The “bend” at Deerfield may only boast a handful of restaurants, but it’s home to one of the mightiest in the seafood space. Whale’s Rib’s Dolphin Lunch on Mondays is a go-to for locals, with a freshly-caught 7-ounce dolphin (mahi-mahi) filet served blackened or grilled. Its raw bar offerings remain vast, spanning Ipswich clams, rock shrimp, and escargot.

The ‘burbs are far from solely box restaurants. Case in point: This Coral Springs outpost has been a neighborhood go-to for creative dishes and wine (and more wine) since 2014. The allure begins with its house-made potato chips with bacon and onion dip and carries well through those pear juice-braised spareribs.

Flagler Village — Fort Lauderdale’s version of Wynwood — continues to blossom by the day, and Heritage is poised to be the neighborhood restaurant. Freshly baked pizzas are at its menu’s core, with concoctions topped with pistachio pesto, broccoli rabe, chili honey, and seemingly everything in between. Its mafaldine Bolognese — with house-made pasta and wagyu beef — may have you periodically straying from the pizza.

Under one roof, there’s a wall-length jellyfish tank, panoramic ocean vistas, and a menu boasting caviar service, an American wagyu cheesesteak, and a 50-ounce prime tomahawk? Yes, Steak 954 is real and remains an oceanfront must for bringing a big appetite. Save some room for its raw bar offerings — Maine lobster, Alaskan king crab, and oysters — too.

This restored 1927 house gone piano bar, and restaurant takes your tastebuds to the Mediterranean, all while looking at the Atlantic Ocean across the street. Beyond its dinner staples — like a Moroccan lamb shank and blue crab-crusted mahi-mahi — its weekday happy hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. that features bites and booze starting at $4.25 is a must.

Where Fort Lauderdale’s brunch scene grows seemingly bougier by the minute, this Las Olas classic diner remains no-frills. From its wall of Marilyn Monroe photos to owner Butch often cozying up a table for the morning and mingling with regulars to its massive three-egg omelets (probably more like five eggs) — this is charm and sensory overload.

No one knew what a “scoobie” was until there were Coconuts. And, in case you need a refresher, it’s blue crab fried in oil and doused in garlic... and more garlic. There’s more to the timeless, waterside Coconuts experience, including its open-air patio, oyster bar, and a wild card, salami benedict come Sunday brunch.

Once Canyon Southwest, this Fort Lauderdale staple moved from Sunrise Boulevard to just south of the New River Tunnel in 2022. Amid the location change and dropping of “Southwest” from its name, its iconic, pucker-worthy Prickly Pear Margarita remains. With the new spot, there’s a new southwest-flared brunch menu and adjacent, dimly-lit tequila bar — Rio’s — too.

Watch freshly carved deli meats get shaved on the spot and see them get tossed across the room into a bun. Yes, LaSpada puts on a show, but its ingredients — spanning capicola to genoa salami to sweet peppers — are equally captivating.

Consider this Broward County’s sultry supper club, decked in velvet touches, mega-booths for families, and dimly lit chandeliers. Now 40-plus years in existence, the Fort Lauderdale spot reopened in 2023 after a major remodel. Fortunately, its wagyu beef carpaccio and hefty classic meatballs were not renovated and hopefully never will be.

The Guitar Hotel is a casino icon, and the restaurant occupies part of its ground level. This is the only place on earth you can peer out the window and see a towering guitar do a light show while you nosh on a custom-cooked Japanese A4 wagyu cut. For wine lovers, you have more than 350 options, too.