dcandohio Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 I am living here full-time now, and finally getting to explore the scene more carefully. A wonderful find in Wilton manors is Le Patio, A tiny restaurant on a side street. True to its name, most of the seating, probably eight tables, is on a shady, romantic patio. The menu is largely French inspired for appetizers, and Italian inspired for mains. Two women turn out some very tasty food from a closet-sized kitchen. Prices are quite reasonable for Fort Lauderdale, and portions are generous, including wine pours. It's not a tourist spot, and it's quiet, and great for relaxing conversation. Highly recommended if you are searching for an intimate kind of experience in the Wilton Manors area. Reservations essential, especially during the busy winter season. http://lepatiowiltonmanors.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 Alexsandra's in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Jamaican food. Soooo yummy. I had jerk chicken just to try the place out, and a generous lunch portion was $7.95. The chicken was spicy but not overly so, with a beautiful grilled, smoky flavor and tender flesh. The jerk seasoning was a riot of flavors. The chicken came on top of a bland looking, but surprisingly spicy rice with beans and some stewed cabbage. I added their habanero sauce on the side. It's a tiny storefront in a strip center in Lauderdale by the Sea, a few blocks from the beach. It's plain in the extreme, with a very few tables inside, and a couple outside, designed largely for takeout. Can't wait to try the rest of their brief menu which includes brown stew chicken, curry chicken, curry goat and ox tail stew. The large sizes of the meals are only 11 or $12. Great for takeout if you are anywhere near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. What a great little gem. http://alexsandrascafe.com/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 If you decide to have your Fort Lauderdale area vacation in Hollywood, you should definitely check out the yellow Green farmers market. http://www.ygfarmersmarket.com/ It is long aisles of produce, jewelry, imported clothing, incense, soaps, and all kinds of food. There's almost every kind of food stall imaginable, from Belgian waffles to Ethiopian, from Thai to vegan ice cream. You can buy handmade mozzarella, locally made smoked fish dip, all kinds of exotic fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, in season vegetables, spices, teas...all while drinking alcohol, because you may buy and consume while you are perusing this market. On a day like today, the market is hot. I wanted Ethiopian food, which was delicious, but a hard thing to really enjoy on a very hot day. It's such a riot of color, and smell, and flavor that I encourage anyone who is close by to deal with the insanity of the parking and have this experience. It's not far from the intersection of I 95 and Sheridan. And just to tempt you, the plums I bought today were absolutely the best ones I've ever eaten in my entire life! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 Seriously delicious food in Fort Lauderdale! Hot and Soul is in a very strange strip mall on the south west corner of Oakland and Commercial, not far from the Oakland Park beaches or the Lauderdale by the Sea beaches. Thank hair salons, odd boutiques, and real estate agents. The place doesn't even have much signage, but it is on the western side of the strip mall. It specializes in comfort food from across the world, but there's a strong Cajun influence. I had a fried red snapper on shrimp etouffee, and my friend had lamb tangine. Holy shit. Delicious, soulful food. The menu runs from Currys to mussels to Southern style barbecue. It's not a large menu, but every item sounds so amazing and enticing. After our dinner, we declared it perhaps the best food we have ever had in Fort Lauderdale. Service was sketchy. Who cares? http://m.hotandsoul.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 On 11/15/2017 at 8:08 PM, dcandohio said: Seriously delicious food in Fort Lauderdale! Hot and Soul is in a very strange strip mall on the south west corner of Oakland and Commercial, not far from the Oakland Park beaches or the Lauderdale by the Sea beaches. Thank hair salons, odd boutiques, and real estate agents. The place doesn't even have much signage, but it is on the western side of the strip mall. It specializes in comfort food from across the world, but there's a strong Cajun influence. I had a fried red snapper on shrimp etouffee, and my friend had lamb tangine. Holy shit. Delicious, soulful food. The menu runs from Currys to mussels to Southern style barbecue. It's not a large menu, but every item sounds so amazing and enticing. After our dinner, we declared it perhaps the best food we have ever had in Fort Lauderdale. Service was sketchy. Who cares? http://m.hotandsoul.com/ I assume you mean Oakland Park and Federal Highway, since Commercial and Oakland park are parallel... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 9 hours ago, DanielK said: I assume you mean Oakland Park and Federal Highway, since Commercial and Oakland park are parallel... Duh. You are correct. I should proofread more carefully before I post after a couple of glasses of wine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 1 hour ago, dcandohio said: Duh. You are correct. I should proofread more carefully before I post after a couple of glasses of wine! BTW - continued thanks for posting the Broward updates! I grew up in Coral Springs, and still come home to visit twice a year. Usually once to CS in Feb, and then Thanksgiving at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. We always include Basilic and Aruba Beach in our visit, and stone crabs from Fish Peddler. We will probably give Vincent's a try this year, based on your rec. