Las Olas has lots of pricey options, but aside from the Floridian, that solid-for-breakfast-dead-for-dinner mainstay, and old stalwart bakery Gran Forno, there are few places to score a quick and cheap lunch. So that's the hole Eten Food Co. is hoping to fill, with takeout-only soups, sandwiches, and prepared foods.
Eten dropped into a tiny spot just two doors east of the Floridian about a month ago. It's a skinny-yet-trendy-looking space, with racks of wine on one wall and a glass-encased deli counter on the other.
The menu is small, just soups and sandwiches, which each
cost about $8. The house-roasted turkey sandwich is reminiscient of something you put together the day after Thanksgiving, with Swiss, greens, tomato, mustard, mayo, and whole-grain bread. The pesto chicken breast is more complex, with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and baby spinach.
The best deal is the $7.50 lunch box that comes with a cup of soup or salad and a half sandwich. They also drop something sweet into each of the boxes.
Those treats may be the best option, including a gooey chocolate truffle and a soft biscotti dipped in chocolate.
Eten may be a bit far east to pull in the downtown lunch crowd, but with its quick service and good ingredients, it just may be worth driving past all those expensive Las Olas spots.
Eten Food Co.
1401 E. Las Olas Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale
954-383-4460
