My Broward/Palm Beach Restaurant Wish List

Key on the wish list: Artisanal foods like the pizza at Pizzeria Oceano.

​After Tuesday, I'll no longer be the Restaurant Critic here at New Times. But you can bet I'll still be eating out at plenty of restaurants around South Florida.

Just like any other consumer, I get excited by the prospect of new restaurants and where the scene here might be headed. Sometimes, that direction gets me down. But at other times, I see glimmers of hope that make me look forward to what else these two counties might offer in the future.

So, before I go, a parting wish list of what I'd like to see more of in the restaurant scene.

More Ethnic Restaurants with Unique Menus
The great thing about where we live is our tastes are so broad and varied because the people who live here are so broad and varied. There are some great ethnic restaurants around South Florida, and I love seeing new Indian, Thai, and Japanese restaurants pop up. But the last thing this place needs is another restaurant serving the same green curry or tuna tataki you can get anywhere else.

The best places are the ones with unique menus that offer a more nuanced taste of their homelands. Poll Florida's foodies, and you'll find their favorite Mexican places are joints like Taqueria Dona Raquel and Tacos al Carbon; when they eat Chinese, they're heading to Silver Pond or Toa Toa. These places don't just serve the same old identical menus as every other ethnic restaurant -- they incorporate unusual flavors and authentic tastes, giving us a portal into their culture.

Less Reliance on Big Name Chefs
I can't count how many times I've seen a big name chef brought into a restaurant, only to drop off after a month or two (paging Holy Smoke's). Or they lend their name to a place, and have very little to do with the actual day-to-day work. Luckily, I think most consumers are getting wise to these stunts and are looking past them now.

Keep it Small
My favorite restaurants to eat at are places that feel intimate and special, not food factories where dishes are churned out with abandon. So many restaurants shoot towards big volume and expansion before they even make their first sale. Thinking big is OK, but, for me, thinking small is better. I love restaurants like Bamboo Fire and Le Patio, where the owners are living out their American Dream in a modest way. You can feel the effort put into the food and experience, which in turn makes a meal there feel that much more special. There are personalities behind each restaurant, and sometimes they can be pretty interesting.

More Emphasis on Ingredients
It's sad that so many restaurants have pantries that look like a Cheney Brothers catalog. But every day there are more and more out there showcasing local ingredients, fresh Florida seafood, and made-from-scratch flavors. There are so many great local purveyors of produce and meat now, and more restaurants are starting to showcase vegetables from vendors like Loxahatchee's Swank Farms. Even when it's not local, the best food comes from great ingredients -- ingredients that chefs and owners take their time to source.

Slow Food That's Affordable
The artisan spirit behind movements like Slow Food is blooming in South Florida, which is the trend that needs to continue to grow the most. I'd love to see more chefs take cues from places like Rack's, Sakaya Kitchen, and Pizzeria Oceano, where everything that hits the tables is made fresh daily, with care and attention to detail. Both restaurants change their menus often with what's fresh and available; both hand craft things like their own pickles and bread, and slow roast meats and source ingredients locally with an eye towards showcasing natural flavors. These places keep food simple, real, and made-from-scratch, and because they're not buying expensive prepackaged goods, they're able to keep prices low too.