When it comes to food, South Florida is a great place to be. So many new places open up every day. Here’s what’s coming soon to a city near you.
Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop, Fort Lauderdale
Former Miami firefighter Derek Kaplan is bringing his arsenal of acclaimed pies, cakes and cookies to downtown Fort Lauderdale, with this third location expected to debut on Nov. 5 across the street from The Dalmar hotel. Delayed from its planned opening last spring, Kaplan’s 1,500-square-foot shop will carry an expansive menu of cheesecakes, brownies and bread puddings, plus hand-churned ice cream and savory items such as homemade pot pies and empanadas. Most of Kaplan’s sweets are baked daily at his Little Haiti commissary. Future expansion plans include an outpost in Palm Beach County. 250 N. Federal Highway, Suite 1, Fort Lauderdale; FiremanDereks.com
Vinyl Fish Club, West Palm Beach
This new chic social hub isn’t scheduled to officially open until November, but the venue has been hosting pop-ups — called “Motel No-Tell” — for weeks as part of what the owners say is “a chef-driven culinary and sound experience.” These events are generally from 6 to 11 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays (reservations are recommended). The owners describe Vinyl Fish Club as “South Florida’s first NFT membership restaurant” (that’s Non-Fungible Token for the uninitiated). As a club member, you invest in ownership via an NFT. Vinyl Fish Club is owned by nightlife impresario Mykel Stevens, restaurateur Uthman “Moose” Yamusenor and Jaclyn Milford, founder of the Women of Wall Street organization. 340 Clematis St., West Palm Beach; VinylFishClub.com
Playa Bowls, Jupiter
Started as a Jersey Shore pop-up food stand back in 2014, Playa Bowls now has six eateries in Broward and Palm Beach counties, as well as more than 150 locations nationwide. This newest fast-casual restaurant in Jupiter will be owned by SoFlo franchisees Jenna and Michael Zorn, who say they expect to open in late winter or early spring. The brand’s concept, started by New Jersey natives and avid surfers Rob Giuliani (no relation to Rudy) and Abby Taylor, is to use mostly plant-based ingredients, especially acai and fruit. They’re also known for being serious about sustainability — with 50% reclaimed building materials, LED lighting, partnerships with local recycling efforts, and recycled/biodegradable bowls, spoons and lids. According to the corporate office, over the next few months the brand will expand into West Boca Raton, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, downtown Miami and Coral Gables. 75 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter (Concourse Village); PlayaBowls.com
Death by Pizza, Delray Beach
Koby Wexler’s popular pizza pop-up is expected to begin slinging Detroit-style pies this fall out of a new brick-and-mortar in Delray Beach, on the corner of Northeast Second Street and South Federal Highway. Early in the pandemic, customers who saw Death By Pizza’s tantalizing rectangles (and death metal-reminiscent logo) on Instagram first had to prepay online, then wait all week for Wexler’s “pizza drops” the following Wednesday or Sunday. The foundation of his pizza crust is sourdough, created with a 9-month-old starter Wexler fed daily out of his family’s Two Fat Cookies bakery off Atlantic Avenue. The new space gives him breathing room — and gives customers freedom to eat pies on-site or order them to-go. Until it opens, Death by Pizza orders will be filled at Two Fat Cookies. 528 NE Second St., Delray Beach; DeathByPizzaDelray.com
Won-Tom’s, Deerfield Beach
A mashup of Mexican, seafood bites and Asian street food, this new restaurant from Troy Ganter (Papa’s Raw Bar in Lighthouse Point) is scheduled to open next spring inside The Cove Shopping Center on the Intracoastal Waterway. The menu, created by Papa’s Raw Bar chef Chad Wyrosdick, is still being finalized, but should include dim sum, bao buns, street tacos made from wonton shells, fried rice and panko-crusted wahoo bites. Ganter’s Won-Tom’s is one of several new eateries expected to shuffle into The Cove plaza, which is undergoing a multimillion-dollar makeover from LM Restaurants (The Cove Waterfront Restaurant & Tiki Bar, Lucky Fish Pompano, Oceanic). 813 SE 13th Court, Deerfield Beach; EDBLLife.com
Pelican’s SnoBalls, Coral Springs
South Floridians won’t encounter snow this winter but they will, apparently, see SnoBalls. This North Carolina-spun, shaved-ice franchise touting 100-plus flavors plans to debut sometime before year’s end within the Magnolia Shoppes plaza. Don’t confuse them with snow cones: These are New Orleans-style sno-balls, a regional confection that’s finely shaved and fluffier than the crunchy and coarse, sugar syrup-coated balls of ice often seen at carnivals. Flavors include carrot cake and cream soda, pomegranate and pink champagne, strawberry cheesecake and butterscotch. This will be Pelican’s first South Florida location after a Deerfield Beach outpost opened pre-pandemic but closed in early 2022. 9641 Westview Drive, Coral Springs; PelicansSnoballs.com
