Rosamary O’Neal
Creolina’s
209 S.W. Second St.
Fort Lauderdale
954/524-2003

The winner and still champion, Rosamary O’Neal, the self-proclaimed "sexiest waitress" around. If you don’t believe her, then, well, all we can say is keep those disagreeable thoughts to yourself. Otherwise, Rosie may have you for lunch with an arsenal of sassy jibes that come with the frequency and timing of a late-night comic. If you show up just before the 2:30 p.m. lunch closing time, Rosie might welcome you with, "I’m ready to close in another 20 minutes. Do you get the hint?" She pockets the change from a bad tip with, "Thank you, I needed to mail a letter anyway." Her favorite customers, the men at least, are treated to a series of come-ons and put-ons that make a meal at this Cajun cookery an R-rated entertainment. Mealtime is showtime for Rosie, and for Creolina’s regulars it’s still the best show on the street, and that includes most anything at the Broward Center.

Cecile Taylor
Catfish Dewey’s
4003 N. Andrews Ave.
Fort Lauderdale
954/566-5333

Nothing less than a Catfish Dewey’s icon, Taylor has served the same station at this glorified fish shack for the past 16 years. She’s so popular that her regular customers will sit at the bar and wait for one of her tables, even though others are available. A wiseacre of the first order, she loosens up a meal at Dewey’s with gentle barbs, risqué quips and even a few knock-knock jokes. Now in her 50s, Taylor still sets a pace that puts those half her age to shame. She’s seen her closest customers through courtship, marriage, children and even divorce, and she’s so well-loved that more than a few of her regulars have invited her to their homes. And, as if she needed a final stamp of approval, one of her best customers is Rosie from Creolina’s.

Serge Sallaberry
Bistro Mezzaluna
741 S.E. 17th St. Causeway
Fort Lauderdale
954/522-6620

He’s French, he shaves his head, he’s suave, polite, efficient, unflappable and he works a dining room like no one else in the business. He’s Serge Sallaberry, and he is, plates-down, the best waiter in South Florida. Whether he’s slipping out the back door to buy flowers for a favorite customer’s anniversary or birthday, or walking a first-time customer through a maze of menu selections, Serge radiates professionalism and a genuine concern for the dining experience of his customers. He’s worked at hordes of restaurants, even slipped off to Atlanta for a year to a fancy Buckhead address, but his heart and soul belong to South Florida. Skating the thin ice of Bistro Mezzaluna, one of the most popular high-end eateries in the area, like a blinding Pavel Bure, Serge is everywhere at once. No water glass reaches empty, no bread basket remains unfilled, no detail goes unnoticed when he’s in charge. Although you can find exemplary service and attention to detail in a number of restaurants, it’s impossible to find a finer guy out there giving it. With Serge working your the table, you really are the only people in the restaurant. And in a place that rocks ’n’ rolls like Bistro, that is some compliment, indeed.

Tim Miller
East City Grill
505 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale
954/565-5569

Tim Miller, who worked with heavyweight chefs Oliver Saucy and Giani Respinto eight years ago, was lured back from Cape Cod to take over the reins at East City Grill when Giani redirected his efforts toward the organization’s new East City Bistros in Delray and Vero Beach. The Culinary Institute of America grad faced a daunting challenge, given the huge success and high visibility of East City Grill, one of the top restaurants in South Florida. His success has been overwhelming, as the Grill has won prestigious Golden Spoon Awards and DiRoNa awards for its creative cuisine. Tim’s hallmarks are bold, intriguing flavors, appealing textures, aromas redolent of fresh Florida produce, pungent spices and the assertive punch of absolute freshness. He describes his menu as a "Global Cuisine" that incorporates regional products in innovative ways to enhance natural flavors and to preserve the authentic ethnic heritage of the dishes. A dinner with Tim touches on elements of Mediterranean, Asian, Southwestern, Cuban, Caribbean and Creole influences in a way that is his and his alone.

Theo Schoenegger
Acquario
150 Worth Ave.
Palm Beach
561/655-9999

Rare is the chef who gets three stars from The New York Times, which is what Acquario’s chef and co-owner Theo Schoenegger received when he worked at the fabled San Domenico in New York once upon a time. What sets him apart from everyone else are the subtle nuances of flavors he puts into each of his Italian and Mediterranean-influenced dishes. Seafood, meat, poultry and pasta, including his signature risotto, are superior in every way, as layer upon layer of flavor is revealed with every tasty morsel: thyme- and rosemary-grilled quail; turbot with potato gnocchi and mushrooms; lobster risotto with asparagus; veal topped with foie gras garnished with spinach, raisins and pine nuts; pan-seared duck with spinach and mushrooms in phyllo pastry. And the beat goes on.

954/468-2000

Downtown Fort Lauderdale’s newest hot spot also serves terrific food. Kudos to executive chef Jose Santamaria’s Caribbean, Spanish and Portuguese fusion cuisine, every dish of which is abundantly and distinctly flavored. Sample the "Big Seafood Platter" containing a host of ceviches; grilled mussels with a warm coconut and sour orange dipping sauce; tuna with black beans and papaya; onion rings; and sweet plantains. Exceptional entrées include whole fried snapper; paella; and sautéed shrimp and chicken in coconut broth. Rice is also good, seasoned with saffron, cilantro or coconut and mango mojo. Desserts include a banana split and a green apple and banana cobbler. Noisy and crowded for sure but, oh, that food.

561/395-0770

Executive chef Mike Sabin’s Mediterranean-accented cuisine combines superior local products with staples from all parts of the country, many FedEx-ed to him to ensure freshness. Rock fish from Chesapeake Bay, line-caught cod and halibut from Alaska and diver scallops from Cape Cod. Tenderloin, veal, pheasant and venison come from the same Virginia farm supplying Philadelphia’s Le Bec Fin and Chicago’s Charlie Trotter’s. Heady company, indeed. Sabin’s talent for mixing and matching ingredients is also exceptional. Pairing courses with wines selected from around the world, and in all price ranges, is another of Mark’s notable qualities. The menu changes constantly but the food is always wonderful. So is the service, by the way. And you won’t find better pizza or desserts, either.

954/771-6752

Truffles offers hands-on management, luxurious surroundings and excellent food. From appetizers to desserts, savor classic American and Mediterranean Rim preparations and intelligent use of a wood-burning brick oven, including some fine pizza. And if something you want isn’t on the menu, just ask. Grilled calamari is a crowd favorite and jumbo lump crab cake is no lie. Steak and veal are aged USDA prime, from a 22-ounce porterhouse to veal and grilled pork chops. Seafood dishes are also done with precision and the zuppa di mare is a classic. There are no slackers in the dessert department, either, a buttery graham cracker-crusted New York cheesecake and dark chocolate truffle cake among them.

954/791-4866

Years of accolades haven’t kept co-owner/chefs Eve Montella and Kevin McCarthy from continuing to work in the kitchen, clearly remembering what got them here in the first place. Every liberally portioned dish is a radiant kaleidoscope of texture, color and potent flavors that evolve with every bite. Superior Southwestern cuisine includes tequila-grilled shrimp, smoked duck quesadilla, pasilla-crusted rib-eye and roasted sea bass dusted with porcini mushrooms. Service is uniformly excellent. Pecan pie, caramel crème brûlée and fried chocolate fritters make excellent desserts.

954/346-5484

How curious that one of South Florida’s best seafood restaurants is 20 miles west of the ocean in a drab Coral Springs strip mall. Chef/owner Steven LaBiner prepares more than a dozen varieties of fresh seafood in 16 succulent ways. Prices are high but portions are beyond large, and service is solicitous and efficient. Nearly all crab cakes are the size of oranges. Shrimp bisque is superb. Seafood is precisely cooked and available grilled, blackened, sautéed, scampi, marinara, piccata, fra diavolo and with Dijon dill. The list goes on: honey mustard and balsamic vinegar glaze with julienne fried leeks; Française, Livornaise and Japanese crumb; Oriental; and jerk or Hobo style, with chopped red and yellow tomatoes, basil, garlic and herbs. Baked, deep-fried and sugarcoated sweet potatoes excel, as does LaBiner’s fluffy mountain of creamy mashed potatoes. With so many South Florida seafood restaurants content with mediocrity, or less, it’s refreshing to know there’s a Hobo’s.

954/782-0606

Since opening in an unassuming strip mall storefront in 1984, Darrel & Oliver’s Café Maxx (formerly Café Max) has set the standard for gourmet American cuisine in South Florida. It was one of the first area restaurants to have an open kitchen, a mind-expanding selection of blackboard specials and an au courant wine list dominated by California varietals, all of which are still in vogue under current owners Darrel Broek and Oliver Saucy. The menu, as always, reads like culinary poetry with a list of ingredients so skillfully blended that it overwhelms the senses. To wit: duck and smoked mozzarella ravioli with brown butter, basil and sun-dried tomatoes; sweet onion-crusted yellowtail snapper with Madeira sauce and guafrette potatoes; macadamia pesto-crusted veal chop with a boniato mash. Who the hell knows what a boniato mash is, but if it’s on Maxx’s menu, it must be anything but unassuming.

561/276-7868

With the arrival of executive chef Nick Morfogen, 32 East continues to provide some of the finest fare in South Florida. The cuisine is still contemporary American, as laid out by founding chef Wayne Alcaide, who’s opening a branch in west Boca. Morfogen now adds his inimitable Mediterranean touch: rigatoni with braised lamb shank and oregano; hanger steak on roast garlic polenta; and grilled salmon with arugula purée and olive tapenade. The menu changes every day and this popular place is always packed.

