Cheap Eats

Dean Max of 3030 Ocean: After-Hours Eats

Be on the lookout this afternoon for my review on 3030 Ocean and the cuisine inspired by chef Dean Max, the local celebrity toque whose name has been behind the restaurant for more than ten years. Max, who has earned this newspaper's Best Chef and Best Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, drives...

By Melissa McCart

November 8, 2011

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Be on the lookout this afternoon for my review on 3030 Ocean and the cuisine inspired by chef Dean Max, the local celebrity toque whose name has been behind the restaurant for more than ten years.

Max, who has earned this newspaper's Best Chef and Best Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, drives some of the week's content on the blog.

I'll be talking with his former chef de cuisine, Paula DaSilva, who is now executive chef at 1500 Degrees at the Eden Roc, the only Florida restaurant named one of Esquire's best new restaurants. I'll also feature notes from the cocktail program at the hotel and outtakes from a phone interview after eating at the restaurant during which Max talks about his time in South Florida, farm to table in Fort Lauderdale, and his restaurants in Dallas and Cleveland.

In the meantime, here's chef Dean Max's list of where he eats out after hours and on days off.

5. Southport Raw Bar. "This is where I'll take my staff after work or on days off to hang out by the water," says Dean. The raw bar serves food until 1 a.m. weekdays, 2 a.m. weekends. Last call is an hour later.

4. Valentino's. "The food here is terrific," Max says of the restaurant that earned New Times' Best Pasta Dish for the ham and egg ravioli for the 2011 awards. Though Valentino's moved in 2005 -- and was up for sale this past year -- the restaurant has been an institution in these parts for more than 40 years. This "cooking like a rock star" review from Gail Shepherd is one of my favorites in the archives.

3/2. Charm City Burgers & El Jefe Luchador. "These are places to take the kids, started by a couple of guys who source local and use superior ingredients."

1. The Whale's Rib. "Another classic Florida place: laid back, on the water," said Dean of this kitschy, vintage raw bar that's been featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

Follow Clean Plate Charlie on Facebook and on Twitter: @CleanPlateBPB

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