Little Mike’s Pizzeria, Pembroke Pines
This New York-style slice shop owned by Michael Temchuk is expanding in November to Pembroke Pines’ Palm Square plaza, across the street from City Center. Little Mike’s, which opened its North Lauderdale flagship two years ago, offers pizzeria staples — garlic knots, chicken wings, pasta dishes and pies with 17 different toppings — as well as specialties such as Caesar salad served in bread bowls, pepperoni pinwheels, chicken parmesan paninis and deep-fried Oreos. 9843 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines; LittleMikes.net
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, Palm Beach Gardens
This Orlando-based Italian ice franchise expects to open its ninth South Florida sweet shop off PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens sometime before year’s end. The 26-year-old Jeremiah’s scoops gelato, soft-serve ice cream and 40 flavors of Italian ice, ranging from horchata and pumpkin pie to gingerbread and spicy hot chocolate. Another Jeremiah’s location would follow in Stuart in early 2023. 11602 U.S. Highway 1, Palm Beach Gardens; JeremiahsIce.com
Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar, Fort Lauderdale
This all-day breakfast coffeehouse expects to debut by late fall on Las Olas Boulevard, shuffling into the space once occupied by Offerdahl’s Off-The-Grill. As with its sister cafes, Crema slings egg sandwiches on baguettes and croissants, avocado toast, acai bowls, oatmeal, chocolate-chip pancakes and 21 styles of coffee and tea. The Miami-based chain has been in rapid franchising mode since 2021, adding a flurry of locations to Hallandale Beach, Davie and Miami Beach, with future spots destined for Boca Raton, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Dania Beach (inside Dania Pointe). 401 E. Las Olas Blvd., Suite 190, Fort Lauderdale; CremaGourmet.com
Pubbelly Sushi, West Palm Beach
The Japanese-Latin fusion sushi restaurant founded by chef Jose Mendin (a five-time James Beard Award semifinalist) plans to open its next location on hip Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach. The 3,200-square-foot eatery will anchor the soon-to-open Banyan & Olive office building. The tavern, slated to open in the third quarter of 2023, will be adorned with Japanese manga-inspired illustrations, and its popular menu items include short rib and truffle dumplings, tostones con ceviche, the butter krab roll and bao buns. More locations are also heading to Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines and Boca Raton in 2023. 111 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach; PubbellyGlobal.com
Kanpai, Boca Raton
Closed more than a year after a fire caused structural damage to the restaurant in July 2021, this Japanese sushi-barbecue mashup registered to Lian He is readying its second act. The restaurant plans to reopen in December with an updated interior and redesigned menu that will still include sushi boats, hibachi fried rice, sashimi and nigiri, as well as Korean-influenced bibimbap, bulgogi and seafood pancakes. 20 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; 561-361-8688; KanpaiBoca.com
The Hollywood Donut Factory, Fort Lauderdale
As the name says, this sweet spot is in Hollywood — but a second location is headed for Fort Lauderdale’s vibrant enclave, Las Olas Boulevard, sometime this winter. Brother-and-sister owners Kat and Bobby Palushaj purchased what was formerly Dandee Donuts in 2019 and changed the name, updated the menu and tweaked some of the recipes. While the Hollywood shop serves breakfast and lunch, the future Las Olas shop will solely offer donuts and beverages. The plan is to have specialty donuts exclusive to the Fort Lauderdale location. 610 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; TheHollywoodDonutFactory.com
Maple and Cream Restaurant, Plantation
This new brunch restaurant specializing in coffee and prodigious latte art plans to open this fall by the old Fashion Mall, a slight jog north of the Plantation Walk hullabaloo. No full menu is available yet at the restaurant, which is registered to manager-partner David Gonzalez, but should include eggs, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, mimosas and other comfort-food fare. 375 N. University Drive, Plantation; MapleandCream.com
Verino’s Pizzeria & Grill, Fort Lauderdale