561/832-4300

Italian restaurants don’t get any better than this. Chef Roberto Bruno has an amazingly light and exquisite touch with everything he prepares: carpaccio, salads, superior house-made pastas, delicately prepared seafood and veal dishes, a superb salt-encrusted whole snapper and the finest tiramisu this side of Capri. Add charming Old World service and ambiance more elegant than anything offered by its frenetically paced and clearly inferior Clematis Street neighbors around the corner.

954/563-1395

Now into its fifth successful year, this charming bistro, owned and operated by CIA-trained Carlos Fernandez and partner Chuck Smith, is better than ever. They’ve added a parlor room-like lounge and a tapas and wine bar. The "contemporary American" menu isn’t very extensive but it incorporates all the major food groups. Favorite starters include the baked herbed goat cheese salad and pecan and corn-encrusted scallops. Entrée selections include seared and baked salmon and filet mignon with a delicate Dutch Dijon cream sauce. Desserts are exceptional: orange coconut pie and the derby pie, filled with chocolate chips and pecans and a healthy measure of bourbon. One visit will make you a regular.

561/582-2800

Say "Floribbean" to restaurant people and their near-unanimous response will be Hubert Des Marais, executive chef at the Four Seasons Resort. His unique, award-winning culinary style brings together locally grown foods, produce and seasonings. Root vegetables from Latin America and fruits and vegetables from the Caribbean, not to mention herbs grown from his private garden on the hotel’s grounds. He obtains frog’s legs from Lake Okeechobee and she crabs from the Indian River. Local farmers and fishermen bearing their best beat a path to his door, knowing his artistry will make their products sparkle with all the right flavors.

561/395-0770

Mark’s is a fine but not inexpensive restaurant so if you want to savor executive chef Mike Sabin’s scintillating food on the cheap, the $19 all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch is the way to go. Enjoy homemade breads, bagels and muffins. There are fresh salads galore. Smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail, pizza, pasta, a mimosa, one entrée from the à la carte menu including omelets and French toast, and assorted pastries. It will keep you satiated till Monday. This is one brunch that has it all. And the price is right.

954/565-5569

From the folks responsible for Darrel & Oliver’s Cafe Maxx, this popular and pricey oceanfront restaurant serves an eclectic mix of tropical, Cajun and Pacific and Mediterranean Rim cuisines. Lobster ravioli with coconut and banana curry sauce and a chicken and spinach quesadilla are wonderful appetizers. Korean barbecue pork tenderloin, cioppino, veal with lemon caper angel hair pasta and salmon with sweet chili over buttermilk grits have become standards. For dessert, banana pecan spring roll with sun-dried mango and macadamia praline ice cream and double chocolate gelato. The view is great (eat outside and ogle the scantily clad beachgoers) and the food is terrific. Naturally, it’s expensive but you’ll never feel cheated.

954/922-1119

An unobstructed view of the Atlantic and a multicultural menu that draws from Mediterranean, Caribbean and Indochine (French-Vietnamese) ingredients make Sugar Reef a choice epicurean outing. The colorfully tropical interior sets the tone for flavorful dishes that combine curries, chilis, jerk spices and fruits. The excellent seafood bouillabaisse snaps to life in a green curry and coconut broth. Roasted duck is topped with a sweet chile and papaya salsa. Sunday brunch is highlighted by a pork loin Benedict, which layers jerk-spiced pork instead of bacon on this hollandaise-smothered specialty. There’s barely a seat in this priceless beauty that doesn’t have a view of the water, and except when it’s too hot or too wet, the windows are always open to let in that ocean breeze.

954/779-7374

A big beautiful menu and a comparably appointed plaza setting make this casually refined gourmet eatery a tranquil alternative to the more congested sidewalk cafés on Las Olas Boulevard. But it’s not just where you eat that makes Dancing Bear a top stop: It’s the food prepared by ex-Revolution 2029 chef David Sloane. The multicultural menu fuses Italian, Asian, Moroccan and Spanish recipes, among others, with Floribbean ingredients, continuing a style Sloane presented so well at 2029. The list of appetizers, served as tapas, features Moroccan spiced lobster tails, Gulf shrimp in a miso-ginger broth and Southwestern spring rolls. Entrées include a seafood paella that is a variation on a bouillabaisse Sloane made famous at his previous kitchen. The wine list is big on Australian bottles and there are suggestions as to which blends match best with the food, which is equally appealing inside the spacious dining room or on the umbrella-covered patio.

April 5

More than 50 restaurants. Master chefs. Fine wines. Live and silent auctions. Local artists. And every penny fights world hunger. We know that there are many food events out there, but Taste of the Nation, a nationwide series of food and wine events sponsored by Share Our Strength and held in more than 100 cities, tops the list. Headed this year by chairman and master chef Giani Respinto, Taste enjoyed its most successful year ever in South Florida. Thanks to national and local sponsorship and volunteers, 100 percent of the funds raised at the event are distributed to charities. In partnership with the Sun-Sentinel Children’s Fund, which provides matching grants from The McCormick Tribune Foundation, the event raised nearly $150,000 to benefit the Daily Bread Food Bank and the Florence Fuller Child Development Center.

954/563-5406

Grandma McGillacuddy’s is an old-fashioned Brooklyn-style luncheonette and soda shop that also serves delicious gourmet dinners. Eclectic décor comes courtesy of effusive co-owner and former Brooklynite Kevin Barry, who brought scores of artifacts from his native land with him when he migrated to South Florida, including a pair of seats from the old Brooklyn Paramount Theater. Breakfasts are terrific: real New York bagels and bialys and large omelets prepared and served in skillets with delicious home fries. French toast is made with real French bread. They use maple-cured ham from Vermont, maple-cured honey sausages and natural wood-smoked bacon. Anthony Rosoli and Jean-Claude Mille’s superior dinner entrées that would do fancier venues proud is another reason to visit, and making Grandma a winner for Best Gourmet Food in a Brooklyn-style Luncheonette, as well. Grandma also makes a real New York egg cream using Fox’s U-Bet syrup, plus lime rickeys, milk shakes and root beer floats.

954/925-4414

Coral Rose has everything you want in a breakfast: great food, servers at the ready with a coffee refill and plenty of light for reading the morning paper. More than anything, however, it’s the food that puts this place in full bloom. The Rose doesn’t serve just any ol’ buttermilk pancakes, it has coconut pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, whole wheat pancakes, blueberry pancakes ... you ask and they make. Eggs Benedict plates are equally diverse with seafood, spinach, portobello mushrooms and smoked salmon among the prize items. There are dozens of designer omelets (including tabbouleh omelets), the bacon is thick and chewy, potatoes are cooked to perfection, the toast is rustic and robust and the atmosphere is always inviting, whether it’s a hurried weekday morning or a more laconic Sunday brunch.

954/450-0022

Pancakes haven’t been the same since the Original Pancake House opened on Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale a few years back. The Original since has expanded to several Broward burgs, including the rapidly growing southwest quadrant of the county. After establishing a foothold at 12638 Pines Blvd., in Pembroke Pines, this quite popular eatery needed to expand yet again. It closed in Pines and is now building a new location at the corner of Sheridan Street and I-75 that is due to open in June. If it expands any further, the crocodiles in the Everglades soon will be feasting on OPH’s syrupy flapjacks.

954/742-9144

Eighteen varieties of freshly baked bagels are the hallmark at Claudia and Sam Rothman’s New York-style deli. Bagel-buyers come from miles around to this clean and brightly lit outpost (there are floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides) at the corner of Nob Hill Road and Oakland Park Boulevard. Breakfast includes the usual array of egg platters and omelets, including a potato-onion-cheese-and-tomato special named for Claudia. But it’s the hard-to-find items like pickled herring and pickled lox that give regulars that feeling of being in New York again. The 75-seater is jammed on Sundays, although a new 100-gallon fish tank makes the wait a little easier. The smoking section is on the patio.

954/943-7411

Owner Gerry Ziros appreciates her customers so much at Denise’s Kitchen that she serves her regulars a free breakfast on Christmas Eve. "A lot of old-time customers eat here twice a day, for breakfast and lunch," Ziros says. "Believe me, I appreciate that so much." The feeling is mutual. Since opening 14 years ago, workers from the industrial district where Denise’s is located have begun their day with breakfast specialties like biscuits and sausage gravy, country ham, eggs Benedict, Spanish omelets and S.O.S. (chipped beef on toast). "I try and give customers what they like so they come back," Ziros says. So far so good.

561/368-4634

Now in its 15th year, Joseph Lhotka’s Southern-style eatery has made Tom Sawyer synonymous (at least in Boca) with country-sized portions and fast, friendly service. Tom Sawyer’s is best-known for its Breakfast in a Pot, a shamelessly caloric combo that includes two buttermilk biscuits smothered in sausage gravy, ham, bacon, eggs and cheese. Just as notable are the oversized pastries from the on-site bakery, the oversized four-egg omelets and the oversized Breakfast Skillet (a three-meat or veggie omelet served with home fries and cheese). Warning: Wait 30 minutes before river rafting after eating at Tom’s.

