GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE'S CHIC DINING SCENE
Twelve New Restaurants Add to Culinary Offerings

GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - March 9, 2009 - Having recently expanded its culinary scene, Greater Fort Lauderdale can now tantalize visitor taste buds with a dozen new dining options. Restaurants such as Morton's The Steakhouse (downtown Fort Lauderdale), da Campo Osteria, a Todd English restaurant at il Lugano Suite Hotel along the Intracoastal Waterway, and China Grill Fort Lauderdale in the Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel, also along the waterway, are just a few of the options making stomachs rumble.

The following is a list of 12 new and soon-to-be open restaurants destined to claim a coveted spot within the destination's top ten restaurants:

1.    The newest "kid on the Boulevard" is Bova Prime, located on East Las Olas Boulevard. This Italian Steakhouse has sex appeal with flowing white drapery and a menu with everything from meats to pastas. Signature plates include grilled langostinos (Sicilian style ‘charcoal grilled' prawns, baby mache salad and fries) or the steak and lobster (filet mignon and Maine lobster tail Oreganata served with asparagus risotto).

2.    China Grill Fort Lauderdale in the Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel is set to impress with its Asian-inspired world cuisine and unmatched views of the beautiful Intracoastal Waterway. With the talents of Chef Keyvan Behnam, diners can delight in delicious menu items including lobster pancakes, stir-fried with red chili coconut milk and scallions; lamb spareribs, with a plum sesame glaze; and grilled Szechuan beef, infused with sake, soy, shallots, and cilantro.

3.    In November 2008, internationally renowned chef and restaurateur, Todd English opened his newest restaurant, da Campo Osteria, located in the il Lugano Suite Hotel, a trendy boutique hotel along the Intracoastal at Oakland Park Boulevard. Designed by distinguished architect and restaurant designer, Bob Puccini, da Campo Osteria features panoramic views of the Intracoastal Waterway as well as Northern Italian fare that pays homage to English's Tuscan roots.

4.    Water, water everywhere, helps this seaside place live up to its name. A hot casual eatery along the Fort Lauderdale beachfront, H2O evokes a watery theme throughout and draws an eclectic crowd that ranges from chic professionals to bathing suit-clad beachgoers. Avant-garde metal sculptures of fish continue the watery associations. Pizzas, pastas, burgers, salads and similarly light fare are the order of the day and you can also have breakfast here in sight of the sea. H2O's menu is rich in Italian flavors, but does mix it up with a few items like the fish taco appetizer.

5.    Jackson's Bar and Grill is Jack Jackson's (Jackson's Steakhouse on Las Olas) latest venture. Located on the 17th Street Causeway, adjacent to the Convention Center, Jackson's Bar and Grille is a casual, contemporary restaurant. The interior design is warm, and a dynamic bar features a water wall and wine room. The menu is a combination of eclectic comfort.

6.    The 8,600 square-foot Morton's The Steakhouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale is located on the ground level of the Broward Financial Center. The restaurant includes Morton's exclusive private boardrooms and Bar 12-21, the place for specialty cocktails and Morton's appetizing Bar Bites menu. The restaurant features an outdoor patio with seating for approximately 55 guests and serves all the Morton's classics.

7.    After nearly 18 years of success in Fort Lauderdale with The Sage French-American Restaurant, restaurateur and chef Laurent Tasic - who has owned restaurants in Paris, Monaco and in the French Antilles - opened the 5,000 sq. ft. Sage Oyster Bar in Hollywood along Harrison Street. The restaurant's menu features some of Chef Tasic's signature creations, such as pistachio brie raspberry sauce, escargot garlic butter, roast duck and the bouillabaisse, and includes American favorites such as ground veal and beef tenderloin meatloaf, steak au poivre and Steak Maurice, a 10 oz. rib eye served with asparagus, mushrooms, brie cheese and fresh raspberry sauce.

8.    The perfect place for a casual weekend night, Smith and Jones from Chef Johnny Vinczencz (Johnny V), features live music and dancing, and affordable comfort food (pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, meatloaf). As great food and outstanding service blend with a cool rock/jazz club vibe, Smith and Jones is a great addition to Las Olas Boulevard.

9.    "You Only Live Once," that is the motto at YOLO, a hip addition to the Las Olas dining scene. Diners will find YOLO to be more than just a restaurant, it is an experience, a place to dine, lounge, and meet up with friends. It features seating for 300, an open kitchen, two bars, and a garden patio with an open fire pit. The separate O Lounge is relaxing and comfortable for drinks. Menu highlights include starters such as chorizo queso fundido and Szechuan calamari, and main plates include cedar-roasted salmon and bourbon mustard glazed pork chop.

10.    Set to open in late spring in the new W Fort Lauderdale is Steak 954 from renowned restaurateur Stephen Starr, owner of several restaurants in New York and Philadelphia including Buddakan and Morimoto. A "modern boutique steakhouse," Steak 954 won't be modeled after any of the others in the Starr empire and will be his first South Florida venture.

11.    Arriving at Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort in late spring will be Aquaknox. Serving global water cuisine along the oceanfront, Aquaknox will greet diners with the vibrancy of the cool ocean waters with its contemporary décor and the freshest of seafood.

12.    Trulucks, a fish restaurant specializing in the freshest seafood, especially the succulent Florida stone crab, will be opening this summer at The Galleria, between Blue Martini and Red Door Spa.

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About Greater Fort Lauderdale
The new Greater Fort Lauderdale is a vibrant, "beach chic" destination offering more than 33,000 hotel rooms at a variety of hotels, resorts, and Superior Small Lodgings, plus new high-end, luxury resorts and more to come. Nearly 11 million annual visitors enjoy Greater Fort Lauderdale's 23 miles of Blue Wave Beaches, 300+ miles of inland waterways that run from the Intracoastal to the Everglades, more than 4,000 restaurants, top shopping, and a thriving arts and culture scene. For more information, contact the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 22-SUNNY or visit www.sunny.org.

03/2009