The recipes for Verino’s Pizzeria & Grill will come from pals with restaurants in Boston’s North End neighborhood — with menu fare such as brick-oven, thin-crust pizza, lasagna, grilled skewers of steak tips, lamb, chicken or house-made sausage. That’s the plan for husband-and-wife owners Brian Turnbull and Sayaka Tobimatsu, who think Verino’s will open sometime this winter, possibly in early January in the former spot of Jade Palace Restaurant, across Sunrise Boulevard from The Galleria mall. Tobimatsu is from Tokyo, where generations of her family ran an eatery in the entertainment enclave Asakusa for more than 150 years. After getting a hospitality management degree from Florida International University, she worked for Benihana and the Ritz-Carlton. Turnbull worked in the casino industry in Connecticut and Boston. Verino’s is named after his grandparents who immigrated from Italy. The two met at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and decided they wanted to raise a family in SoFlo. “We love the art and science of making pizza,” Turnbull says. 2465 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Skillets, Delray Beach
This Naples-born, breakfast-lunch diner chain founded by Ross and Noreen Edlund in 1995 plans to open its 14th Florida location inside buzzy Delray Marketplace later this winter. True to its namesake, the diner slings skillets that include keto and corned beef hash, along with potato pancakes and blueberry blintzes, Denver omelets and smoked-salmon benedicts, and Crêpes Suzette and vegetable frittatas. For lunch, there are salads, paninis, wraps and sandwiches such as Reubens and triple-decker BLTs. 14851 Lyons Road, Suite 134, Delray Beach; SkilletsRestaurants.com
Bounce Sporting Club, Delray Beach
Billed as an upscale sports lounge, this high-end boite from New York’s BrandIt Hospitality Group is expected to open on the north side of the 150,000-square-foot Delray Beach Market food hall in spring 2023. The luxe sports bar, which operates locations in Chicago, Manhattan and Montauk, N.Y., will tout a bank of flat-screen TV sets flickering with football, baseball, boxing and other sports, along with craft cocktails, bottle service, DJs and elevated pub food. Bounce’s Delray menu is not yet available, but its New York flagship serves hamburgers, seared hanger steak with chimichurri and curly fries, Buffalo chicken and truffle mushroom flatbreads, bone-in wings and chicken strips tossed in housemade sauces. 33 SE Third Ave., Delray Beach; BounceSportingClub.com
Duck Donuts, Miramar
This North Carolina-born franchise slinging fried-to-order doughnuts aims to open a second South Florida location in early 2023 at Miramar Park Place, a new shopping center near the Broward County line. Deep-fried in duck fat, these vanilla cake-based rings are topped with glazes (blueberry, lemon, maple), toppings (chopped bacon, Oreo cookies) and drizzles (hot fudge, raspberry). Breakfast sandwiches, made with halved donuts, are equally decadent, as are its doughnut sundaes and milkshakes. The franchise’s other South Florida location is in Boca Raton. 11225 Miramar Parkway, Suite 205, Miramar; DuckDonuts.com
Tucci’s Fire N Coal Pizza, Boca Raton
This Boca Raton-born pizzeria, which specializes in wood-fired pies blistered with flavorful char, plans to open its first sister location this December on Yamato Road, in the space formerly occupied by Seafood Street Eatery. Owners Alberto and Melanie Aletto, who also operate the original Tucci’s, serve 10 types of pies fired at 750 degrees, along with salads, rigatoni and oven-roasted wings and meatballs. 341 E. Yamato Road, Boca Raton; TuccisPizza.com
Pummarola Pizzeria Napoletana, Fort Lauderdale
With any luck, this eighth location, in Fort Lauderdale, will open in about six months. The newest Pummarola Pizzeria Napoletana has to do a complete buildout, turning what was an attorney’s office into a restaurant. But the location — behind the Broward Center for the Performing Arts at the foot of the drawbridge on Avenue of the Arts — was irresistible to the four brothers who own the boutique chain of Pummarolas. Lorenzo, Alessandro, Adelchi and Larry Mele imported their grandmother’s original eatery from Naples to South Florida, where there are now locations in Boca Raton, Midtown Miami, Miami Beach, Kendall (in The Falls) and Coral Gables. There are also two Spanish locations, in Ibiza and Barcelona. The first thing that catches your eye when you go to a Pummarola Pizzeria Napoletana is the sawed-in-half Fiat 500 mounted on the wall, a nod to nonna Rosa Donna Rummo, who was known to tool around town in her red sportscar (which Neopolitans said looked like a tomato, or “pummarola” in the dialect of southern Italy). But once you get past that, “the ingredients are what really shine at Pummarola,” says Larry Mele. “They range from San Marzano tomatoes to imported [double 0] pizza flour, smoked buffalo mozzarella … [Protected Designation of Origin] Parma Prosciutto. These are just a few of examples of the premium products used.” 620 W Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; Pummarola.us