561/585-9860

After 27 years, John Giragos and family continue to offer superb breakfasts (and lunches) to hungry tourists and locals alike. Delicious describes the food, large describes the portions and moderate describes the prices. Massive ethnic omelets are a specialty: Spanish, Greek, Hawaiian, German, Polish and Italian. French toast is equally popular: regular, cinnamon and almonds, raisin cream cheese and crunchy honey granola, garnished with pecans, almonds and raisins. A spectacular view of the ocean makes John G’s that much more special. Go during the off-season and you may not have to stand in line.

954/926-3355

"Hungarians feel good when they’re crying," violinist Istvan Lakatos says of his countrymates, adding, "We’re emotional, romantic and dramatic." The Budapest-born Lakatos gives his audience of diners all the emotion he can muster in his tableside performances at Goulash Charda each Friday through Sunday. Over plates of sauerbraten and chicken paprikash, the strolling violinist bows Gypsy "kesergo," Hungarian pop and folk and Russian classical pieces, squeezing every bit of joy and melancholy from his instrument, whose plaintive cry he equates with "singing ... like a river, like an echo."

954/463-1000

There’s still no better place in downtown Fort Lauderdale to show off new money or old money than Mark’s Las Olas, where the beautiful people, new and old, spend their Benjamins on chef/owner Mark Millitello’s elaborately conceived menu. Middle-aged men with cute young thangs, hot-shot celebrities and stylishly coifed couples make Mark’s a showplace for indulging in plenitude. Fortunately, Millitello’s original way with lobster, lamb, swordfish, soft shell crab, veal and venison is even more beautiful and substantive than his conspicuous clientele.

954/564-5552

The décor here is best summed up as Erté meets The Flintstones. Extensive use is made of rich-looking marble, travertine and granite. Art deco influences are evidenced by wall fixtures, etched glass doorways and partitions and a rounded bar that temper that virile Bedrock look. Tropical greenery enlivens the light mocha color scheme. Polished red granite panels line the back wall of the large open kitchen, which runs nearly the entire length of the dining room. Fine décor, of course, but the food can’t be beat.

954/782-0606

There are many wine lists out there. What distinguishes the wine list at Café Maxx from the rest of the crowd is the incredible breadth of the selections and the wide variety of pricing that truly provides a wine for every interest and pocketbook. A wide selection of half-bottles and wines by the glass encourages experimentation. There is a heavy emphasis on American Chardonnay and other whites, which is to be expected given the seafood-heavy menu, but no varietal is shorted. American Cabernets, Merlots, Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels and other reds walk hand-in-hand with a broad selection of French, Italian, Australian and Spanish offerings in every price range. Standouts include Peter Michaels "Les Pavots," Etude, Spottswoode, Gary Farrell, Groth, Kistler, Rochioli, David Bruce, Vosne-Romanee, Chassagne-Montrachet, Clarendon Hills, Far Niente and so on. The bottom line is this: If you can’t find a bottle (or two or three) of wine at Café Maxx that isn’t a discovery, a joy and a religious experience that matches and enhances the incredible food, you need to check your pulse.

561/276-7868

Food tastes better with good wine, and since 32 East serves delicious food, we expect their extensive wine list to measure up, and it does. Each wine category has low-end and high-end items ($20-$100 and more), but the majority occupy an accommodating $30-$50 range. There are 21 wines by the glass, including a Talley Chardonnay and the Honig Cabernet from Napa. There are 33 Chardonnays, from a fine yet inexpensive Markkhan to the high-end Peter Michael label, and eight Sauvignon blancs, including Duck Horn and Grgich Hills labels. Twenty-three Cabernets include Chateau Ste. Michele at the low-end to the high-end Shafer "Hillside Select." There are 12 fine Pinot noirs, five from Oregon and a ’97 B.R. Cohen and a ’97 Chateau St. Jean. Eight Zinfandels include an inexpensive Kempton Clark to the pricier Chateau Potelle "VGS." Twenty-two additional reds are priced from $22 to $200. 32 East also offers 30 wines from Italy, France and Australia, priced from a $26 Alsatian to an Australian ’94 Penfolds "Grange" for a cool $200. A wine for every food and every budget.

954/522-6620

Owner George Mayo has always been obsessive in his search for the unique, the rare, the cult and the unobtainable to fill the pages of his hit wine list. A consistent winner of the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence, he has really hit a home run this year, snagging a bevy of classics and gems that makes perusing the wine list at Bistro Mezzaluna a fantasy fulfilled for the true wine connoisseur. Start with champagne: Of course, you will find Veuve Cliquot’s 1989 La Grand Dame and the oh-so-upscale Cristal, but nowhere else will you run across Salon’s 1988 Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs, a wine the reviewers proclaim "an indulgence in luxury." In the mood for Chardonnay? Both the 1997 Phalmeyer and the 1996 Grgich Hills stand out. Prefer your whites on the French side? 1996 Bouchard Pere & Fils Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru will set you back a cool $140, but you won’t have much luck finding it anywhere else this side of Paris. Reflecting the tastes of his clientele, American reds are stunning: 1997 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow, Volcanic Hill and Red Rock Terrace, 1995 and 1996 Chateau Montelena and, of course, the requisite 1995 Silver Oak Alexander and Napa. The holy grail of reds is here: 1995 Harlan Estate, at a cool $500 per bottle. The French Bordeaux and Burgundys (including Romanee Conti) are equally exciting. If you have one night to get it right, and one special person to blow away with a wine to remember, look no further. This is the place.

954/788-2434

In a world where 300-400 percent wine markups are commonplace, Sunfish Grill shines like, well, the sun. The explosion of interest by educated diners intent on pairing wine with food demands more and more from local restaurant owners and chefs. At Sunfish, owner and executive chef Tony Sindaco and his wife, Erika, meet the challenge with a wine list that is superbly suited to his wide range of seafood specialties, while at the same time providing an amazing buy for your wine dollar. With nearly 100 wines on the main list, and another 50 on an ever changing Special Selection list, even the most fanatical wine aficionado can discover a gem of an experience at a righteous price. Boutiques and single vineyard selections dominate, including Deloach, Dreyer, Selby, Patz & Hall, Talley, Peter Michael, David Bruce, Justin, Liparita, Martin Ray, Tom Eddy and Lolonis, etc. And all Tony’s wines, be they rare or just right, are available at prices that resemble your local wine merchant and not the Robber Baron of Baccus.

954/782-0606

Innovative Restaurant Concepts, LLC. is a restaurant development company, and the name truly fits. Darrel Broek and partners Oliver Saucy, Giani Respinto and Nikolai Batto have developed and maintained several of the finest restaurants in South Florida. Beginning with the flagship Café Maxx in Pompano, they have since created East City Grill on Fort Lauderdale Beach and East City Bistro in Delray, and soon will open another East City Bistro in Vero Beach. What sets this group apart from the pack of wannabes is their commitment to excellence. It’s reflected in every detail, from the service staff to the décor to the wine list to the menus. And speaking of menus, the Innovative Concepts bill of fare is second to none in variety, imagination and customer satisfaction. This year, the group was awarded two of Florida Trend magazine’s prestigious Golden Spoon Awards for Café Maxx and East City Grill. It marks the first time in the 33-year history of the awards that one ownership team has won two Golden Spoons in the same year. It’s one thing to start a great restaurant. It’s another matter entirely to maintain that greatness week in and week out for years at a time. And with another year of DiRoNa awards and two restaurants in the local Zagat Survey top five, grateful patrons of their restaurants gladly attest that these guys are good.

High Life Cafe

Five years ago, talented and gregarious Type-A personalities Chuck Smith and Carlos Fernandez, having paid their dues in several New York eateries, moved south and opened the High Life Cafe with great expectations. But it takes more than expectations to succeed in this business. Food, service and ambiance, of course. But it’s the soul of a restaurant that determines its longevity and this place is high on soul. Smith believes, "A successful restaurant owner has the ability to make his guests feel special. And we try to instill in our staff a sense of pride in what they’re doing in order to create and maintain an atmosphere where everyone feels special." Judging by the accolades Smith and Fernandez have received from patrons and food critics alike, you’ll agree that the High Life Cafe is indeed special, thanks to these two fine and hard-working gentlemen.

954/522-6620

He says he was "born to work here." George Karathanas is the general manager and genial host of Bistro Mezzaluna, George Mayo’s award-winning restaurant. Formerly the main man for 15 years at Yesterday’s, another South Florida landmark, George has seen, and seated, them all: Liz Taylor, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Muhammad Ali, even "Mr. G" (John Gotti). In a wildly successful restaurant where a two-hour wait is common, George balances the demands of a clientele ranging from Lee Majors and Dave Thomas to a local couple just back from a day at the beach with aplomb, and he does it with a self-effacing, humble style that endears him to friends and strangers. He’s in love with the business and it shows. He’s friend and confidant to everyone, always accommodating, and always the consummate professional. He says his job is really quite simple: "To make sure that the customer doesn’t have any grief." With George at the door, that’s a guarantee.

954/561-2554

If you wear satellite dish-sized diamond pinkie rings, have 3 pounds of gold chain dangling from your neck, drive a Testarossa, fancy the company of gum-chewing wannabe molls teetering on 6-inch stiletto heels, you can afford Steve Martorano’s South Philly-style Italian restaurant. Pasta, seafood, meat and chicken entrées are daymarket fresh, assertively seasoned and generously portioned, as they should be for the price. Ambiance, food and patrons are from another time and place but the prices are very now. The regulars, many of whom resemble extras from the cast of Goodfellas, oughta be in pictures. The inadvertent floor show alone is worth the price of admission.

