101 Cantina

Tapas-style tacos at 101 Cantina, which open this Saturday, June 8 in the Royal Palm Place Plaza.

The north Florida establishment known for annually hosting Gainesville's largest tailgate party is coming to Boca Raton, setting up shop in the Royal Palm Place space most recently occupied by Dennis Max's The Mexican.

While The Mexican recently swapped ownership -- no word on why -- it has retained much of its staff, reopening this weekend as 101 Cantina, the second location for the well-known University of Florida tequila bar and restaurant located across the street from the Gainesville campus stadium.

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Are you the type of person that likes to do everything yourself? You change your car's oil in the garage, do your taxes online, service your own pool -- and even mow your lawn without a single complaint. Why? Because it's getting done the right way, that's why!

Now, if only you could get the same kind of stellar service you provide for your family while dining out -- just one of many activities you simply can't take into your own hands.

But what if you could customize and create your meal at a restaurant down to the most seemingly miniscule detail? Would that be something on your to-do list? Well, wait no longer: all your DIY dreams for seasoning, dressing and prepping your own food have finally come true at a new burger spot in Boca Raton that lets you customize everything down to the very last detail.

Where? The new Butcher & the Burger -- and sister concept Dandelion -- set to open at the shops of the Town Center of Boca Raton next week. (UPDATE: In the original version of this story, we wrote that the restaurant would be opening April 10. After it was published, we learned the opening had been pushed back a week and made the correction. Sorry for any confusion.)

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We're not sure why, but mustachios are all the rage right now. Whether its a Handlebar, Fu Manchu, or the Pancho Villa, there is one person who is best known for his perfect 'stache: the legendary Tom Selleck.

Recently, Clean Plate Charlie received word that Tom Sellick opened a new pizza place in Boca Raton. Turns out: it's not the same Selleck. But the heavily tattooed pizza maker and owner of Spadini's Mizner Pizzeria does have a massive tattoo of the world's most famous mustachioed private investigator. And he's pretty serious about his New York-style pizza too.

See also:
- New York Grilled Cheese Co.: Wilton Manors Newest Grilled Cheese and Yogurt Shop
- Weston Dining Entrepreneur Plans Pizza Empire

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All photos Sara Ventiera

Grilled cheese, America's favorite childhood after-school snack, has been a trendy adult meal for the past few years now. What was once a Kraft single melted between two grilled slices of Wonder Bread has been upgraded to gruyere, brie, and onion jam.

But it doesn't seem like the trend has really gone anywhere since its peak. Has the grilled cheese gone stagnant?

Wilton Manors just introduced its newest grilled cheese/ self-serve fro-yo shop for a serious junk food combo upgrade in the gayborhood.

Take that, Kraft-Wonder Bread.

See also:
- Grilled Cheese Trend: Is It Time to Grow Up?
- Plan Burrito: The New Spot on Fort Lauderdale Beach

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All photos by Sara Ventiera

Plan B's generally are not a good thing. Whether it's your backup plan for some kind of failure or the results of last night's sordid love affair, it's not exactly a connotation for the apex of life experiences. More »

All photos by Ceviche.

Ceviche in Delray Beach.

When you think of ceviche, think of Ceviche in Delray Beach. The restaurant recently opened its doors with a quiet grand opening last October, and we at Clean Plate Charlie think it's a crying shame we didn't know about them sooner.

The family of Florida establishments has branded itself as an upscale tapas bar and restaurant, and seems to have earned the distinction as one of the best spots for small plates; Ceviche was recently named one of the "Top Ten" restaurants in Tampa Bay by USA Today, with six locations including Orlando, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and -- most recently -- Delray Beach.

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Nicole Danna

3rd & 3rd is Delray Beach has no sign making it a true hidden gem.

There's a new restaurant in downtown Delray Beach, but unless you hear about it through the grapevine, or are curious enough to venture beyond the boundaries of Pineapple Grove and down the backstreets north of Atlantic Ave., you may never have known it existed.

With no exterior sign, the recently-opened establishment -- named for it's location at the corner of NE Third Street and Third Avenue -- is not easy to find, unless you know where you're headed. But that's just the way owner and executive chef John Paul Kline likes it. Since he opened in late February, his spot has attracted a number of local residents. And once you know the location of the bright teal stucco exterior, it's not hard to miss.

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Pizza Fusion was named one of the year's leading green businesses in 2010 by Green America.

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Nicole Danna

Oli's Fashion Cuisine in Wellington.

When you think of fashion, do you also think of food? Juan Gando says you should. He owns a string of dining establishments in Wellington that sell what he describes as "fashion cuisine." For him, eating and style go hand in hand.

If you're not quite sure what fashion cuisine means, don't worry. Each menu has the term clearly defined, printed as if it were a dictionary entry, that reads: "a manner of preparing food that is stylish, seasonal, and pleasing to the eye."

"Here, the focus is on the experience. This is delicious, fashionable cuisine. I want your food to look as good as it tastes," Gando told Clean Plate Charlie.

Originally from Ecuador, Gando moved to the United States in 2003. His goal was to live the American Dream, he said -- a goal that manifested when he became a successful restaurateur in South Florida's elite polo and equestrian community in Wellington.

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Bikinii Coffee girls Amanda McKiernan (left) and Victoria Beckemeyer.

Do you like your barista in a bikini? Well, now you can have your cake and drink your coffee, too. Simply visit the newly-opened Bikinii Coffee in Riviera Beach.

The 1,300-square-foot space is located across from the new Ocean Mall plaza where Wings surf shop recently opened. The corner spot is directly off Blue Heron Blvd., just over the bridge that drops you into Riviera Beach's Singer Island.

Inside, bikini-clad coffee bartenders pour everything from your average cup of Joe, to iced coffees and lattes, or a shot of espresso.

Owner Ray Webber, a longtime South Floridian and general contractor for the area, said he had the idea to open Bikinii Coffee when down-time during season left him mulling over various business ideas.

"My line of work is done when the [part-time residents] aren't here," said Webber, who performs structural repairs on high-rise buildings. "So I wanted a business that would give me something to do during the winter months."

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