Big Chicken, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach
NBA Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal is sending his Big Chicken franchise to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, the first two of 45 fast-casual restaurants destined for the Sunshine State in 2022 and 2023. Big Chicken’s play for South Florida comes from a partnership between O’Neal and Davie-based DMD Ventures, owner of multiple local Papa Johns and Twin Peaks. Founded by O’Neal in 2018, and inspired by the favorite flavors of the former Miami Heat player’s childhood, the fast-casual eatery slings fried-chicken sandwiches such as the Big & Sloppy with mac and cheese and fried onions and the Shaq Attack with pepper jack, jalapeño slaw and spicy chipotle barbecue sauce. No addresses are yet available, but future outpost are planned for Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Fort Myers. BigChicken.com
The Blind Monk, West Palm Beach
Wine bar and hip hotspot The Blind Monk will relocate from The Whitney condominium on Evernia Street to the chic soon-to-open AKA Hotel, also in vibey downtown West Palm Beach. As of now, the eight-story hotel is expected to open in November. The Blind Monk opened in 2010 under the auspices of former U.S. Marine Capt. Ben Lubin, who is also graduate of the French Culinary Institute and a certified sommelier. 695 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach; TheBlindMonk.com
Stalk & Spade, Coconut Creek
Touting plant-based, dairy-free comfort food, this Minnesota-made vegan chain plans to debut an outpost this fall inside the Promenade at Coconut Creek. Stalk’s 1,800-square-foot space, behind World of Beer, will offer six meatless hamburgers, so-called “chick’n” sandwiches and nuggets, fries, wraps and oat milk shakes. It’s one of five new South Florida locations for Stalk, with others scheduled in Plantation and Miami later this fall. 4437 Lyons Road, Suite E105, Coconut Creek; StalkandSpade.com
Mazza Kitchen, Fort Lauderdale
This fast-casual eatery from Faris Bushnaq, owner of the 15-year-old Mazza Mediterranean Cuisine in Pembroke Pines, is expected to open by November in Fort Lauderdale’s 1600 Commons plaza (where Trader Joe’s is located). Customers will be able to choose from proteins, as well as vegetarian and vegan options, to build their bowls, pitas and salads. 1530 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 954-630-3777; MazzaKitchen.com
Down the Rabbit Hole, Delray Beach
When he planted his flagship Rabbit Hole in Pompano Beach last year, chef Samuel Woods crafted an all-vegan menu aimed squarely at meat-eaters. He created hot dogs, chicken wings, Korean-style meatballs and hamburgers without dairy or meat, but instead with plant-based ingredients that mimic their crunch and texture. His new sister restaurant, set to open this November in Delray Beach’s Pineapple Grove, is even curiouser. This part-restaurant, part-art event space will be a partnership with local historian Emmanuel George, serving plant-based wings and burgers alongside exhibits from local Black artists and pioneers. Many works will be sourced from nearby Delray Beach Historical Society, the Arts Warehouse, Spady Cultural Heritage Museum and Arts Garage, and the space will also host book clubs, poetry readings and film screenings. Rabbit Hole’s Pompano original will remain open. 311 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach; TheRabbitHole.Life
South PMP Bar & Kitchen, Pompano Beach
If Jet Runway Café is owner Mike Linder’s love letter to aviation and YOT Bar & Kitchen is his mash note to the sea, then his newest restaurant, South PMP, is securely on terra firma. Linder’s Southern comfort food kitchen expects to debut in early 2023 in Pompano’s Old Town district, anchoring a wave of new restaurants and art spaces opening soon off the corner of Atlantic Boulevard and North Dixie Highway. 165 NE First Ave., Pompano Beach; SouthPMP.com
Anthony’s Runway 84, Fort Lauderdale
Back in May, Anthony’s Runway 84 closed its doors in preparation for a $3 million makeover. If everything goes right, the dining institution hopes to reopen later this fall, just in time to commemorate its 40th anniversary. The vibe will have a modern Italian supper club feel. In addition to a new look, Runway 84 plans to unveil a revitalized menu, a new beverage program and the addition of a private dining room. Owner Anthony Bruno (Andy’s Live Fire Grill & Bar) has partnered with fellow restaurateurs Pat Marzano (ex-owner of Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza) and Marc Falsetto (Handcrafted Hospitality restaurant group). 330 W. State Road 84, Fort Lauderdale; 954-467-8484; Runway-84.com
