bring our dreams to life and beyond.” 8854 West Atlantic Ave., Suite B2, Delray Beach; 561-455-4177; damngoodsweets.com
Señor Frog’s, Fort Lauderdale
This lively Mexican cantina chain with a presence at party destinations like Cancun, Nassau, Las Vegas and Panama City Beach debuted in Fort Lauderdale in mid-August. Registered to Jorge Mora Brandt, the new Señor Frog’s opened inside the former Solluna, and is sandwiched between Rock Bar and Blondies Sports Bar north of East Las Olas Boulevard. The chain owned by Mexico company Grupo Anderson’s is known for crowds as wild as its oversized drink pitchers. It also offers enchiladas, tortilla soup, fajitas, cochinita pibil, burgers and salads, along with cocktails like Jungle Bird and the Devil’s Margherita. Another location is coming soon to Hollywood beach, according to the website. 225 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 754-223-2180; SenorFrogs.com
(Soul Rebel/Courtesy)
Hoping to draw nearby residents and students, health-conscious eatery Soul Rebel has opened a location in downtown West Palm Beach, on the campus of Palm Beach Atlantic University. (Soul Rebel/Courtesy)
Soul Rebel, West Palm Beach
Soul Rebel, which started in Jupiter, has opened its second location at Palm Beach Atlantic University’s campus in downtown West Palm Beach — hoping to draw nearby residents in addition to students. Co-owned by Reza Farahani and chef Chris Morgan, the health-conscious, fast-casual eatery uses raw and natural ingredients. The menu includes seasonal items such as acai bowls, wraps, salads, toasts, superfood smoothies, specialty coffee drinks and more. Two of chef Morgan’s favorites: the Mind Bender Toast (with whipped ricotta, mascarpone, honey, black pepper, seasonal berries, granola and basil) and the Soul Bowl (with peanut chile dressing, farro, spinach, red cabbage, avocado, broccoli, peanuts, carrots and a hard-boiled egg). “Soul Rebel is my dream concept because the menu offers everything needed to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle,” Morgan says. “We are extremely excited to be introducing our mango bowls for the first time at the Palm Beach location, with local fresh fruit topped with organic cashew butter, local honey and coconut.” All bowl and salad options can also be wrapped to order in a whole wheat, all-natural tortilla. 900 Federal Highway, West Palm Beach; soulrebel.love
Carmela Toast & Coffee Bar, West Palm Beach
This growing coffee-and-avocado-toast chain, cofounded in Parkland by owners Rainer Abreu and Rafael Baretta, is on an expansion spree, with a rebranded name (changed from Carmela Coffee Co.) and other locations planned. But first, Carmela’s West Palm Beach outpost soft-opened on Aug. 28 inside the upscale Village Commons plaza under franchisees Miguel Cortes-Vinasco and Maria Rosero. Along with java, they sling empanadas, avocado toast, flatbreads, salads and more. 711 Village Blvd., Suites 101-102, West Palm Beach; 561-389-7630; CarmelaCoffee.com
Krispy Chicken, Weston
This new Korean fried-chicken restaurant, registered to Young Hee Kho and Seo Young Han, debuted Sept. 4 in the open-air plaza where Bonaventure Boulevard meets Three Villages Road. The eatery features a variety of fried-chicken sandwiches on brioche buns with fries, as well as starters including fried calamari and grilled octopus. There’s also fried chicken tossed in one of 11 sauces, from “queso magic dust” and sweet chili to honey soy garlic and Nashville-style “Klucky Flame.” 1660 Market St., Weston; krispy-chicken-restaurant.jimdosite.com
The Soulful Steep, Pompano Beach
Billed as a new teahouse, salt cave and emporium, this groovy nook designed to help channel one’s “inner hippie” shuffled into Pompano Beach’s arty Old Town district with a soft-opening Sept. 1, coinciding with the city’s Old Town Untapped event. The menu at this cozy shop, registered to owners Christina and John Abresch, features a bevy of teas blended by local herbalists, along with vegan and gluten-free baked goods and light bites. The 40-seat shop will also be accented by a therapeutic salt cave and the sale of art and furniture made by locals. 122 N. Flagler Ave., Pompano Beach; 954-222-7685; TheSoulfulSteep.com
