Papa's Raw Bar

Floribbean, best described as a fusion of island-inspired fare mixed with locally grown tropical fruits and fresh-caught fish. And at Papa's Raw Bar in Lighthouse Point, it's what's on the clipboard menu. Owners Joy and Hugh Ganter, and their son Troy, built the neighborhood eatery in a newly vacated space next door to Seafood World, a business they have successfully run for the past three decades. A Lighthouse Point institution, Seafood World stands as one of South Florida's quintessential seafood restaurants and markets, and the opening of Papa's Raw Bar in 2014 marked a continuation of the family's love affair with fresh seafood. Originally meant to be nothing more than a wine and raw bar, over time the restaurant has transformed into a sort of seafood gastropub. The interior is like a cave of carefully chosen curiosities, from the collection of vintage license plates and nautically inspired decor, to the posters and chalkboard wall advertising local brews and area businesses. Start with "Sum Dis, Sum Dat" -- a compilation of starters like chowders, conch fritters, peel-and-eat shrimp, and fried calamari. The "Locals Favorites" continues the seafood-specific parade of dishes with an ahi tuna pizza, grilled conch, and blackened swordfish bites. And thanks to the availability of Seafood World's 85-plus selections for all manner of mollusk, snail, and fish, the sushi side of the menu delivers a staggering lineup. About the only place you won't find seafood on this menu is in the desserts. We recommend Patty's Banana Cheesecake Chonga, pliant slices of fried banana cheesecake cut in two, leaning against a giant ball of vanilla ice cream.