d.b.a./cafe

Tucked into a corner in a Fort Lauderdale strip mall along Federal Highway (by Whole Foods) is a gastropubby-looking restaurant with some upscale surprises inside. The menu changes monthly; on it, you might find amped-up comfort foods like a soul-food-style fried chicken with a maple-glazed funnel cake in place of the waffle or seared chicken livers draped in sweet, sherry-braised onion atop circular crusts of bread. DBA/Cafe does double duty as a cool neighborhood restaurant with burgers and a relaxed vibe and as an upscale place with European desserts and a great wine list. No reason you can't have your cake and eat it too.