Black Flamingo Brewing, Oakland Park
After taking over a former Pompano Beach brewery in 2019 with Black Flamingo’s flagship, partners Manny Jannes and Andres Wolff finally opened their second taproom on Aug. 23 after two years of delays. A beer can’s throw from the Funky Buddha, the taproom’s suds include Suavecita, a crisp German-style lager; and Hop Drop & Roll, an IPA. 3482 NE 12th Ave., Oakland Park; 954-933-1960; BlackFlamingoBrewing.com
Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel
Tropical BBQ Market in West Palm Beach serves a generous portion of brisket, carrots and Caribbean slaw. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Tropical BBQ Market, West Palm Beach
It’s a banner season to be Rick Mace, who in January notched a James Beard semifinalist nod for his Florida-style barbecue haunt Tropical Smokehouse in West Palm Beach. Now the chef is doubling down on his philosophy that the Sunshine State, as with North Carolina, Tennessee or Texas, touts its own distinctive barbecue heritage. Tropical BBQ Market, his spinoff of Tropical Smokehouse, opened inside the former Aioli space in downtown West Palm Beach on Aug. 15 and zeroes in on smoked meats such as brisket. The storefront’s no-frills setup uses a cafeteria-style line where customers pick sides and meats slow-cooked in a Texas-made smoker. 206 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach; 561-800-2124; EatTropical.com
Playa Bowls, Jupiter
Started as a Jersey Shore pop-up food stand back in 2014, Playa Bowls now has eateries throughout South Florida and nationwide. Franchisees Jenna and Michael Zorn opened another in Jupiter’s Concourse Village on Aug. 26. The brand’s concept, started by New Jersey natives and avid surfers Rob Giuliani (no relation to Rudy) and Abby Taylor, uses mostly plant-based ingredients, especially acai and fruit. They’re also known for being serious about sustainability with 50% reclaimed building materials, LED lighting, partnerships with recycling efforts, and recycled/biodegradable bowls, spoons and lids. 75 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter; PlayaBowls.com “]
Gallaghers Steakhouse, Boca Raton
This 96-year-old steakhouse — a midtown Manhattan shrine to Broadway stars, gangsters, gamblers and celebrities dating to the Prohibition era — brought its white-tablecloth grandeur and dry-aged beef to Boca Raton when it debuted July 19. Gallaghers, replacing the former Madisons New York Grill & Bar, ages its steaks within an in-house meat locker for 21 days before firing them on hickory coal grills. “I know some of our Boca Raton guests will have visited our New York location already, but I’m just as excited to welcome first-timers who will realize that Gallaghers is so much more than just a steakhouse,” restaurateur Dean Poll said in a news release. Along with steak entrees, the restaurant serves seafood towers, shrimp and lobster dumpling starters, and mashed potatoes and creamed spinach as sides. 2006 NW Executive Center Circle, Boca Raton; 561-559-5800; Facebook.com/GallaghersBoca
Sea Mario Italian Restaurant, Pompano Beach
The names Mario and Nadia Spina are instantly recognizable to anyone with long memories of Broward County dining. The husband-and-wife restaurateurs behind Big Apple (a pizzeria-turned-trattoria that ran for 22 years in Pompano Beach) and Sunset Catch (which shut in early 2022 after nearly a decade) are back with this coastal Italian sit-down, which debuted July 28 in the space that was formerly Cafe La Buca. (Spina, who’s Sicilian, has no relation to Cafe La Buca’s Napoli owner Marco Spina, but his brother is Salvatore Spina of Mama Mia! Pasta & More at The Bite Eatery.) The new Sea Mario, a redesigned 42-seat restaurant, is open for lunch and dinner daily except Tuesdays. It serves a catch of the day along with entrees such as grilled lamb chops, pappardelle and fettuccine with golden crab and Caribbean curry. “I still love the restaurant business, but I want to do it smaller-scale and have a more intimate place for guests,” Mario Spina told the Sun Sentinel this week. 451 S. Cypress Road, Pompano Beach; 954-786-0673; SeaMarioRestaurant.com
Kingdom Sushi, Boca Raton
