We're counting down to New Times' Best Of Broward/Palm Beach 2012 issue in June by serving up our top 100 favorite dishes. Click here for a full archive. If you have any nominations of your own, please add them to the comments, or visit our Facebook page.
58. The South Fork at Riverside Market
On a recent evening around sunset, customers sat outside Fort Lauderdale's Riverside Market in Adirondack chairs sipping Shiner Ruby Redbirds and Hopslams. Leashed dogs sat patiently or pined for that stray cat sitting just far enough away. A guy wandered over from the park for a beer, still wearing his guitar. A pair of inked regulars cruised by on skateboards, bathing suits on.
Owner Julian Siegel's Suburban lumbered into his space, his boys inside. "The children won't come out right now," he said as they sat in the car. He was wearing the restaurant T: "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," a reference to that swing bridge down the street.
"They want us to go get ice cream." He rolled his eyes and hedged on whether to give in.
Siegel's sandwich menu was initially inspired by LaSpada, his favorite sandwich shop growing up. "I wanted to make something similar but cheaper," he joked when I first met him.
Hence, the South Fork. Simpler than its northern sibling on the menu, this sandwich is just roast beef, shredded lettuce, tomato, and mayo on seven-grain. An egg elevates it from fine to great, though you have to ask for it. Served face up, the egg requires an eater to do the flip for a yolky rundown: the perfect condiment.
Julian Siegel will learn the fate of his restaurant at the next City Council meeting on April 17. If you too like Riverside Market, consider showing up for support.
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