One of the things that best defines the disjointed urban sprawl of Broward and Palm Beach counties is food. Food comforts and satiates — it makes our daily commute down I-95 bearable, and it helps us look past our differences and come together.
As a run-up to our Best Of Broward-Palm Beach edition, which comes out next week, we began in January compiling a list of our 100 most indispensable dishes. You can find the full list on our food blog, Clean Plate Charlie. Here, we've distilled that list down to our 25 best dishes. These are our most unique, praiseworthy, and essential plates; meals that truly define what it is to eat in South Florida.
In this tasty time capsule, we've placed smoky barbecue that has been made the same way for more than 50 years and meatballs that have won praise the world over. We've got taco joints that stay open late to feed the beer-swilling proletariat, donuts made with crispy bacon, and seafood plucked fresh from our coastal waters. Most of all, we've got flavor.
So read up, and eat up. This is what South Florida tastes like.
No. 25: Chicken Wings from Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza
No. 24: French Toast from Dune Deck Cafe
No. 23: Fried Chicken from Fran's Chicken Haven
No. 22: Milk Shake from Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor
No. 21: Key West Dolphin Sandwich from the Whale's Rib
No. 20: Nobu Snapper from Sushi Simon
No. 19: Pink Vanilla Cupcakes from House of Sweets
No. 18: Cheese Steak from Sonny's Famous Steak Hogies
No. 17: Chicken from La Granja
No. 16: Italian Special Hoagie from LaSpada's
No. 15: Goat Cheese Cheesecake from Satoro
No. 14: Falafel from Sunrise Pita
No. 13: Chipotle Pork "Florito" from East Coast Burrito Factory
No. 12: Crawfish Boil from Rosey Baby Crawfish & Cajun House
No. 11: Chicago Dog from Hot Dog Heaven
No. 10: Salsa from Zona Fresca
No. 9: Chicharron Tacos from Tacos al Carbon
No. 8: Foie Gras from Michelle Bernstein's at the Omphoy
No. 7: Burger from Jack's Old Fashion Hamburger House
No. 6: Meatballs from Cafe Martorano
No. 5: Chopped Beef Brisket from Tom Jenkin's Bar-B-Q
No. 4: Wood-Fired Pizza from Sicilian Oven
No. 3: Maple-Bacon Donut from the Office
No 2: Chopped Pork Sandwich from Georgia Pig
No. 1: Whole Fresh Fish from Marumi Sushi