Born in Orlando, this growing buffet sushi mini-chain registered to Cleston Santino Pereira debuted its third Florida location on Powerline Road in Boca Raton in late July, according to a social-media post. Kingdom, which takes over a former Tijuana Flats, features mostly Japanese cuisine with a splash of Brazilian, including caipisake cocktails (think caipirinhas but infused with sake). Ceviche, temaki, sashimi, nigiri and sushi are offered in a la carte or all-you-can-eat formats, with buffet prices broken down by age ranges. There are also shrimp coxinha, salmon carpaccio, yakisoba and tilapia bites for appetizers, and Nutella rolls and ice cream cookie sandwiches for dessert. 22191 S. Powerline Road, Boca Raton; 561-756-9253; KingdomSushi.com
Cordial, Lake Worth Beach
Who says indoor amusement parks can’t have hip cocktail bars? Walk past the go-karts and laser tag at Lake Worth Beach’s Fun Depot and you’ll find the adjacent Cordial, an adult-leaning cocktail haunt and kitchen that opened to the public on July 2. The 25,000-square-foot restaurant-lounge, which boasts a new bowling alley, gear-cog chandeliers and other steampunk-style flourishes, offers a pub menu with Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, a Mediterranean bowl, Bavarian pretzels, pizza and cheeseburgers, among other entrees, along with brownie a la mode for dessert and American Icon Brewery craft brews. 2003 10th Ave. N., Lake Worth Beach; 561-547-0817; CordialPB.com
Voodoo Bayou, Fort Lauderdale
Radiating French Quarter cool with a wrought-iron balcony to match, this pandemic-delayed Southern Cajun cafe finally opened July 23 on the Las Olas Boulevard drag. Voodoo Bayou is owner Curtis Peery’s (Calaveras Cantina in Boca Raton, Jupiter) vision of New Orleans cuisine, with entrees spanning Crescent City staples (gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp and crawfish étouffée, po’ boys) as well as inventive dishes (such as an 18-ounce, bone-in Cajun ribeye with bourbon jus, wood-fired redfish and even gator tail). This is the second location after its flagship opened in Palm Beach Gardens in 2020. 715 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-314-0669; VoodooBayou.com
Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard, Deerfield Beach
This Pennsylvania-born sweet shop franchise opened a Deerfield Beach location in mid-July in the Sawgrass Promenade plaza on South Military Trail and Southwest 10th Street. Franchisees Andre Davis and George Sapirstein run the parlor, serving Italian ice flavors ranging from cotton candy and Sour Patch Kids red to mango-strawberry and tropical punch, as well as custards such as vanilla chocolate twist, strawberry cheesecake, tiramisu and peach cobbler. 1305 S. Military Trail, Deerfield Beach; 954-531-6464; RitasIce.com
Berry Fresh Cafe / Courtesy
The Irish eggs benedict at Berry Fresh Cafe, which opened its fourth Florida location in July in Palm Beach Gardens. (Berry Fresh Cafe/Courtesy)
Berry Fresh Cafe, Palm Beach Gardens
Mitch and Michael Timoteo are the father-and-son duo behind this farm-to-table, breakfast-lunch cafe that opened its fourth location on July 31 in the Oakbrook Square Shopping Center. The menu is loaded with whimsical scratch dishes including Captain Crunch challah French toast, Irish eggs benedict and Nashville hot chicken hash for breakfast, as well as beef birria and chicken pesto sandwiches for lunch. There are also stone-ground grits with heavy cream, housemade biscuits served with the cafe’s own apple butter and mixed-berry jams, along with a spirits menu of bloody marys, screwdrivers and vodka-spiked coffee concoctions. The new location joins three other Florida outposts: in Jupiter, Port St. Lucie and Stuart. 11658 U.S. Highway 1, Suite 18, Palm Beach Gardens; BerryFresh.Cafe
Marco’s Top Burgers, Coral Springs
