With our annual tourist season approaching, the local restaurant biz is really starting to heat up.
Now open in the Fort Lauderdale beachfront space in the Atlantic Resort & Spa, formerly home to Trina, is East End Brasserie (601 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., 954/567-8020).
A real French brasserie—honest, uncomplicated fare at an affordable price—is the deal here, in a room done by Cuba-Fernandez Design that channels the Cote d’Azur with red leather banquettes, bentwood chairs, white marble table tops and blue raffia walls. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer prime ocean views. There’s also a large outdoor terrace.
Exec chef Steve Zobel from New York’s Triomphe has crafted a menu of Provencal fare enhanced by a raw bar and artisanal cheese cart. Among the menu items: the classic steak frites with lemon-caper butter or sauce béarnaise, papardelle with duck confit and veal jus, mustard-crusted pompano with braised white beans and escarole, and vegetable salad with hearts of palm, avocado, lemon and olive oil.
