PL8 Closed

When the Himmarshee Bar and Grille rebranded to PL8 Kitchen, I wondered what they were thinking. The Himmarshee Bar and Grille was a solid brand, even though it had fallen far since it's heyday in the early turn of the century. It was clear that they knew little about marketing; you don't throw away tons of free press in Google's archives just for the heck of it; particularly when your new Brand name offers little interest. PL8 Kitchen isn't inspiring, nor does it tell you anything about what you're getting.

Word is that the business was sold, but the deal fell through. So we have another big empty space in town.

The truth is that the Himmarshee Bar and Grille started it's death spiral when long time Chef Youssef Hammi left to man the kitchen at the short-lived Chow in Boca Raton. While Chef Chris Miracolo kept the place going, he was largely just pumped up by the New Times' propaganda crew; the place was never any good with him at the helm.

The Himmarshee Bar and Grille and PL8 are a good example of businesses running on the fumes of past success; like a wine that has a stellar year because of superior grapes and then mindlessly is considered in the same light long after the crop is diminished.

I hope the new owners aren't more of the same; more of the same handful of people who keep opening bad establishments that keep Fort Lauderdale from evolving into something better. The side bar is part of the old, arrogant Fort Lauderdale that needs to go away. Owner David Nicholas was involved in the Vicino's debacle; the restaurant that occupied the ROK:BRGR space for one off season. The restaurant was never intended to succeed; ROK:BRGR already was branded and planned before Vicino's opened. People that open bad restaurants on purpose deserve to go out of business.

Another restaurant "highly rated" by New Times bites the dust. We can only hope it happens to them next, so the misinformation can end.