What began as Marco and Ana Paula’s Brazilian food truck has graduated into a second storefront that opened to the public on Aug. 7 in the former Rosati’s Pizza in the Turtle Crossing plaza. The burger joint, which opened its first brick-and-mortar in Pompano Beach in 2021, slings Brazilian-style Angus patties loaded with toppings familiar, like bacon or sunny-side-up eggs, and unfamiliar, like corn, potato sticks, bananas, shredded chicken, catupiry (a Brazilian cream cheese) and prato (a gouda-like cow’s milk cheese). The result: an over-the-top, leaning tower of hamburger. There are also sirloin steak strips, calabresa (Brazilian sausage) subs, Brazilian hot dogs (corn, potato sticks, mozzarella, Parmesan, tomato sauce on brioche) and sides of fried yucca and plantains. 4320 N. State Road 7, Coral Springs; 954-999-8665; MarcosTopBurgers.com
(Lessing’s Hospitality Group/Courtesy)
Hatch, a new restaurant in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village, specializes in brunch, such as The New York Classic, a sandwich with Applewood smoked bacon, cage-free eggs and Vermont cheddar cheese on a brioche roll with everything bagel seasoning and served with tater tots or dressed greens. (Lessing’s Hospitality Group/Courtesy)
Hatch, Fort Lauderdale
Brunch is the business at Hatch, the new eatery on the edge of Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village. “Hatch is more than your typical breakfast or brunch,” said Lawrence Lessing, executive vice president of Lessing’s Hospitality Group, which owns and operates Hatch. “We wanted to change the rule that dinner had to be the meal with the best food and the most fun. South Florida is the perfect spot to share our unique dining experience and our contagious passion for life and serving others.” Lessing hatched the first Hatch back in 2018 in Huntington, N.Y. The SoFlo restaurant is the second location for Hatch, but Lessing’s Hospitality Group is hardly new to this region. The sixth-generation, family-owned company has more than 100 food-and-beverage businesses throughout the Northeast and Florida, including three restaurants in Jupiter. Hatch’s menu — created by chef William Muzio — includes what they bill as “creative and surprising takes on brunch classics.” There’s a “Hollandaze” selection of twists on classic eggs Benedict, as well as a “Flight of the Pancakes” section with Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes, Cinnamon Roll Pancakes and/or Blueberry Danish Pancakes. There’s also a children’s menu. The full bar includes unique creations such as: The Spiked Espresso (vodka, crème de cacao, simple syrup, double shot of espresso on the rocks) and The Pancake in a Glass (vodka, crème de cacao, cinnamon simple syrup, maple syrup, milk). 715 N. Federal Highway (at Quantum Flagler Village), Fort Lauderdale; 754-200-8747; hatchbrunch.com 
Krakatoa’s special Indonesian Rijsttafel dish was offered during the grand opening of the eatery’s kiosk at Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery in Fort Lauderdale. Rijsttafel features lemongrass candlenut lamb, cardamom chicken, turmeric lemongrass sauce chicken and kaffir lime spicy beef. (Krakatoa Cuisine/Courtesy)Krakatoa Indonesian Cuisine, Fort Lauderdale
Way back in 2014, Krakatoa Indonesian Cuisine opened a very popular food stall at the weekends-only Yellow Green Farmers Market in Hollywood. Three years later, chefs/owners Abe Muis and John Anthony shuttered that in favor of a brick-and-mortar just off of Young Circle in downtown Hollywood. Now, in addition to that still-going-strong location, there is a Krakatoa kiosk at the Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery food hall in Fort Lauderdale. The kiosk had a grand opening on Aug. 4. Featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” the restaurant brand is named after the Indonesian volcanic island of Krakatoa and connotes the “explosion of flavors you experience with every bite,” according to Muis, who grew up on the island of Lombok. He adds that the menu at Sistrunk Marketplace is unique to that location. 115 NW Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale; krakatoacuisine.com
Buffalo Wild Wings GO, Pompano Beach