561/394-0007

Johannes Fruwirth’s tiny French parlor-like restaurant has high prices and just 35 seats. "I’m looking for an exclusive clientele," he says. "And I don’t want the place to be any larger." Because his food is so good, and often unique, he gets those people, too, from Miami to Vero Beach. Kobe beef is $9 an ounce. Appetizers run to $19 for Hudson River Valley foie gras with blackberries and almonds. A la carte entrées are available from $23 to $32. For that you’ll get slow-grilled Texas antelope, vanilla-lacquered duck and truffle-scented sea bass. A four-course menu is priced at $57 dollars, and his "19 little surprises Omakase" is budgeted at $135 per person. Clearly, the place to go when someone else is paying or if you’re using a stolen credit card.

954/776-2001

Do the math: 16 egg, spinach, herb, chili and whole wheat pastas you can pair with any of 43 sauces. This concept, developed 16 years ago by hands-on owner Anthony Finamore in Vancouver, B.C., is a winning one in an area whose local populace has a pronounced propensity for flocking to wherever they get a lot for a little. We liked the bold Creole sauce of curry, bourbon, tomatoes and cream, and the classic high-cholesterol carbonara with bacon, eggs and cream. A wood-burning oven turns out decent pizza in 18 combinations. Try the fully loaded quattro staggione: two slices topped with olives and capers; two with tomatoes and mushrooms; two more with shrimp and clams; and the remainder with ham and sausage.

561/393-0344

The 18-page menu of this noisy, 450-seat Army mess hall-like eatery is all over the culinary map, and many dishes are not very well executed. Nevertheless, consistently humongous portions of easily recognizable fare from the American Southwest to the Pacific Rim and everywhere in-between keeps otherwise intelligent people standing in line for hours for said portions just to take a doggy bag home for tomorrow’s lunch. Salads are big enough to grow your own garden. Thirty-six varieties of cheesecake are what started it all.

954/475-1480

No area truly can consider itself cosmopolitan unless it has upscale restaurants that serve dinner past 10 p.m. on a weeknight. Three Guys may be located in the suburbs, just north of I-595 in Plantation, but it has a big-city attitude when it comes to keeping its kitchen open. You could eat at Denny’s at 2 in the morning, or you could eat at Two Guys. Denny’s has pancakes and bacon. Two Guys has veal and chicken prepared with prosciutto, mozzarella and spinach. At Denny’s, you could have eggs and toast. Two Guys has yellowtail snapper baked in garlic, lemon and white wine, then topped with shrimp and scallops and served over angel hair pasta. Tough choice. Open until 4 a.m. daily.

954/522-5046

What more can we say about Tom Jenkins that we haven’t said already? That the ribs and chicken dinners are big and messy and tasty. That the pork and beef sandwiches aren’t as big, but just as messy and tasty. That the sweet potato pie, fresh-squeezed lemonade, homemade baked beans and collard greens will make you feel as though you’ve been transported to the Deep South. That the Sunday picnic setting and the fast, friendly service are as down-home as down-home gets. That this used to be a roadside stand that owners Harry Harrell and Gary Torrence once operated out of a trailer in the parking lot of the building they now occupy. That Tom Jenkins the real person is actually Torrence’s late uncle. That the prices can’t be beat. That this is food worth standing in line for. There, we’ve said it all again. Tom Jenkins rules.

561/802-3625

Operating from a former Tastee-Freeze just north of Good Samaritan Hospital, owner Gene Nelson sells succulent regular and baby back ribs, pork chops and barbecued chicken, as dinners and à la carte. His ribs are broiled from the get-go, and his finger-lickin’ hot or mild, tomato-based barbecue sauce is a family secret. Friends and neighbors tend the large grill inside a shed. Traditional Southern side dishes include corn on the cob, sweet potato pie, collard greens, cornbread and muffins, fried okra, baked beans and macaroni and cheese. All are homemade, as is the moist coconut cake. Takeout only.

954/463-4041

Still open after 63 years, the Floridian shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, it’s as lively as ever, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner 24/7, 365 days a year to people who like a little atmosphere with their meal. Like a small-town diner where the real back story of a city is told, the Floridian lures downtown movers and shakers with unfashionable food served in oversized portions. The character (and characters) really gets thick after the midnight hour when the more eccentric among us drop by for a nightcap.

954/527-2544

Enjoy your meal in a courtyard complete with Grecian pillars and faux waterfalls right across from Fort Lauderdale beach. Sip on Pusser’s signature Painkiller, the drink that will truly ease any pain, even the check. Known for its Caribbean fare, you’ll have to try one of the specialties: Demerara-marinated pork filets, prime rib, rack of lamb or chicken roti, a West Indian burrito. On Monday and Tuesday nights, you can get a three-course Maine lobster clambake for $19.99. The real draw is the pan-fried honey bananas: bananas flamed in rum, then finished with honey and cream over vanilla ice cream.

954/765-1950

Actually, this category could be called best appetizer because, while Canyon has a nice selection of appetizers (plural), there is one starter — escargot in a porcini mushroom and port wine sauce served with polenta — that makes a trip to this Southwestern jewel a must. The escargot are large and voluminous (about 10 to an order), and the sauce ... oh, the sauce. Snails have never had it as good as they do in this rarified reduction of port wine and porcini. It’s enough to make any meandering, earthbound mollusk declare, "If I must be eaten, then let me marinate, however briefly, in the divine decadence of those woodsy ’shrooms and that sweet and luxurious wine. Spare me no sauce. Wet me with thine ladle. Purge me with thine fork, then devour me. But don’t forget me, nor this noble sacrifice."

954/791-4866

Rare is the restaurant these days that makes its own desserts, which is another reason we like the Armadillo. View them all on the dessert tray, then go crazy trying to choose. A bourbon-flavored pecan pie with chocolate chips runneth over with sweet, crunchy pecans. Oblige your sweet tooth with the luxurious chocolate-covered caramel crème brûlée and you may never be satisfied with anyone else’s. Brownie-textured chocolate fritters are another satisfying indulgence, and a signature item: lightly fried, crunchy balls of chocolate with a warm runny fudge interior cooled with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream alongside. If you can’t be happy with these, look into therapy.

954/764-6868

Since buying this charming French-Caribbean café last November, new owner Mike McDonnell has merely added to an already successful operation. The atmosphere is still as soft as candlelight, and the intimate-as-a-whisper dining room is still accented by colorful Haitian paintings and Caribbean knickknacks. McDonnell has added some pasta, veal and steak items to the menu but he kept the popular dishes, including escargot served French-style (lots of butter and garlic), the smoked salmon appetizer served with potato pancake and garnished with sour cream and caviar, and the lovely crispy duck bathed in a Burgundy Bing cherry sauce. If you’re in love, or want to at least turn someone on with sweet nothings and delicious food, then it doesn’t get much more romantic than Victoria Park.

561/655-9999

Rarely will you find a more romantic setting for dinner than at Palm Beach’s Acquario, snugly ensconced on the top floor of Worth Avenue’s Esplanade. Décor is New York elegant without being trendy, the same way a Brooks Brothers suit never goes out of style. With its high ceiling and deep pile carpeting, you can hold a quiet conversation. Muted, dark green walls, classic Old World paintings and crystal chandeliers evoke images of a stately European mansion. Always discreet servers appear as if by magic when the need arises. Acquario is the ideal setting when romance is in the air.

954/525-7656

First dates can be a bit unnerving, but Solo takes the stress out of dining with a newfound other with a sidewalk café setting and a moderately priced Italian menu that has something for everybody. Just like the food, the atmosphere is just right: intimate without being too romantic, not so loud you have to scream and not so quiet that nearby diners can sense those awkward silences. The service is timely and unobtrusive, and the Muzak stylish and casual (Bryan Ferry, Brazilian sambas and the like). There’s also plenty to do afterwards: movies at Las Olas Riverfront, Broadway plays at the Broward Center, live music at The Poor House and, if all goes well, possibly even a stroll and a first kiss along the Riverwalk. And, if the date is a complete disaster, you can always start looking for someone new at Rush Street, just two doors down from Solo.

561/533-6000

If you have the money and really want to impress your date, this place is perfect for a quiet romantic dinner. Ambiance is strictly Old World, with the classically appointed dining room a mirror image of those in superior-class European hotels. The spacious room, with intimate dining alcoves, has a high ceiling, thick drapes and plush carpeting so the loudest sound you’ll hear comes from the dining room’s harp. Body-enveloping armchairs are covered in velvet. Wall sconces are a modified version of the room’s dazzling crystal chandelier. Fresh tulips in rainbows of color are on every crisp, linen-covered table, which are so widely spaced the only voices heard are yours and your guest’s. Executive chef Stefan Kauth’s food is both classically continental and innovative, succeeding on all levels. If you can’t make an impression here, you never will.

954/432-7001

Actually, this is a great restaurant to take anyone — first date, spouse, out-of-town guests — but your parents especially will appreciate Capriccio’s for its superb Northern Italian food, personable service and sophisticated yet fun atmosphere. Owner Gianpiero Cangolesi provides the entertainment, singing the kind of old-fashioned love songs your mother will love. The menu has something for the gourmand and for those who like to keep it simple. There’s expertly prepared pasta, chicken and seafood for Ma, and luxurious steaks and veal dishes for Pa. There’s wine, a risotto that could win prizes and a warm and luxurious décor that makes the folks feel special. Capriccio’s is also open on Christmas, which makes it a double winner for Best Place to Eat on Christmas Day When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking.

