We do miss the intrigue of this spot's first incarnation, tucked away in a little warren of commercial spaces in an anonymous office building on Federal Highway, around the corner from its current home. But while the atmosphere is less exotic, the service remains lovely, and the food has lost no flair. The pho — baseline marker in the evaluation of any Vietnamese kitchen — is impeccable, a glistening and delicate herbal broth rich with fine noodles and meats. The banh mi is first-rate, a crispy baguette piled with veggies and roast meats. The lemongrass dishes are peppery and pungent. The wide-ranging menu includes gluten-free and vegetarian dishes. Finish it off with bracing/sweet/syrupy Vietnamese iced coffee or bubble tea.

Can you afford to eat sushi every day? At Kevin's Sushi & Thai in Deerfield Beach, you can. Named for chef-owner Kevin Ongtua, this spot is tucked into yet another aging South Florida strip mall. Regulars have done a good job of keeping quiet about this sleeper sushi spot. They don't want you taking their seat at the sushi bar, ordering all the uni, or drinking up the last of the house pineapple-infused sake. Behind the sushi bar, the chef-owner prepares the restaurant's most impressive menu items: enormous sushi rolls the size of sand dollars. A rainbow roll that could probably feed a family of four is only ten bucks; a godzilla roll, $16. A whiteboard advertises specials, in Ongtua's handwriting, like frog legs, uni, and bluefin toro. The small kitchen also cranks out the standards, like homemade tom kha gai soup, or platters of seared wahoo tataki, thick cuts of fresh-sliced fish. Ongtua also makes his own pineapple-infused sake.

Readers' Choice: Tee Jay Thai Sushi

Nearly everything inside this store is a little treasure: decorative chopsticks, Japanese magazines, and a cooler full of sakes. Cute little mugs and earthenware dishes are functional and fun. A selection of Japanese junk food includes chocolate-covered Pocky sticks, wasabi peas, mochi ice cream, and shrimp chips. There's no fresh produce, but at the back, order cheap and fresh sushi takeout from a small counter. The Sunrise Roll is a house favorite, a simple and affordable mix of ruby-red tuna, white-ribbed salmon, electric orange masago (fish roe), bright-pink shibazuke (pickled vegetables including eggplant), and crisp cucumber. Japanese appetizers such as steamed edamame, miso soup, and seaweed salad round out the meal. But go early: The place is known to get busy during weekday lunch hours and on Friday or Saturday nights.

Hotel restaurants used to exist for the sole purpose of giving guests a place to satisfy their hunger without going outside. The Rusty Hook Tavern at the Sands Harbor Resort and Marina in Pompano Beach has flipped that script, even drawing locals to this hip waterside joint. A trio of industry veterans — Ned Jaouhar, Kareem Lakchira, and Andy Patton — has created a tavern-style establishment where locals and tourists alike can enjoy creative fare paired with a short list of cocktails and a selection of craft brews. On a beautiful day, the outdoor patio deck will be packed. Make it through the crowd and down a narrow set of steps and the hotel's pool deck offers uninterrupted views of the Intracoastal Waterway, as does the interior dining area. "Nibbles and bites" options include deviled eggs or meatballs; a surf 'n' turf entrée brings together ruby-red porcini-crusted tuna and melty, tender braised oxtail swimming in a rich wine reduction. If ripped jeans and flip-flops are your go-to getup, then the "handheld" offerings like tacos and sandwiches might be the best bet. With its tapas philosophy and cool-kid casual theme, the Rusty Hook Tavern presents the perfect escape from the doldrums of a long workweek or the chaos of a downtown weekend scene.

The best way to start off a meal is to arrive at the restaurant by boat. Two Georges makes that easy with its dockside location. Once inside, chow down on a fried seafood platter or sliders that complement the great beer selection — especially on a Friday after work, during the happening happy hour. This friendly vibe is encouraged with community-building events like fishing and golf tournaments and sporting events on TVs. This place is quintessential Florida — it feels like you took a drive to the Keys, but thankfully, you can hit up this place even without a five-hour trek.

