Individual fusion styles stand out in an ocean of international and specialty restaurants in Fort Lauderdale.
Dining in Fort Lauderdale is serious business, especially if your trip is for less than 100 days, without any non-meal agenda during this time! You are sure to be frustrated if you arrive for a shorter stay, or with appointments of a kind that has nothing to do with dining, for you are certain to board your outward flight kicking yourself for having missed many exceptional meals!
Fast for as many days as you can before your Fort Lauderdale and skip breakfast as well for as long as you are there. Give priority for lunch at Le Café De Paris on Las Olas Boulevard. It is a good place for a leisurely meal, especially if the weather permits a table in the scenic patio. A nap after the French wine and cuisine will stand you in good stead for the evening ahead. Follow Churchill, Roosevelt and Jack Kennedy and take a boat to Cap's Place. Join celebrities in a meal of fresh seafood of which you can tell many a story.
Call home and the office on day 2 pleading something convincing, and have a long lie-in before you venture out for a German lunch. Learn how medieval travelers must have ordered lunch, as you plead with the owner of Ambrys through gestures, to slake your thirst and to feed you. He speaks no English but has the best beer and roasts you can imagine! You could also try Bierbrunnen instead if you would like a German meal explained in your language or Old Heidelberg on 24th Street for some delectable and home made sausage. Sleep off the Bavarian calories and then set off for the Jungle Queen Riverboat. Enjoy a cruise of the waterway before you feast on a barbecue and enjoy a Vaudeville show.
Having navigated Fort Lauderdale's essentials, it remains to describe a small sample of the mortal parts of the area's Ivy League of eating places. Start with seafood for it is so typical of the landscape, with places of rare distinction all along the ocean front and dotting the Boulevards and Streets alike. 15th Street Fisheries features seafood preparations from all over the world and has a scenic view of the busy waterfront area. Louie's is a simply outstanding place with Maine Lobster, stone crabs and fresh oyster. There is caviar and sushi as well.
Fusion cuisine will mark our times as a classic, for it gives individual freedom to make an art of food preparation. Fort Lauderdale should be marked in future history books as a kind of Renaissance Center, for the creations of its Chefs are truly masterpieces of gastronomy! A meal at Johnny V is a special occasion and you will not find such an American expression of the Caribbean spirit anywhere else. The 3030 Ocean has well stocked bar, stimulating appetizers, satisfying main courses and a wonderful view of the Ocean as well. 811 Bourbon Street specializes in New Orleans cooking. Signature appetizers and a range of soups are designed to whet your craving for a solid meal. You have a choice of Thai lettuce wraps and attractive salads to precede the main course as well. The Bistro Mezzaluna sports a Mediterranean menu with an extensive wine list to match. Try the Blue Goose Café for dinner if you like exotic meat such as buffalo, quail and ostrich, as well as goose and duck.
Excellent Italian food marks almost every city in the United States, hence a meal of this genre must be chosen with great care and discretion. You would not do too badly at Allegria in Cooper City. The wines are memorable and go particularly well with the distinctive food flavor. Maguire's Hill represents Ireland in Fort Lauderdale's European Union. The music is live and the service friendly in a most authentic creation of this embracing land.
You may believe that you are familiar with Mexican food until you enter Anita's in Coral Springs. Learn what can be done with cactus leaves, duck and lamb and leave satiated, if humbled by the experience. Cross over to the Caribbean at the Aruba. The music mingles with the menu for a very West Indian meal.
Indochine in Davie is a worthwhile exposition of Vietnamese food and culture, while Jasmine Thai in Coral Springs can set your tongue aflame with delight as you sample stir fries with incredible spices. Mai Kai goes to great lengths to create a very Polynesian atmosphere in the heart of Florida. The thatched roof, wooden planks and torches will make as deep an impression on your mind as the delicate food will on your palate. Punjab on the North Federal Highway is a suitable expose of food from India. Choose the mixed platter for a sample of the varied eating styles of the sub-continent. Royal India on Griffin Road is another place for Indian food lovers, with a broad selection for vegetarians. The Sublime World Vegetarian Cuisine has no dairy products, let alone meat. Organic beer goes especially well with all kinds of international vegetarian food.
Benihana is special for the Sushi and for the fresh meal preparation of vegetables and meat right in front of your eyes. Dining here is like viewing a form of art! Ichiban on S. University Drive has a mix of authentic Japanese fare and some versions closer to home. The Japanese Village has hostesses in Kimonos to validate the Tempura, Sushi and other very Japanese food.
El Batey on N. University Drive is a good introduction to Cuban food. The Fantastic Restaurant on W. Hallandale Beach Boulevard also features the best of Cuban food. Brazilian Tropicana is not to be missed, for it has live entertainment to accompany some enticing roasts. Powerful cocktails help you get in to a South American mode. Las Brisas is Argentinean and the Mixed Grill served by waiters in formal dress, is an optimum sample of the meats of that country.
It is not as though Fort Lauderdale seeks to secede! There is no shortage of local and national American food that you can show off to a guest from abroad or use to satisfy an urge after a surfeit of the ethnic and exotic. Visit the Bimini Boatyard for some typical Californian salad and seafood. The Bluemoon Fish Company also has local Florida fare in an elegant setting. Gibby's Steak and Seafood will also quickly satiate any craving for typical American food with a prime steak or fresh seafood. Grille 66 on 17th Street has live jazz and piano to accompany excellent wine and fresh meat, fish and vegetables. Jackson's Steakhouse in the Las Olas Center building is the perfect place for a special occasion or to impress a special guest from overseas with an elegant American dining experience. Creolina's is a local favorite with Lousiana style Cajun Creole fare. The Rainforest Café will be liked by children. The setting of a tropical forest is fun, with rain, live birds and animated crocodiles.
Dining in Fort Lauderdale can be quite a task. The foods of the whole world are on offer with myriad choices for each kind of cuisine. You can visit again and again or even have been a resident for years, but there will still be places of distinction that you have been unfortunate to have missed.
