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Tipico CafeTo Hell with Fresh Mexican Grills; who needs that stuff when you can get real Mexican food at Tipico? With one of these fast food "Fresh Mexican" places opening every month, it's easy to forget why we like Mexican food in the first place. The Tipico Cafe refreshed my memory.
It's easy to miss this place in a shopping center where it partially hides behind some shrubberies. There are a couple of tables outside, and the inside is one small room with a bar where I wouldn't want to dine; no TVs and music you might not expect; from Teenage Dream to Smashmouth.
I've gotten a lot of wrong impressions of this place from Yelp, which is why you can't use Yelp to make your choices. There servers here are professional; no nonesense; they just [Full Article]
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The Restaurant People, operators of Tarpon Bend, YOLO and VIBE, plan to open a 7000 square foot restaurant on the ground floor of the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach. The name of the new venue will be S3, an acronym for Sun, Surf and Sand (or Sushi Steak and Seafood). Partners Peter Boulukos, Alan Hooper and Tim Petrillo have been considering the move for 3 years. The group has received plan approval from the city and construction will begin
New River Pizza has moved across the street; which only makes a difference if you would consider dining in at a pizzeria. Before they had some counters and tables but it wasn't a place you could come for a meal. The downside of the new location is that there's a separate area for picking up takeout, and it's much worse that picking up at the old location. There's a small, cramped area, which is bad enough, but it's also where all of the
The new restaurant replacing Rare Las Olas will be named The Grille on Las Olas, a new concept by real estate magnate Jeffery R Anderson of Cincinnati, OH. Anderson got his start in the restaurant business operating 7 Chi-Chis franchises and currently operates the Pinon Grill in Boca Raton and Brimstone Woodfire Grill in Pembroke Pines here in South Florida. Their
Morton's is one of the best known steakhouse brand names in the country, and they were recently acquired by Landry's, a restaurant group that currently has 37 brands in it's portfolio. Last spring, Morton's put itself up for sale, and in February Landry's closed the deal. They quickly shuttered 8 locations, primarily in areas where there were 2 stores in the same city (they closed the Miami Beach location in favor of the location in Brickell).
Red, The Steakhouse opened their second South Florida location in the Wyndham Hotel. It's located on an annoyingly difficult to get to strip of Military Trail, in the former location of Bova Cucina, one of the restaurants that went down in the Rothstein ponzi scandal. What's annoying about it is that Military Trail runs under Glades just west of Route 95, and there's no direct way to get here. So you have to circle around or drive through Executive
In early March, Inside Fort Lauderdale broke the news that Paul Lynch, owner of a number of Hooter's restaurants and a partner in Lulu's Bait Shack, will open a "high end" Irish pub called the Royal Pig Pub in the space previously occupied by the Samba Room at 350 E Las Olas Boulevard. Originally to be called "The Dancing Pig Pub"; perhaps the name was a little too suggestive for conservative Las Olas Boulevard. The Royal Pig
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After 30 years, Vincent Carinci has left Don & Vinny's and the place will now be named Don & Sal's. I didn't really like the place, so maybe it will be an improvement? Note that despite the hours posted on their facebook page, Don & Sal's will not be open for lunch until next season.
Interestingly, they haven't filed any name change application 
Melissa McCart has left the building. She blew out of town on Sunday morning. She seemed genuinely relieved; as if a long ordeal was coming to an end. So she left town; back to DC; back to her real friends; back to the safe feeling you get when everyone sees things the same way that you do.
She spent her short time here pumping up mediocre 
UPDATE: I ran into someone who knows Philippe Chow CEO Stratis Morfogen personally and he indicated that Philippe is definitely a NO-GO. They dodged quite a bullet.
Still no confirmation on rumors that Buckhead's will open a variation of their Chops Lobster Bar Concept called Lobster Bar Grille.
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Philippe Recent Openings
Rosso Italia is a sister restaurant to Red, the Steakhouse with which it shares a parking lot. They recently started to serve lunch, but I don't think anyone knows yet, because there was only 1 other person in the restaurant.
The decor is Italian Modern, with an emphasis on white. Splashes of Red finish the dining room, which is a big, single 
You know the building. For years, downtown residents drove by the building with the name, "Biagio's" hand painted on the front; wondering if it would ever open. Owner Richard Alteri finally obtained a license in December, but ran out of money before he could open. He sold the Business to Elliot Wolf, who also owns Coconuts and G&B Oyster Bar.
I Coming Soon
Another Pei Wei will be opening in the same triplex as Shula Burger and Chipotle, in the same parking lot as Bimini Boatyard and Bravo. 
Arjan's is closed, and a new take out place will be opening in it's place. Ribs, Roaster Chickens and Chorizo Sandwiches.... Closed
Taza is closed and a Carrabba's Italian Grill will be opening in it's place.
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Taza Mediterranean, or Ferdo's South, is a somewhat nicer space owned by the same people who own Ferdo's Grill. The menu is virtually identical, as is the preparation. Its pretty good as middle east fare goes.
They also have belly dancing on Saturdays,