954/438-6325

Formerly known as Phone Chefs before it was bought out by Ez2get.com, this multi-restaurant delivery service spares hungry homesteaders from settling for pizza when calling in a food order. Ez2get.com picks up and delivers orders from 18 restaurants from 25 locations in Sunrise, Plantation, Davie, Cooper City, Pembroke Pines and Miramar. The choices include Villa’s (Cuban), Olé-Olé (Mexican), Chada Thai, Nami’s (Japanese), Scruby’s (barbecue), Cami’s (seafood), Corky’s (deli) and even Hooters (sorry, no waitress with that order). Delivery is generally 30-60 minutes and limited to a radius of about four miles from the restaurant. There’s a $3.99 surcharge on each delivery, and you can either phone it in or, as the new name suggests, place an order via the Internet.

954/966-2233

Eating at Ronieri’s is more than just traveling around the culinary world in a single sitting. There really is no place like it among the overwhelming mass of restaurants that strive to feed our diverse dining demands. Every single meal can be an adventure in fine dining. You say you’re not the adventurous type? Then stay close to home with a shrimp cocktail, a Caesar salad and a 13-ounce filet mignon. Got the travel bug? Try a slew of wildly original appetizers, owing their kick to Greece, Italy and the Congo; huge salads from Mexico, North Africa and Belgium; entrées drawn from Indonesia, Madagascar, Israel, Portugal, Jamaica and France. And did we mention mile-high meatloaf, osso buco, pad thai, homemade gnocchi, coconut shrimp and mountains of fresh mussels? Moving through its second decade in Pembroke Pines, the house that Chef Rinaldo and his son David built is still firmly wrapped up in the loving arms of the family. David’s longtime friend Cleveland "Cleve" Brown formally joined the operation several years ago, allowing Rinaldo to step back from the day-to-day operation, but the recipes he developed over the years are in the capable hands of Chef Mickey and Ronieri’s consistency and quality remains unwavering. Add a service staff that have been together for years and truly love what they do and you have a world-class dining experience.

954/564-1234

Angelo Elia is executive chef and partner at the elegantly appointed Casa d’Angelo. A wood-burning oven imparts crisp and smoky flavors to his Tuscan and Southern Italian specialties, from fresh game to a fiery, red-sauced calamari to the classic osso buco. His forte is bringing out the natural flavors of fish, veal, poultry and beef using just the basics — oils, herbs and garlic — while eschewing overpowering sauces and trendy infusions. Expect excellent appetizers, salads, pizza, pasta and wood-grilled entrées. With such delicious food, superior décor and wonderfully professional service, no wonder it’s expensive. But it’s worth every penny.

954/457-9663

The name says it all. Little: 36 seats. Italian: 21 sauces, including marinara, Gorgonzola and lobster cream. Tavern: A retro 1950s stand-alone that keeps regulars coming back for more. Located across from Gulfstream Park on Federal Highway, the Little Italian Tavern is famous for serving gourmet food that doesn’t cost gourmet prices. The list of 21 pasta sauces served over a spaghettini noodle tops at about $9. The daily blackboard specials, which include rigatoni and salmon in a pink sauce, roasted boneless duck, lamb shanks and an escargot with penne are capped at about $12. The one drawback: The Tavern doesn’t take credit cards. But at these prices, that’s a small price to pay.

561/361-0081

Hard-working owners with a customer-friendly attitude serving fine, classically prepared, liberally portioned and moderately priced Italian and Mediterranean cuisine make this place worth visiting. Décor is the stuff of more expensive venues: attractive woodcuts, a trompe-l’oeil fireplace and a large vase overflowing with ivy. Appetizers are priced in the $5-$10 range, a bargain for what you get, as are pasta dishes at $15, including an excellent risotto. Entrées like sea bass and grilled mahi mahi are priced in the mid- to upper-teens. Superior desserts include tiramisu, Napoleon and vanilla- and lemon-flavored cheesecake. Food, décor, service and price conspire to make Tonini’s a bargain in anyone’s book.

954/566-1716

Not only one of the most charming-looking places to open in some time but one of the best. Food is classically Tuscan. A domed, wood-burning brick oven imported from Italy, fired to 600 degrees with black oak, turns out fine pizza and great-tasting meat and fish. Wines fall into two comfortable price ranges: $18.75 and $22.50, with several good buys found among the Italians. The bruschetta crostini sampler plate provides a cross-section of authentic Tuscan starters. Artichokes steamed in white wine broth ($5.95) were admired for the bold flavors imparted by garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Grilled pizza are thin-crusted and topped with asparagus, basil, pesto, mozzarella, pine nuts and more traditional garnishes. We especially liked mussels and shrimp in an herbed tomato sauce, placed over spaghetti and set in parchment paper. Gnocchi with spinach was inspiring. For a true taste of the old country, try Tuscan Today.

954/771-4535

Now in its 11th year at the same locale, the 80-seat Thai Spice has wooed palates with its spicy selection of traditional dishes and daily specials. The main menu has 85 items, with the fried whole yellowtail snapper in a chili garlic sauce a standout. The Siam duck rates among the specials, as do grilled portobello mushrooms in a garlic pepper sauce and voluptuous New Zealand mussels served in a clay pot. The excellent food is matched by attentive, friendly service and a romantic, warmly lit interior. Reservations are recommended on Saturdays, when couples and groups fill this exquisite Thai jewel.

561/392-4568

The physical simplicity of this Vietnamese restaurant hardly prepares you for owner/chef Binh Duong’s dazzling, high-end South Vietnamese cuisine: shrimp, mint, coriander and angel hair rolled inside translucent rice paper; charcoal-grilled beef marinated in garlic and lemon grass; boneless duck, Cornish hen and marinated quail. Seafood in a crisp noodle basket offers a prime example of the exquisite flavors, colors and textures of Vietnamese cuisine. Also, there are vegetable-stuffed rice crepes; fried mushrooms in sweet and sour sauce; mixed vegetables; and three tofu preparations. Order whatever strikes your fancy but conclude your meal with a refreshing and tart lemon mousse or the very sweet almond chocolate cake.

954/565-9065

David Lavail’s Oh La La is the kind of French café American visitors to Paris hope to stumble across in a narrow, cobblestone street in that city’s Left Bank but rarely do. Fortunately for us, we can save the air fare and savor unquestionably authentic French cuisine in our own back yard. Recipes are strictly Old Country but portions are built for American appetites and prices are moderate. Major ingredients like seafood, meats and poultry usually remain the same from week to week, but seasonings and garnishes always change to accommodate seasonal and market availability. Snapper, for example, will never be served the same way in any given week. Currently, you’ll also find Guinea hen, rabbit, venison and sweetbreads. Décor is more Greenwich Village Bohemian than French, but it all fits. Lavail’s new dessert, a chocolate soufflé filled with chocolate mousse, is a standout.

954/784-8136

There are several fine Brazilian restaurants in the area, many of them long on glitz, but we prefer Dari and Danaus Corti’s down-home Panorama Brazilian Restaurant because it’s more Ipanema Beach than Pompano Beach. Winsome and vivacious young waitresses are native Brazilians, as are most of their patrons. Inexpensive, delicious, simply presented and well-prepared authentic food add to Panorama’s appeal. And we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the allure of the many lusty Brazilians in attendance, their every sinewy movement swaying in time to sensual tropical rhythms only they can hear.

954/463-6747

For authentic German food in an equally authentic setting, this place fits the bill. It’s family-run and offers some pretty good eating coupled with good-natured service that is also the model of Teutonic efficiency. It’s crammed with countless German knickknacks like beer steins, tea sets and some religious icons. Sprightly live German music adds to the ethnic flavor. The food is spotty but we can recommend the grilled sausage platter, marinated North Sea herring filets, potato pancakes and some excellent soups for appetizers. They serve several German beers, poured into beautiful, multi-shaped glasses specifically designed for each beer. Schweinhaxe is a perennial German favorite, as are lamb shanks and loins, veal in several permutations, sauerbraten and roast pork. Typically, portions are substantial. Have the excellent "rote gruetze" for dessert, a half-sweet, half-tart jamlike mixture of imported German ligonberries, cranberries, raspberries and wild cherries topped with a thick and sweet vanilla cream sauce.

954/583-9121

Leave your cholesterol counter at home when you come to Betty’s, where old-school Southern cooking prevails in all its high-caloric glory. The soul is in the heaping portions of black-eyed peas, pork spare ribs, collard greens, beef stew and country-fried chicken, all of which come with a hunk of buttery cornbread to sop up the juices. Owner Betty Taylor’s big-hearted food is matched by all things familiar to successful family-run diners: friendly service, an easygoing atmosphere and prices that won’t lighten your wallet, even if the food does tighten your belt. Also, membership to the NAACP is available at this Sistrunk Boulevard institution.

954/524-2003

Still a hands-down winner, Mark Sulzinski’s Creolina’s provides an unadulterated taste of the bayou: redfish soup, crayfish bisque, pecan-crusted catfish, blackened rib-eye, shrimp piquante, jambalaya, étoufée, gumbo and snapping turtle soup all runneth over with savory flavors. Not even pasta, combined with crayfish, sausage, chicken and shrimp, escapes his New Orleans touch. Sulzinski’s classical training also spawns traditional French preparations like chicken Provençal, Nantua and au poivre. For dessert, try the peach Melba, bananas Foster, cherries jubilee and a fine bread pudding with bourbon sauce. And don’t miss Rosamary O’Neal, Creolina’s popular, longtime waitress with the freshest mouth in town. But behind her Pearl Bailey imitation is a consummate professional. Catch her during lunch or on the occasional Saturday evening.

