Coming soon: Wiseguy Pizza to land on Las Olas; Blueprint Cookies rolling into Cooper City

When it comes to food, South Florida is a great place to be. So many new restaurants open nearly every day. Here’s what’s coming soon to a city near you.

Wiseguy Pizza Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale
401 E. Las Olas Blvd.; wiseguypizza.com

This concept is part of the stable of brands under the Thompson Restaurants group, which includes Big Buns Damn Good Burgers and Matchbox at the busy-buzzy enclave of Las Olas Riverfront Circle. Wiseguy Pizza is expected to join the booming dining scene in downtown Fort Lauderdale’s business district at the Bank of America Financial Center in the first quarter of 2024, sometime between January and March. The fast-casual eatery bills itself as “old-school,” cooking pizza on a stone deck oven (no pizza screens; your pizza bakes directly on the stones). The cheese comes from Wisconsin. The tomato sauce comes from California. The extra virgin olive oil and parmigiano-reggiano are from Italy. The sauces and dressings are made in-house. Along with the classics, Wiseguy Pizza will have a rotating menu of specials including vegan and vegetarian pies, as well as Korean Chicken, Paneer Tikka and Mushroom Truffle. There’s also a cauliflower gluten-free pie.

Playa Bowls, Fort Lauderdale
401 E. Las Olas Blvd, Unit 185; playabowls.com

There’s a beach vibe with this fast-casual restaurant. After all, the concept started back in 2014 as pop-up food stand on the Jersey Shore. Now the brand is known for its plant-based ingredients, especially fruit. They’re also known for being serious about sustainability and say they use reclaimed building materials, LED lighting and recycled/biodegradable bowls, spoons and lids, as well as set up partnerships with local recycling efforts. This location is owned by Darrell Casoria (raised in Fort Lauderdale) and Ricky Arguello and is expected to open in January. Before that, they’re planning to have VIP and soft launches; follow Instagram.com/playabowlslasolas for details and send a direct message to get invited.

Maass, Fort Lauderdale
525 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.; MaassFTL.com

Where does a 33-year-old restaurateur with a pair of Michelin-starred restaurants under his toque take his talents next? Answer: Not South Beach. Chef Ryan Ratino (Bresca, Jont in Washington, D.C.) plans to open Maass (yes, you didn’t misread that spelling), billed as a “contemporary wood-fire” kitchen with European ingredients and “a strong focus on Japanese seafood and luxury fruits,” according to a statement. The restaurant is expected to debut in late December or early January within the beachfront Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale hotel, and will offer tableside cocktails and wine under beverage director Will Patton.

Bellagamba’s Fine Italian Restaurant, Fort Lauderdale
501 SE Second St., Suite 101; bellagambas.com

The website for this new Italian restaurant states: “COMING SOON DECEMBER ’23.” The space at the Camden Las Olas Apartments in downtown Fort Lauderdale was formerly Rice & Dough Restaurant and Wine Bar. The menu at Bellgamba’s is expected to reflect authenticity, with the website intoning: “Fort Lauderdale will soon experience Real Italian Food.”

Blueprint Cookies, Cooper City
3800 N. University Drive, Suite 202; BlueprintCookie.com

This cookie factory once called Batch, the Cooking Co. and backed by co-founding pastry wizard Max Santiago may have changed names over the years, but its recipes have stayed refreshingly intact. Case in point: Its doughnookie, a Frankenstein’s monster of a cookie fried and glazed in a husk of doughnut dough, is back — and it tastes the same as when it debuted in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village way back in 2019. Blueprint plans to open its first franchise store (and fifth overall) on Dec. 17 in the Monterra Commons plaza, offering gourmet flavors such as Mississippi Mud Pie, Smore’s Pop Tart and a cheesecake-flavored treat called The Cookie That Stole Christmas. (Some flavors are vegan and gluten-free.)

Even Keel Fish Shack, Fort Lauderdale
1111 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; EvenKeelFish.com

Chef-owners Dave MacLennan and Brad Phillips are setting sail for ritzy restaurant row Las Olas Boulevard with the second location of their seafood spot this December. This is the owners’ second foray into Fort Lauderdale: The flagship Even Keel began its life on North Federal Highway under the mast of restaurateur James Dean Max before it jumped ship to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea in late 2020. A hub for fresh local fish and greens (they source from Triar Seafood in Hollywood and Swank Specialty Produce in Loxahatchee), the second location will serve stone crabs and house-smoked fish dip, beer-battered spiny lobster bites and conch beignets, and larger entrees including an adult crab grilled cheese (with brie, truffle, blue crab and apple butter), clams carbonara and grilled local swordfish.

Keke’s Breakfast Cafe, Parkland
7609 N. State Road 7; Kekes.com

This 17-year-old, Orlando-born, breakfast-lunch franchise does cheesesteak omelets and portabella paninis with roasted red pepper, but longtime fans know its pancakes sweeten the menu most. The plan is for Keke’s to debut its fourth South Florida outpost (joining Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Wellington) in early 2024, with a fifth heading soon to Delray Beach (5032 W. Atlantic Ave.). Along with banana-pecan pancakes and apple-cinnamon-stuffed french toast, there are burgers, salads and chicken Caesar wraps, plus mimosas, bellinis and sangria cocktails.