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 17 minutes ago, DanielK said: BTW - continued thanks for posting the Broward updates! I grew up in Coral Springs, and still come home to visit twice a year. Usually once to CS in Feb, and then Thanksgiving at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. We always include Basilic and Aruba Beach in our visit, and stone crabs from Fish Peddler. We will probably give Vincent's a try this year, based on your rec. I wish I had more to report from this part of the world. Vincent's is now called Vinny's. Same menu, same employees, same owner. Taco bar on Oakland, sandwiched between middle River Drive and Federal Highway, across from Coral Ridge mall, has good, fresh homemade food. Tasty, spicy sauces. Alexsandra's on Commercial near Frenchy's is great for take out Jamaican. I've only had appetizers at tropical krave near basilic, in the former Italian place, but what I saw coming out of the kitchen looked good. I haven't hit up fish peddler lately, but your post reminds me to do so during Stone crab season. Enjoy your Thanksgiving visit… The weather is glorious today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Can't wait for Thanksgiving! We won't have cars, and while we could cab/Uber/etc., generally if we can't walk there from Southern Seas (a few blocks north of Commercial), we don't bother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted August 3, 2019 Share Posted August 3, 2019 Cafe Martorano Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted August 3, 2019 Share Posted August 3, 2019 10 hours ago, DonRocks said: Cafe Martorano No. I live really close to that place, and it has a reputation as being only for the “see and be seen crowd.” Reviews by locals are uniformly awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferris Bueller Posted August 4, 2019 Share Posted August 4, 2019 On 8/3/2019 at 8:21 AM, dcandohio said: No. I live really close to that place, and it has a reputation as being only for the “see and be seen crowd.” Reviews by locals are uniformly awful. Truly a shame if that is the case. It was great back in the day before all the fame and fortune...the food was exceptional and the eclectic nature of the place just fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted August 4, 2019 Share Posted August 4, 2019 5 hours ago, Ferris Bueller said: Truly a shame if that is the case. It was great back in the day before all the fame and fortune...the food was exceptional and the eclectic nature of the place just fun. I don’t know what it was like back in the day, but Fort Lauderdale has changed a lot and the “see and be seen“ crowd is in Las Olas or elsewhere. I could walk to Martorano‘s in 15 minutes, and in the four years of owning here not one person I know has ever suggested going. I am active in some Facebook food groups, and when suggestions come up for Italian dining or dining in the area, Martorano’s is never suggested. Recently I met a lady at happy hour and we were talking about Italian food, and she said something about going to Martorano’s, and I asked her about the food. She told me she only went for happy hour drinks, and would never eat food there. All anecdotal evidence, for sure, and I am not likely to try it, as it is very expensive and there are SO MANY choices here for Italian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferris Bueller Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 No reservations 1+ hour wait every night The owner/chef's mom often worked the hostess stand Kitchen was completely open and active, fun to watch No menu $$$$$ Only served beer and wine - had a great selection of both All waiters wore pagers even though place was small, they were paged when food was ready and had to drop what they were doing to serve it immediately. If you knew the owner he would send complimentary apps to you while waiting in the bar, being from South Philly, the Philly Cheesesteak was silly good. Block of Parmigiano Reggiano prominently displayed on the corner of kitchen bar area, which they shaved pieces off of and added to their EVOO to go with your fresh baked bread, when seated. TVs around the restaurant playing Ragin' Bull, The Godfather, Sopranos episodes etc - when a particularly classic scene came on the volume was increased and everyone stopped talking and watched the movie for 30-45 seconds. 9 PM - Barry White was cranked up and TV volumes decreased, basically turned into a sudo-dining, nightclub atmosphere where people may have danced and enjoyed music while finishing up their meals. Closed the restaurant the month of August and spent time in NJ cooking for the cast and crew of the Sopranos when it was filming - this was done multiple years in a row, hence the larger-than-life framed, signed poster of the cast in the rear of the restaurant. Back in the day....I have probably eaten there 25 times and never had an issue with service, food or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 10 hours ago, Ferris Bueller said: No reservations 1+ hour wait every night The owner/chef's mom often worked the hostess stand Kitchen was completely open and active, fun to watch No menu $$$$$ Only served beer and wine - had a great selection of both All waiters wore pagers even though place was small, they were paged when food was ready and had to drop what they were doing to serve it immediately. If you knew the owner he would send complimentary apps to you while waiting in the bar, being from South Philly, the Philly Cheesesteak was silly good. Block of Parmigiano Reggiano prominently displayed on the corner of kitchen bar area, which they shaved pieces off of and added to their EVOO to go with your fresh baked bread, when seated. TVs around the restaurant playing Ragin' Bull, The Godfather, Sopranos episodes etc - when a particularly classic scene came on the volume was increased and everyone stopped talking and watched the movie for 30-45 seconds. 9 PM - Barry White was cranked up and TV volumes decreased, basically turned into a sudo-dining, nightclub atmosphere where people may have danced and enjoyed music while finishing up their meals. Closed the restaurant the month of August and spent time in NJ cooking for the cast and crew of the Sopranos when it was filming - this was done multiple years in a row, hence the larger-than-life framed, signed poster of the cast in the rear of the restaurant. Back in the day....I have probably eaten there 25 times and never had an issue with service, food or anything. It sounds like you had many good experiences there. I’ve heard a lot of stories about the place, “back in the day.” All I know now is that Café Martorano does take reservations, and the website shows the menu, sans prices. The website also promotes Martorano’s branded merchandise. There has been some painting and refreshing going on for the exterior of the restaurant, but the rest of that strip is pretty unappealing, like a lot of Fort Lauderdale strip malls! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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