LaSpada’s Original Hoagies

Since 1973, LaSpada’s has been flinging sliced deli meats into waiting hoagie rolls with a deft touch. But meaty acrobatics are just one of the infamous sub shop’s trademarks. The other is its method of sandwich construction. A testament to flawless hoagie engineering, LaSpada’s first preps a giant, fresh-baked roll with mayo and mustard (or […]

Lemon Grass Asian Bistro

Lemon Grass is swank, but the price is right. The menu at this Fort Lauderdale spot verges on gigantic, but it?s easy to navigate, and your bill will be just as easy on your wallet. And unlike other multipage menus, this one hangs together beautifully and never loses focus, effortlessly drawing out Vietnamese, Chinese, Hawaiian, […]

Mai-Kai

The Mai-Kai is easy to love. It’s not that its oversized tiki cocktails and Lobster Tahitienne are anything to write home about. It’s just that you can’t set foot in the place without succumbing to a deep enchantment: You’ve entered a waking dreamworld, part Blue Lagoon, part Monkey’s Paw. Maybe because it’s dark as a […]

Meal in a Pie

What has four corners, is filled with meat, and can travel anywhere you go? Why, a South African meat pie, of course. These feature flaky/light pastries with meaty fillings like spinach and feta, bobotie (that’s curried beef with dried fruit), or lamb and potato. At only $4.95 a pop, they’re inexpensive, single-serving meals — not […]

Ocean Mist Pub

Although Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is becoming the new stomping grounds for a swankier local crowd, the old Florida vibe of beach-living survives at Ocean Mist Pub. The warm wooden decor and nautical theme will draw you in, the friendly service will convince you to have a drink, and the pool table will make you stay. No cheesy, […]

Pa’ DeGennaro’s Restaurant

Pa’ Degennaro’s is the invincible old favorite of generations of pasta-craving Lauderdalians, a restaurant that through a couple of makeovers and many chefs has held onto its base clientele like a showman with a mad tiger by the tail. While over the years the interior and the chefs have changed, the food has remained much […]

Precision Paddleboards

Let’s assume that you haven’t tried paddleboarding before, because you probably haven’t. You saw someone off the beach the other day looking like they were walking on water, and now you want one. This is the right place then, because here they’ll set you up with a demo day. Try out a few of them. […]

Sette Bello

This Italian eatery in northern Fort Lauderdale serves ingredient-driven Italian fare in a romantic setting. Daily specials such as melting imported burrata cheese and diver scallops seared and served on the half shell are unburdened by excess, allowing their core flavors to sing. Imported pastas come topped with fresh pancetta and broccoli rabe, and hulking […]

Smoke Cafe

Finally, a place where smokers don’t have to feel ostracized. Smoke Café, nestled in a colorful, Old Florida plaza off A1A and Oakland Park, offers its customers more than 100 types of cigars, along with hookah tobacco. The hearty aroma wafts around the entrance, greeting you at the door or as you walk by to […]

Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill

There are about 70 locations of this Orlando-based chain, and it has diners lickin’ their fingers. Smokey Bones seems to be gunning for the Ale House demographic: men who want to hang out with buddies, have a few drinks, watch the game, and, most of all, eat meat. With the culture of BBQ being competitive […]

The Village Pump

Upscale but located in the beach hub of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, the dimly lit Village Pump serves a casual crowd that doesn’t want to skimp on its booze or food. The great drinks slide across a marble bar, the wine list is more than adequate, and the food comes from its sister restaurant the Village Grill, located […]