Restaurant News: Chipotle Heats Up Fort Lauderdale, Off the Ave Debuts in Delray, Buddha Sky Bar Now Open

​•    Hot stuff coming to Fort Lauderdale in the form of the city's first Chipotle Mexican Grill, which will throw open its doors Tuesday, March 29, at 1736 N. Federal Hwy. If you're a student at Cardinal or Fort Lauderdale High, show up on Monday, March 28 from 5 to 7 p.m., show off your student ID and you'll get a free burrito. Maybe you should give it to your older brother to pay him back for all those times he bought beer for you. (In the believe or nuts department, the New York Times reported in December that talented Big Apple toque and Chopped finalist Nate Appleman is now developing new products in Chipotle's test kitchen. Go figure.)

•    If you're looking for a cozy spot for a pizza, sandwich and cold beer just out of reach of the bustle and din of Delray's Atlantic Avenue, check out the new Off the Ave (19 SE Fifth Ave., 561-450-6768). There's a full bar, a handful of tables and couches, and a short menu of pizzas, salads, and sandwiches, with everything but the medium and large pizzas under 10 bucks. The peace and quiet are free.

•    It took awhile but Buddha Sky Bar, the sleek, watering hole and Asian-esque tapas eatery atop the Atlantic Ocean Club in downtown Delray Beach, has finally opened. A small lounge area boasts a bank of windows that affords a stellar view of Delray and beyond, while the bar offers a menu of mixological cocktails and dim summy treats, from shrimp and scallop har gow to skewered cubes of Kobe beef.

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