Buffalo Wild Wings GO, a new takeout- and delivery-focused model, opened July 19 in the Pompano Marketplace shopping center. There are nine Buffalo Wild Wings in South Florida, but only one Buffalo Wild Wings GO. In fact, the Pompano Beach location is the only GO restaurant in the state. The GO iteration puts emphasis on a walk-up counter, digital menu boards and limited seating. If you order ahead, you can pick up your meal from individual takeout lockers, providing a contactless experience. As evidenced by its name, the eatery is known for its chicken wings, with 26 signature sauces and seasoning options. “Our takeout and delivery business grew significantly over the past two years as guests across America enjoyed our award-winning wings, sauces and other menu items at home,” said John Bowie, president of Buffalo Wild Wings. “With great deals every day of the week on wings and bundles at GO, customers have one more way to enjoy our wings.” In addition to traditional and boneless wings, the restaurant offers hand-breaded tenders, chicken sandwiches, burgers and sides.1299 Federal Highway, Pompano Beach; 754-778-7999; buffalowildwings.com
El Tiesto, Fort Lauderdale
This Miami-born fusion kitchen and nightclub featuring Dominican sushi rolls, bottle service, entrees and a hookah bar hosted its grand opening on June 30 in the clubby downtown drag of Himmarshee Village. Traditional sushi rolls are also on this Caribbean-Japanese menu, which includes fried red snapper with green plantains, Dominican-style fried rice with maduro mixed vegetables, mofongo, skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, and a seafood dish dubbed the Salma Hayek (salmon in grated tomato sauce with mashed malanga). There are also tapas such as fried-chicken dumplings, tequeños, grilled octopus and conconcito (crispy rice topped with longaniza, chicken, shrimp and guacamole). The Himmarshee Village location is the third, coming after Pembroke Pines and Miami. 210 SW Second St.; 954-900-4583; ElTiestoCafeGroup.com
The Modern Rose, Fort Lauderdale
The second location of this chic coffee shop/cafe had a soft opening in Fort Lauderdale’s Gateway Shopping Center, and there’s a grand opening still in the works. Like the original, which is tucked inside The Cove Shopping Center in Deerfield Beach, this new iteration has a similar menu “but with nighttime tapas and beer and wine,” says Emilio Dominguez, who along with wife Jimena co-owns the Fort Lauderdale restaurant with operating partners Ida and Ray Passaro. “Our partners are Italians, so there (are) a couple of toasts and bruschetta and imported ingredients — to kind of elevate the concept a little bit.” He describes the culinary direction of both eateries as “eclectic international brunch … with comfort foods fusion.” The decor and vibe is a hodgepodge of thrift-store finds to reflect the diverse mix of clientele. “It’s a welcome space for all, from 14 to 84 years old, every walk of life, every color, every religion, every sexual orientation,” Dominguez adds. The Dominguezes also own Cleopatra Royal Coffee inside the Art Outfitters gallery in Fort Lauderdale. 911 NE 20th Ave., Fort Lauderdale; themodernrose.com
CLOSED
3rd and 3rd, Delray Beach
Pressed up against the FEC tracks on the northern lip of downtown, this small-plates eatery and live-music haunt was an oasis of locals-only vibes. Founded by late chef-owner John Paul Kline in 2013, the small restaurant officially closed in late August after a decade in business, but not before blowing out the speakers with sets from South Florida-bred acts like Spred the Dub, the Supervillains, and Surfer Blood. 3rd and 3rd served short rib-blend burgers, shrimp and linguine, mushroom-basil fried rice and corn-cheddar hush puppies, steak frites and Wagyu cheesesteaks, along with wine, beers and cider. 301 NE Third Ave., Delray Beach; 561-303-1939; 3rdand3rd.com
Cafe La Buca, Pompano Beach
This neighborhood Italian sit-down known for its pizza, pasta and unpredictable menu of rustic Southern Italian cuisine closed in June after 15 years on South Cypress Road. Founded by the Spina family — Giorgio, Maria, Simona and Marco — the restaurant lacked a menu and prices, relying instead on what was in season and what chef Marco Spina preferred to make that evening. Still, it was not uncommon to find clams in white wine and pancetta, papardelle Bolognese, fresh gnocchi, lamb chops and pizza in a wood-fired oven imported from Naples. In its former space is the new restaurant, Sea Mario. 451 S. Cypress Road, Pompano Beach; CafeLaBuca.biz