954/473-5351

Grilled shrimp in an orange-ginger sauce. Chicken smothered in a pale almond mole. Roast pork flavored by a bitter citrus marinade and served in a banana frond. No, Cancun is not your basic burrito and refried beans Tex-Mex cantina. Instead, this is Mexican cuisine as it ought to be: imaginative and full-bodied. The traditional Azteca soup rarely found in most Mexican restaurants is a Cancun staple, as are the complex mole sauces that enrich chicken, seafood and tortilla dishes. Other sauces include honey-chipotle, a creamy jalapen*o-mushroom and green tomatillo, purées that are comparable to anything you’d find in Mexico City. Cancun also has the usual run of enchiladas, tacos and quesadillas, but it’s what other Mexican restaurants don’t have that make this Plantation locale a must-stop. (Don’t confuse this Cancun with the Hollywood version.)

561/447-4006

Boca has seen plenty of restaurants come and go in recent years, but Meson Madrid, open since 1995, has stayed the course. And for good reasons: reasonably priced, tasty and authentic Spanish cuisine served in elegant, but not stiff, surroundings. Ninety-two traditional meat, poultry and seafood dishes are prepared in a multitude of styles. Paella is excellent as is the mariscada, or seafood stew. So are the 3-pound porterhouse steaks. And the lobster specials are quite a bargain. Service is highly professional.

Multiple locations

Here is real Japanese "fast food" in a simple luncheonette setting like those seen all over Japan. No tatami mats in intimate booths or teppanyaki grills to wow the tourists. Minimal décor, no-nonsense service and unfailingly polite servers keep things moving. Enjoy sushi, combination rolls, tempura and teriyaki, fried rice and noodle dishes, all reasonably priced. Don’t worry about their fish being fresh, because the turnover is so great, nothing hangs around long enough to spoil. The all-you-can-eat menu is another plus.

954/941-4277

If South Floridians can support such a unique place as owner/chef Zakaria ("Call me Zak") Tadlaoui’s Arab-tented Moroccan restaurant, we must be getting more sophisticated about our food, and that’s a good thing. We like Kasbah’s decorative and culinary authenticity and gracious dining rituals, like sitting on cushions on the floor and the washing of the hands ceremony. An attractive corps of belly dancers only adds to your dining pleasure. For beginners, we recommend the traditional five-course dinner, where neophytes can sample all of Zak’s exotic flavors at one sitting. It’s a refreshing experience not soon forgotten.

954/565-5505

The Taverna is everything a good Greek restaurant should be: owned and operated by Greek people serving liberal potions of traditional ethnic food at modest prices. An accommodating, mostly Greek staff adds to the authenticity. Traditional appetizers like carp roe, beef patties and spinach pie excel. Lamb is served broiled, roasted or by the shank. Moussaka, pastitsio, shrimp and fresh seafood are delicious. Sweet desserts like cinnamon-dusted rice pudding, baklava and yogurt with honey and walnuts were fitting conclusions to a near-perfect ethnic dining experience.

954/966-8161

All those Cubanos who moved to Pembroke Pines after Hurricane Andrew tore the rooftop off south Miami-Dade County flash-back to the old neighborhood with this spinoff of the popular Calle Ocho chain. Like its Miami originals, La Carreta, which means "The Wagon," serves hefty portions of pork, chicken and more pork, with the usual array of side dishes — black beans, plantains and yucca — served unusually well. An army of servers keeps both small and family-size outings moving smoothly, and in a salute to Eighth Street culture, there’s a stand-alone window for those espressos that pack a hurricanelike punch.

954/524-3616

The sign in the small parking lot behind the Tropical Café says it all: "God create good women and Cuban create good sandwich’s." Grammatical errors aside, this roadside counter lives up to its self-righteous claim as having the best Cuban sandwich in Broward County with a classic rendition of the working man’s lunch. Served fresh off an open grill that sweetens the Andrews Avenue air with alluring aromas, Tropical’s sandwich Cubano comes with a helping of ham and pork, a generous portion of pickles, yellow mustard and fresh Cuban bread that has a firm crust and softly baked dough. Seating is at a small counter that fronts Andrews, and the stools aren’t quite high enough to rest your elbows. But you’ll get over that once you bite into the sandwich. Park in the rear, near the signs and abstract paintings.

Multiple locations

Not even the Taj Mahal could serve crispier papadam, more perfectly balanced bhujia or more flavorful curries than does Punjab. Exciting to the palate — whether your preference is mild or hot — the cuisine reaches heights of gustatory glory with butter chicken. Vegetarians are also amply supplied with choices in appetizers and entrées. This family-run restaurant bears an indelible mark of authenticity: It’s the restaurant of choice for Indian families who mark their private celebrations within the three restaurants’ authentically decorated walls.

954/370-0767

With hard-to-find specialties like donburi, boiled eggplant and grilled yellowtail jaw, plus a huge selection of sushi and hot entrées, Ichiban leaves anyone with a yen for Japanese cuisine well-fed. In fact, the menu is so comprehensive — 29 appetizers, 26 entrées, 22 cuts of raw fish — that deciding what to order is the hardest part of eating at Ichiban. You won’t be disappointed with the sushi but the real treasures lie in the more exotic dishes like the pungent yellowtail jaw, the seafood yaki-don (six kinds of fish mixed with even more kinds of veggies) and the donburi (a bowl packed with rice, veggies and meat or fish topped with a fried egg). Ichiban means No. 1 in Japanese and this restaurant lives up to its name.

561/844-9242

Russians don’t just eat. They also sing, dance and listen to live music all night long. And that’s how it is at Simon Feldman’s Tradition, where every meal is a banquet. For the novice, sampler plates provide a comprehensive introduction to Russian cookery. The vegetarian combo offers traditional delicacies like vareniki, potato and cheese blintzes and potato pancakes, appropriately served with apple sauce and sour cream. Also try pelmeni, stuffed cabbage and homemade stuffed derma. Savor the lusty flavors of Russian and Eastern European soul food with beautifully executed chicken Kiev, Cornish hen, beef stroganoff, goulash, shish kebab, hunter’s stew, salmon and trout. Wash it down with kvass, a berry-flavored Russian malt beverage made from fermented rye, barley or black bread. For the opportunity to dine exceptionally well and associate with people as down-to-earth as the food they eat, the drive north is well worth it.

954/978-9477

Those who know there’s more to Chinese cooking than the usual assortment of kung paos, lo meins and chow meins can satisfy their senses at this family-owned-and-operated gem. Located in the Tam O’Shanter Plaza near the new Home Depot, the modestly appointed Yip’s serves the usual array of gringo-friendly dishes but it makes its mark with such offbeat selections as boiled beef slices served over Chinese carrots (a cross between radish and cucumber), fried jellyfish, and clams in a black bean sauce. There are also 34 seafood entrées, including five lobster dishes. Yip’s caters large Chinese weddings, as well, and is a popular outpost for the local Chinese community when it’s looking for something out of the mein-stream.

954/777-3832

If chow mein and egg foo young are your idea of Chinese food, don’t bother. Here, you’ll find authentic, mostly Cantonese cuisine that draws Chinese people from near and far, and is also a mecca for knowledgeable Occidentals. Ocean-fresh seafood, many of them swimming in the restaurant’s tank, and extraordinary vegetables are standouts, and pork, duck, chicken and noodle dishes prepared with myriad flavors are exemplary. Be prepared to enjoy jellyfish with boneless duck feet, fish maws crab meat soup, hot pots with braised oysters, freshly caught eel prepared any way you’d like, baked and salted prawns and pork intestines with preserved sour vegetables.

954/941-2499

Attached to the Sands Hotel, just north of Atlantic Boulevard on the Intracoastal, Joe’s Riverside offers the quintessential setting for seafood lovers. Owner Joe Cascio works the kitchen and his wife, Erica, runs the main room at this informal 180-seater that offers a view of the water from every seat. The food is as good as the view with a selection of fish entrées that includes about a dozen fresh catches each day. The signature dish is the blackened tuna, seared rare, then topped with a dollop of strawberry-jalapen*o butter. Maine lobster is taken from its shell and sautéed in leeks, mushrooms and shrimp then de-glazed in a bourbon whiskey sauce. Stone crabs are available in season and dinner-size servings of bouillabaisse and zuppa di pesce are mainstays on the daily menu. There’s outdoor seating on the veranda, which makes Joe’s quintessential on pleasant nights.

954/763-8163

Freshness and creativity are what sushi lovers look for most, and Japanese Village delivers on both counts. Tuna, salmon, shrimp, snapper, dolphin and soft-shell crab are among the cuts served à la carte and in the menu of special rolls, which include the dream roll (hamachi, tuna, salmon), the spider roll (cooked soft shell crab) and the Las Olas roll (tuna, masago, avocado). While there are a number of comparable sushi haunts throughout the area, Japanese Village has something that distinguishes it from others: a citified, downtown atmosphere and sidewalk seating in the heart of Fort Lauderdale.

954/485-6079

With 18 extra large bowls of soup on an already voluminous menu, Nam Long easily takes the ladle in this category. The subtle broths — mostly chicken, fish and beef, plus one decadent duck — come full of fresh-chopped vegetables, aromatic herbs like basil and mint, and a choice of egg, rice or clear noodles. Soups come in two sizes: medium, which is big enough to share as an appetizer, and large, which is big enough for a meal. Soup, however, isn’t the only reason to eat at this health-conscious eatery, which is now in its 10th year. Red snapper in lemon grass, pork in a caramel sauce and chicken and veggies served in a fried noodle basket make Nam Long a must-try for any discerning palate.

