After wearing out its welcome in less than a year, 101 Cantina in Boca’s Royal Palm Place has closed, replaced last weekend by what irate neighbors doubtless hope will be a less raucous eatery, a modern American gastropub called The Filling Station (133 SE Mizner Blvd., 561/409-2320).
Proprietor Christa Rummel says the restaurant will feature “great comfort food, from original and eclectic burgers to healthy salads and creative sandwiches.” Also look for an extensive roster of craft beers, wines and mixological cocktails. Chef is Culinary Institute of America grad and former sous chef at Boca’s Addison Reserve Country Club, Paul Sellas.
In appearance, the Filling Station riffs off the quirky decor of the Cantina’s predecessor, The Mexican, with its low rider-inspired murals and half an old Volkswagen bus in a corner of the dining room. Playing up the auto-centric theme are old road signs and product advertisements, booth seating upholstered like car bench seats, gas cans and nozzles hanging from the ceiling, and assorted automotive memorabilia.
The demise of 101 Cantina, the local sibling of a Tallahassee parent known for its rowdy FSU crowd, certainly couldn’t have come soon enough for nearby residents. Almost 100 arrests were made during the Cantina’s brief run, prompting neighbors to call for it to either clean up its act or get shut down. The last straw apparently came in late March, when police were called after a pair of early morning fights left one man unconscious on the pavement.