"Cheap" and "seafood" usually don't mix well, except at Tark's. Located in a standalone building that's wrapped in a mural that might have been done by Guy Harvey when he was in middle school, this restaurant offers some of the best deals on quality seafood in South Florida. There's about to be a party in your tummy: smoked fish dip ($5.50) and free (!) orders of blue cheese and celery get things going, and a gator-tail dinner ($9.95) or bucket of steamers (three dozen for $25.95) raise the roof. Two-dollar drafts make this the closest thing we have to a heaven on Earth, and if you eat enough oysters (an aphrodisiac, ya know), the chick in the Salt Life shirt on the next stool might want to start talking fishing poles.

At home, chef-owner Giovanni Rocchio practices mixed martial arts and wrestling, but in his restaurant kitchen, it's all elegance: quail, turbot, foie gras, and handmade pasta. The chef is most famous for his casoncelli, wonton-shaped pasta stuffed with a rich veal and pancetta filling and served with a creamy brown butter sauce. The butternut squash tortilla is Rocchio's favorite, however: a dish inspired by a meal at the Michelin-starred Ristorante dal Pescatore in Northern Italy. Rocchio started working at his family's pizzeria as a kid, then at their white-tablecloth restaurant in Plantation before going in his own direction. His recipe for success: respect. "Respect for the product and respect for the customers. A good chef is only as good as his ingredients, and I want people to know they are getting the best. I'm always trying to do better. And that's the secret to anyone's success."

Readers' Choice: Brian Nelson, Tanzy

If only all things in life were like a Brazilian steak house. For the poor uninitiated, allow us to explain how such an establishment works. You are given a small button when you sit down at your table. One side means you don't want food; one side means you do. When you flip your button over to the food-wanting side, a swarm of meat-carrying hunks approaches your table, ready to carve off a slice of various steaks, pork, sausages, and chicken as soon as you approve. It's the closest you can get to feeling like a Roman emperor without getting arrested. If the world worked like this, any time you were stressed out, you'd only have to flip over a piece of paper and a masseuse would pop up and start working out those knots. Hung over? Give the signal and a team of quiet nurses would crawl out from under your bed with Advil, Gatorade, and Chipotle. At Chima, they do service better than anyone in town. Make a reservation today, and wear your fanciest sweatpants.

Though its beaches are pristine and chic condos and hotels are opening, Fort Lauderdale is still seen by some as a place to drink beer and get tattoos. But one dinner at Steak 954 just might forever change your perceptions about the former spring-break capital of the world. The steak house, located inside the W Fort Lauderdale, is decked out in natural and citrus tones, a perfect accompaniment to the deep greens and blues of the Atlantic right outside the dining room's windows. Order a barrel-aged Manhattan ($15) as you peruse the menu of beef from small boutique ranches. An eight-ounce filet ($39) is seared on a 1,700-degree range, allowing it a beautiful char on the outside while the inside stays a cool pink. It's as damned near perfect as a piece of meat can get. A 16-ounce Wagyu rib eye will cost you $85. Pricey, but one bite of the marbled, succulent flesh and you'll realize this is money well-spent. Of course, a steak house is also judged by its sides, and Steak 954 doesn't disappoint. Get the truffled mac 'n' cheese ($11) and creamed spinach ($11), both creamy, decadent classics. Enjoy, indulge, and don't worry about falling into a meat coma. Just get a room at the hotel and sleep it off in a state of pure carnivorous bliss.

You can separate a good barbecue restaurant from the bad by its ribs. The meat should be fall-off-the-bone tender and have the perfect mix of smoky flavor and charred goodness. A newcomer to the South Florida scene but boasting a chef with decades' worth of competitive barbecue under his belt, Smoke in Delray Beach serves some of the tastiest ribs around. Pork spare ribs and beef ribs are smoked over low heat for hours, permeating the meat with a soft smoky essence and melting away fat for a rich flavor and unforgettable char crust. The key to rib heaven, says executive chef Bryan Tyrell, begins with good product. Tyrell sources the same thick slabs of pork and beef he once cooked at Oklahoma Joe's in Kansas City. Next, the product must be prepped and seasoned just right, trimmed properly, and given the Smoke house blend of sugar and spices that imparts each rib with a sweet-tart tang. Last, the ribs are smoked low and slow for up to four hours over oak logs in a custom-order pit made in Missouri. You probably won't need them, but the restaurant offers several sauces to dip into, including a thick Kansas City-style red; tangy, vinegar-based Carolina BBQ; and a mild golden mustard sauce. When you're done, there won't be anything left but a pile of bones — and the need for a few dozen wet wipes.