Taste Notes: New Breweries, Pubs on Tap Across Fort Lauderdale

Something's brewing on Las Olas Boulevard.

In the weeks after American restaurant Flight 19 suddenly shuttered at 1103 E. Las Olas Blvd., a flurry of trucks could be seen hauling furniture and equipment into the vacant space.

While it was clear something was in motion, it wasn’t clear what that something would be. And, now we have total clarity and there will be beer — glorious beer.

Hollywood Brewing Company is now in the soft opening phase of its brand-new outpost. Its current hours are 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Among its immediate specials and events, the restaurant is offering a free pint with the purchase of any burger on Mondays and Tuesdays. Additionally, the Brewery Comedy Tour, which hits pubs nationwide, has two dates scheduled at the Las Olas location: February 28 and March 13.

On tap at Hollywood Brewing are all of its homegrown faves, including the Brew Hefner hefeweizen and the Mango IPA, which is now available for purchase at Publix stores across South Florida.

According to owner Johnny Quinones, the grand opening party for Hollywood Brewing Company's Las Olas location will take place sometime in March

“We’re calling it a pub because we really want it to be a local’s place,” Quinones says. “I’ve been looking for a place on Las Olas for quite some time — I’m a local. Plus, a lot of people at our brewpub in Hollywood have been asking for a Fort Lauderdale location for some time. We think the demand is there."

Quinones says his team has already installed a large projection screen and several TVs for sports fans. And ahead of its grand opening, there will be some additional remodeling and sprucing up. But, for the time being, the beer is cold and ready.

And now on to more news and notes from South Florida’s culinary scene
On tap. Regional brunch hotspot Tap 42 Craft Kitchen & Bar has opened its seventh location. Its newest outpost is now open and located in Coral Springs at University Place (3111 N. University Dr.). In addition to its signature weekend bottomless brunch, the Coral Springs location will have a daily happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close, including $5 beers and $6 cocktails, half-off burger Mondays, half-off wine Wednesdays, and more daily specials.

Fill your cup. There are plenty of all-you-can-drink beer experiences around here — but this one has an all-you-can-drink coffee experience tacked on too. The What’s In Your Cup? block party will take place outside of Argyle Coffee Roasters Coffee Lab and Roastery on Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m. Guests will be given a four-ounce taster cup for all of their coffee and beer samples, including brews from Oceana Coffee, Orchestrated minds Brewing, Tripping Animals Brewing, and others. On-site food vendors will be on hand to help you manage your buzz, along with a high-energy latte art competition.

Finding Molly. Molly Maguire’s, an Irish pub concept, will open in the Shoppes on Arts Avenue complex at 550 NW Seventh Ave., Fort Lauderdale, this September. The pub will hopefully fill the local pub void in a sprouting Sistrunk Boulevard area that once housed the beloved Maguire’s Hill 16. The eatery — which will serve up Irish faves spanning Shepherd’s Pie and fish and chips — will span more than 3,000 square feet and have seating for nearly 200 between its indoor, outdoor, and bar spaces.

Mardi madness. Fat Tuesday isn’t technically until Tuesday, February 28, but West Palm Beach is totally getting a jumpstart with what will surely be a wild spectacle on Saturday, February 22. Kicking off at 6 p.m., the 500 block of Clematis Street will be morphed into a Fat Tuesday Experience, with six participating establishments, including Kapow, Hullabaloo, Lost Weekend, Respectable Street, Voltaire and O’Shea’s. For $35, you’ll get an all-you-can-drink open bar from 6 to 9 p.m. Also part of the block party are a gumbo contest and a costume contest.

Outlet and about. OK, so an outlet mall doesn’t sound like the most thrilling place for a food festival. But, the Tastings fest at Palm Beach Outlets this Saturday, February 22, from 4 to 7 p.m. has a pretty stellar lineup that is totally worth the trek. Among the 20-plus restaurants participating are Sabor Latino, Funky Buddha Brewery, Mad Robot Brewing, III Fork, and others. For 25 bucks, you get unlimited food, wine, and craft beer tastes. VIP tix are available for $15 bucks more than give you entry an hour earlier.

News and notes. Krispy Kreme opened a new doughnut shop in Deerfield Beach on Tuesday, February 18, at 1240 W. Hillsboro Blvd. As part of its grand opening celebration through Sunday, February 23, the store will randomly surprise 120 guests with a Celebration Dozen Ticket, which rewards winners with a free dozen original glazed donuts every month for an entire year... After recently launching an all-you-can-eat lobster affair every Tuesday, Rivertail is keeping the smorgasbord going with a Riverwalk barbecue this Saturday. For $95, guests can enjoy unlimited food and drinks for two hours. The hoedown will feature barbecue smoked king crab legs, Kansas City barbecue ribs, shrimp adobo, specialty bourbons, and more. If you’re looking for food only, the all-you-can-eat experience is $55.