954/523-8636

It takes several months to grow a conch big enough to eat. It takes one bowl of conch chowder, one conch sandwich or one conch fritter at Ernie’s to appreciate all the time and effort that goes into growing that conch. Since it opened in 1951, Ernie’s has made its reputation on the chewy shellfish, which is now farmed for restaurants instead of fished from area waters. Under the motto "Where conch is king," Ernie’s (named for former bootlegger Ernie Silbert) serves up the chowder and the sandwich with a tangy sauce that has made it a favored stop for tourists and locals alike.

Too Jay’s, multiple locations

For a thick, delicious, New York-style corned beef sandwich with all the trimmings, seek out any one of eight Too Jay’s locations in South Florida, from Boca Raton to Vero Beach. Last year, they sold more than 400,000, 6-ounce (nonkosher) Hebrew National corned beef sandwiches, which they serve on thick slices of freshly baked rye bread. With all the "authentic New York delis" in the area peddling corned beef, this is the real deal.

561/998-3881

Expensive and proud of it, this South Carolina-based chain has upped the ante in the Boca steakhouse sweepstakes. It’s attractive in the way pricey steakhouses should be: mahogany walls, wood floors and crisp white linens on the tables. Beef is USDA Prime, which is why you’ll pay upwards of $30 for a New York strip, rib steak and chops. A Caesar salad will set you back $9 and the classic beefsteak tomato and onion salad another $9. Hash browns go for $8.50 and everything is à la carte. But what the heck? This is Boca, the economy is strong and even Alan Greenspan likes steak.

954/568-1208

Talk about giving back to your customers. Each Sunday, Granny’s owner Judy Toner serves a $6.95 prime rib dinner that’ll hold you over well into Monday, her way of thanking the people who have kept this hard-to-find, 28-seat bar in business for 16 years. "I spoil ’em rotten," Toner says. "People say I don’t think of myself, but look what I get, nice people." Granny’s Sunday dinner features a juicy fresh cut of prime rib with a horseradish dressing that is accompanied by a baked potato, coleslaw and garlic toast. There’s Guinness and Harp on tap, 10 barstools, a pool table and country music on the jukebox. Look for Granny’s just north of Oakland Park Boulevard off Dixie Highway on 11th Avenue. If you can’t get to the prime rib on Sunday, check out Toner’s fish and chips each Friday.

954/565-5599

As the world becomes more complicated, and less dependable, true fulfillment and perfection are harder to find. Whenever you feel life isn’t all it was promised when you were a kid, there’s always Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts to remind you that mankind still can rise to an idyllic state. A Michelangelo sculpture, a Japanese garden, a Krispy Kreme doughnut: all beautiful in their symmetry and timeless appeal. The only difference, of course, is you can eat a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Never has glaze been so evenly distributed on a doughy disc — no cracks, no unsightly drips and no pruning or dusting necessary. And you thought it was just a doughnut.

561/272-7766

Specializing mainly in omelets and tuna melts, The Green Owl’s burgers are representative of the place itself: simple and homey. The lean ground turkey breast is lightly seasoned and not overpowered by any of those fancy toppings one might find in a chain restaurant that wants to impress based on looks. You can get cheese, onions and whatever condiment you like, and that’s pretty much it. You’re not overwhelmed by appearance, just taste. The burgers here have the same quality you might find with the burgers your mom used to make at home.

954/942-1633

A favored haunt of celebrity chefs Giani Respinto and Mark Millitello, the Calypso Pub elevates chicken wings to a gourmet finger food with a selection of six homemade sauces that span the globe. The South is represented by a barbecue sauce spiced with ginger and garlic. There’s a French-style basil and mustard sauce; a Jamaican jerk; a teriyaki and cracked black pepper; a spicy red habanero sauce; and curry. You can soothe the palate with one of eight draft or 40 bottled beers, or with a glass of wine from a list of 10 wineries. Chef/part-owner Chuck Ternosky also gives a mostly Caribbean spin to conch and fresh-caught fish. The atmosphere is casual, but the menu is for anyone serious about food.

954/523-7100

This really is heaven for hot dog lovers, who get pure beef Vienna dogs prepared Chicago style. After you eat a Hot Dog Heaven wiener you’ll know why Chicago is the city of big shoulders. This plump beauty comes buried beneath a mess of mustard, relish, onion, pickles, tomatoes and hot peppers, just the way Windy City street vendors used to do it in the 1930s. Owners Barry and Pamela Star have been serving these magnificent pups for nearly 22 years now. Any place that can stay in business that long with the name Hot Dog Heaven must be doing something right. The Stars also serve up divine French fries, grilled chicken sandwiches, Italian and Polish sausage, quarter-pound ground-chuck burgers and roast beef sandwiches.

954/390-0191

Not only is this one of the friendliest places in town, but this charming and intimate neighborhood bar does wonders with Louisiana oysters and a small but enticing Creole-Cajun menu that would make Paul Prudhomme proud. Oysters are a specialty: harvested at and shipped directly from Christmas Camp Lake in Louisiana. Each case has a lot number and shipping date to authenticate freshness and point of origin. Enjoy them raw or lightly fried, delicate as popovers, or broiled, topped with bacon and Parmesan cheese. Crawfish are seasonal but oysters are forever.

954/792-0068

On a hot day, nothing tops a fresh fruit milk shake from Batten’s. Make any combination you want from the following flavors: strawberry, chocolate, banana, vanilla, orange, guava, mango, papaya, coconut, pineapple, Key lime, pin*a colada and passion fruit. The price is right, too. It’s $1.75 for a small, $2 for a large and $2.50 for an extra-large.

954/524-5200

The pizza isn’t the headliner item at this high-energy Italian bistro, but it could be. The two Louies serve up their pies the way they oughta be — with a thin crust, a light tomato sauce and not too much cheese. The basic margherita pizza (a little basil added to the aforementioned) is simple and beautiful. The more elaborate pies, particularly the rosemary chicken and grilled vegetable toppings, only improve on a good thing. And unlike some of the lead-ball pizza plated at more heavy-handed pizzerias, a Louie Louie pie will leave you feeling svelte enough for a little stroll on Las Olas afterwards.

954/922-4232

A hearty slice of Chicago in Hollywood, Capone’s steers clear of designer pies in favor of a more traditional model that is as enduring as the broad-shouldered Midwestern city from which they originated. Since opening on the Intracoastal in the mid-1960s, the family-owned Flicker Lite has served quality pies made from traditional ingredients in a waterfront setting that is the envy of other parlors. There’s dockside seating out back and the brick-walled, sports-bar interior is as cozy and familial as those lovely, deep-dish pizza that come out of the oven.

954/704-0100

Designed with hints of a Tuscan farmhouse, Big Tomato lives up to its name with an interior lovingly cluttered with large cans of imported tomatoes and a large painted mural of the Italian purveyor Sclafani on the back wall. The saucy spirit isn’t lost in the menu, either, which includes homey renditions of the Italian classics, including, of course, specialty pizza. A true pie shape with their high-backed crust, the 10- and 14-inch pizza are base-lined with a generous portion of tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. The toppings are distributed just as generously, with both traditional (sausage, pepperoni, black olives) and gourmet ingredients (sun-dried tomato, roasted red pepper, grilled chicken) available. A favored specialty pie is the White Popeye Pizza, which comes with ricotta cheese and spinach. In an area being overrun by franchised fare, it’s no wonder the quirky Big Tomato packs ’em in at lunch and dinner.

954/473-0000

La Piazza opened to raves last year with a Long Island-style pizza that has plenty of taste whether it’s served plain or with all the gourmet accouterments now familiar to even the most traditional parlors. There are two menus to choose from, one with the tried-and-true toppings and another that successfully elaborates on the art form with very un-pizzalike ingredients, including barbecued chicken, artichoke hearts and even mashed potatoes and bacon.

954/943-4752

Pasquale’s serves pizza the old-fashioned Neapolitan way, meaning no frou-frou toppings like zucchini or artichokes. Instead, this modest storefront located just before the Intracoastal makes heavyweight pies from homemade dough, high-quality grande mozzarella cheese and a full ladle of tomato sauce. The toppings (pepperoni, sausage, peppers, mushrooms and the like) may not be gourmet, but Pasquale’s pies are fresh, abundant and delicious. You can get takeout or you can chow down at one of the red checkerboard tables in a 34-seat dining room that is as unpretentious as the pizza.

561/997-8190

For the past 19 years, the Foto family has owned and operated Foto’s — mother Pauline and son Vincent in the kitchen, brother Frank out front. A stone oven heated to 550 degrees turns out excellent New York-style pizza. Tomato sauce is made fresh every day from its constituent ingredients, domestic cheeses are first quality and all the toppings, including bacon, ziti and meatballs, are positively fresh — some are even made in-house. Hand-tossed pizza dough comes from an old Foto family recipe. With mirrored walls and glass-topped tables, Foto’s is as pure a family-run Italian eatery as there is.

561/833-4004

The delicious, almost briochelike crust is ethereally light, toppings are liberally applied and pizza rolls are a meal unto themselves. Besides the usual pizza toppings, Two Girls offers spinach, broccoli, anchovies and jalapen*o peppers. Gourmet toppings include portobello mushrooms, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, Gorgonzola, ricotta and goat cheeses and eggplant. Or have one lasagna style, all-vegetarian, with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach and broccoli. Pizza rolls, all with fresh mozzarella, can be filled with broccoli, chicken, sausage, peppers and vegetables. They also offer appetizers, hot hero sandwiches and baked pasta. But pizza is their strength, which is considerable, indeed.

Multiple locations

If you’re looking for a sub shop that deserves hero worship, then stop in at La Spada, where subs are served bigger, faster and better than anywhere. And we mean anywhere. Whether you’re packing the cooler for a tailgate party or dropping by on a solo run, La Spada’s buns are stuffed with a large variety of fresh and flavorful ingredients that shame most sub shops, especially the franchises. And, again, whether you’re stocking up for a party or taking a quick lunch break on the job, La Spada’s assembly line of hoagie-makers slaps on the meat and tomatoes with the sort of grace under pressure that truly is heroic.

954/566-2880

Veteran restaurateurs (in Florida since 1973) Christine and Pierre Morin serve crepes, nearly 50 of them, as appetizers, entrées and desserts, and any filling you choose is a good one. Soups are homemade and salads unique. Crepe Suzettes with Grand Mariner make an excellent dessert. Décor is attractive, service is amiable and the price is right. Crepes would be a delightful alternative to a standard dinner under any circumstances, but here you’ll enjoy crepes at their best. And for the price, a better dining value would be hard to find.

954/941-9425

A perennial winner in this category, Le Tub does dolphin justice with both its preparation — fire-grilled and served on a fresh bun — and its presentation — a dockside setting on the Intracoastal Waterway that makes any meal better. Like the bread it’s served on, the dolphin is fresh and oversized. A squeeze of lemon juice is enough to season this catch, but tartar sauce is available for those who like a few fat grams with their fish. You won’t go wrong either way, especially at sunset, when every everlasting bite becomes even more beautiful.

954/522-6620

Unparalleled. Unbelievable. In honor of their fifth consecutive award for Best Veal Chop, we ever-so-humbly reprint the ode to Bistro Mezzaluna perfection that we first ran in 1996. We ran it again last year and, damn it, we’ll keep running it until a challenger steps up to the "plate" and knocks the champ out: It’s huge. It’s so thick, so moist, so tender that you could cut it with a fork, and when it appears tableside, you fight the urge to pick it up in your arms and parade about the restaurant like a proud father with his first-born son. Instead, you pause, hush those about you into respectful silence and, with a flourish reserved for such special moments — your first kiss or the taunting of a mad bull in a dusty Spanish ring — you wield your knife. It rests beneath you on a roasted garlic and wine reduction, cozying up to creamy mashed potatoes and grilled baby vegetables. It’s the 16-ounce veal rib chop at Bistro Mezzaluna, and it’s the best there is. The crowd roars.

954/468-2000

It took all of about two days for the Samba Room to become the place for lunch in downtown Fort Lauderdale. From the minute it opened its doors, this Latin sophisticate has beguiled the Las Olas Boulevard corridor like a beautiful woman from a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. With muted lighting and a sleek design that conjures the sensual decadence of Old Havana, Samba serves up a nouvelle Brasilero-Cubano-Pan American menu that puts a New World spin on classics like ropa vieja, skirt steak and arroz con pollo, while adding a few distinctive dishes that aren’t available anywhere else on the boulevard. Be careful with the xinxim, which places shrimp and chicken in a curried coconut broth filled with bits of cashew and peanut. Once you have it, you may not be able to order anything else.

954/525-5022

Max’s upgrades a day at the beach with a menu that puts a gourmet spin on a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches and specialty dishes. From a second floor, southeast corner perch at Beach Place, beachgoers can luxuriate in comfy mahogany wood booths while sampling Chardonnay-steamed mussels served with smoked tomatoes and garlic, or a shrimp salad tossed with avocado, tomato and corn. The grilled chicken breast sandwich stands apart from the usual beach fare with a layering of mozzarella cheese and prosciutto. You can even get some comfort food — a sun-dried cranberry turkey meatloaf or a Southern-fried steak sandwich — that’ll leave you laying in the sand like a beached whale.

Sea bass

Conservation groups estimate that more than 50 percent of the world’s sea bass population has already been fished, much of it by unregistered sea vessels. Where is all that sea bass going? To area restaurants, apparently. In the past couple of years, the delectably tender, snow-white fish has found its way onto nearly every gourmet menu in South Florida, where it’s been served in ceviche, dusted with porcini mushrooms and charred over a fiery grill. While it’s no more flavorful than red snapper or pompano, sea bass is newer and trendier, which, in these parts, counts for everything. It’s been so trendy, however, that it is literally being eaten to death. Some estimate that at the current rate, sea bass could be extinct in as little as three years. So, do the ocean a favor. Save the sea bass and order snapper next time you want fish.

954/565-5569

A patio-side view of the Atlantic and a great menu prepared by an award-winning kitchen make East City Grill an ideal restaurant to do business at the expense of the IRS. Talk about first quarter earnings over a wok-sautéed yellowtail snapper. Discuss stock options over an ancho honey barbecue pulled pork wrap. Make plans to sell widgets on the Internet while munching on a Cuban sandwich, beer-battered fish and chips or a Philly cheese steak. After lunch, make like a European and sip cappuccino while watching beachgoers frolic in the ocean. Maybe order dessert, perhaps an apéritif, and dream about the day you’re rich enough to eat lunch without having to worry about getting back to the office. Maybe call back to the office and tell the boss lunch is going great, but you’re going to need another hour to close the deal. Order another apéritif. What the hell, get a bottle of wine, make travel plans, talk about whatever comes to mind, milk every moment of this beautiful restaurant on this beautiful beach. Just remember to grab the receipt before you finally go back to real work.

Deerfield Beach

We jest ever so slightly with the heading on this category because last Nov. 12, staffers at this popular beachside restaurant did what every employee in Florida dreams of: They won the lottery. Actually, half the lottery, about $4.5 million, which split 12 ways came to $375,000 per winner. When news of the story got around on the restaurant circuit, Whale’s Rib owner George Williams was deluged with job applicants, people who figured those lotto winners would quit come Monday. But to Williams’ surprise, none did until just recently when four bought homes outside the area and moved. The others are still dishing out fresh and delicious sandwiches, salads and seafood and building on that nice new nest egg.

561/392-1838

Antonio Pepaj’s beautifully appointed La Finestra serves extraordinarily tender Provini veal in all its succulent manifestations. From the simple, rapidly grilled Paillard to his massive veal chops and killer rack of veal. Sauces complement but don’t suffocate his fancier preparations. Vitello Normandine has fork-tender scaloppine sautéed with sliced apples in a sweet raspberry Calvados sauce garnished with fresh strawberries. Stella di mare presents rolled scaloppine liberally stuffed with crabmeat and lobster, spiked with Gorgonzola and sautéed in Chardonnay, plum tomatoes and mushrooms. Whatever version you select, it’s going to be the very best veal you’ve tasted, because it’s done by a man who understands and loves his veal.

954/467-5867

When one travels to England, fish and chips are served in huge portions with malt vinegar and wrapped in newspaper. Well, you get the same thing at Lord Nelson’s (minus the newspaper, Americans aren’t ready for that) and what a treat it is. Feast on a huge portion of Icelandic cod, dipped in English batter and made from scratch with beer, a recipe that owners Robin and Marie Brisland jokingly say was passed down from Lord Nelson himself. You’ll enjoy the light fish coated in the not-at-all greasy batter, cooked to golden brown perfection. The chips are large flat wedges that, when put together, probably equal two whole Idaho potatoes. Sop on the malt vinegar, enjoy a pint and have a bloody good meal.

561/586-0707

Rob Kaye and Chris Kocielski’s whimsical little restaurant in the heart of a renascent downtown Lake Worth serves "twisted Southern food." Enjoy country classics like fried green tomatoes; frog’s legs; an all-crab crab cake; New York strip stuffed with fried oysters, wrapped with bacon and served with collard greens; fried, pecan-encrusted catfish filets; hickory-smoked rabbit with Brussels sprouts, grilled rum apples and a sweet potato tart; poached shrimp and oysters with pecan honey dressing; and several other dishes from a menu that changes biweekly. Cajun corn is a superior side dish, and you must try the cornbread pizza, topped with cheddar cheese, tasso and green tomatoes.

954/491-7873

This is a retro, 1940s-style restaurant and club that serves some very fine food. The bustling, smoke-filled lounge is populated by what appear to be extras from movies of that era, some listening, others dancing to live music like swing, jazz, Louis Prima and Keely Smith and a young Sinatra. You’re ushered to your plush, red velvet seat by a New Jersey-accented maitre d’ — black silk trousers and black crew-neck shirt under a formal white dinner jacket — wondering if this place is really about food. But it is: Shrimp Coco Lopez, rack of lamb, filet mignon and poultry all impeccably prepared and richly sauced.

954/424-8000

Since originally opening in the late-1980s as part of the Dennis Max chain, Brasserie Max has served the kind of high-quality nouveau American cuisine that is rarely, if ever, found in a major mall. The Max tradition has endured under a new owner with a menu that includes nut-crusted dolphin, sesame-seared tuna and filet mignon in a Gorgonzola red wine sauce. This is nothing like the franchised fare that’s usually passed off on hungry shoppers. Sandwiches, appetizers and desserts also make this restaurant worth a trip to the mall, even if you don’t do any shopping.