X-Golf, West Palm Beach
1900 Okeechobee Blvd.; PlayXGolf.com

Another week, another indoor-golf experience is teeing off in South Florida, and this franchise expects to open its first Florida location in spring 2024. The 10,000-square-foot space, owned by franchisee brothers Steve and David Kittrell, will feature nine golf simulator bays and a 30-seat wraparound bar with eight TVs and a pub-friendly menu of pizza, wings, pretzels and libations. As with other X-Golf locations around the country, the venue has hired a “PGA-certified professional” to help visitors improve their indoor-golf game.

The Underground Pizza, Palm Beach Gardens
9920 FL-A1A, Suite 815; 561-254-4410, TheUndergroundPizza.com

No, it shouldn’t be confused with The Pizza Underground, a short-lived comedy band created by “Home Alone” actor Macaulay Culkin to parody the Velvet Underground’s songs with pizza-themed lyrics. But The Underground Pizza does bill itself as a “punk rock pizza shop” inspired by that 1960s rock band — and its debut is expected sometime in January in the Promenade Shopping Plaza. The pizzeria, from owner Cole Herring, specializes in something called “East Coast Deep Dish,” a hybrid pie that resembles Chicago deep dish but has a cornmeal crust and other recipe variations. There are also thin-crust pizzas such as The Blonde (garlic-infused olive oil, roasted squash, tomatoes, onions, feta, basil) and Lay’d Back (pineapple, bacon, red onion, jalapeños, feta), plus salads, baked wings and garlic bread.

Ya Mas! Taverna, West Palm Beach
216 Clematis St.; YaMasTaverna.com

After hospitality honcho and “Big Brother” star Memphis Garrett (No Man’s Land, Point Break) brought his first Greek restaurant to tony Las Olas Boulevard (which abruptly closed in November), Ya Mas! expects to open its first sister taverna on West Palm Beach’s bustling Clematis Street restaurant row sometime in early 2024. Te new Ya Mas! will dish an identical menu of modern and classic fare, such as dolmades and muhammara, bechamel short rib, and loukaniko with melted leek and pepperoncini.

Black Jack’s Rum Bar & Grille, Davie
3890 Davie Road, Suite 104; BlackJacksRumBar.com

The restaurateur behind the Drunken Taco chain and the late Giovanni’s Coal Fire Pizza is back with this American pub that’s expected to debut in early spring on the ground floor of the new Zona Village apartment complex, across the street from Nova Southeastern University. The 200-seat pub from owner Ted Sabarese will have a full bar along with hamburgers and steaks, although its menu hasn’t been finalized.

Whaler’s Catch, Fort Lauderdale
905 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.; WhalersCatchftl.com

Yet another restaurant under the umbrella of onetime “Big Brother” star and restaurateur Memphis Garrett, this seafood kitchen and oyster bar plans to debut in early 2024 on Fort Lauderdale Beach, near the Parrot Lounge and Primanti Bros. The docking of Whaler’s Catch follows a recent pair of closings from Garrett Hospitality Group, including Ya Mas! Taverna on Las Olas Boulevard (website says it is relocating) and the short-lived Point Break, which debuted in February.

The Kebab Shop, Miramar
11225 Miramar Parkway; TheKebabShop.com

This California-based Mediterranean eatery specializes in customizable kebabs in grilled and rotisserie forms, and served in a wrap, in a box or on a plate. It’s scheduled to open this winter inside the Miramar Park Place strip mall on Red Road, joining a recently opened Flanigan’s and a soon-to-open Duck Donuts. The menu also has lamb, beef, chicken thighs, saffron chicken tenderloin doner, along with steak and falafel and “crave fries” (topped with feta, garlic yogurt and pickled onions). The chain has carved out 34 other locations in California and Texas, with future South Florida outposts also heading to Coral Springs (1280 N. University Drive) and Boynton Beach (1780 N. Congress Ave., Suite 200).

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Field of Greens, West Palm Beach
777 S. Flagler Drive, Suite 108; ilovefog.com

This will be the fifth Field of Greens in Palm Beach County, joining four others in Palm Beach, North Palm Beach, West Palm Beach and Wellington. The locally-based brand is owned by Hess Musallet and Myron “Mosie” Miller. This latest iteration of the fine-casual eatery — with a menu centered on salads, wraps, sandwiches, vegan dishes, acai bowls, smoothies and more — intends to open at Phillips Point office building in January, joining a slate of other restaurants that have raced to open in the Flagler Financial District (Harry’s, Adrienne’s Pizzabar, Felice and next year’s Estiatorio Milos). “As we continue to expand in Palm Beach County, this location is special as we are able to serve fresh, health-conscious cuisine to downtown West Palm Beach’s growing business community,” Musallet says.

Earls Kitchen + Bar, Fort Lauderdale
1002 E. Las Olas Blvd.; earls.ca

The Broward County location (the other is in Dadeland Mall) plans to open on Las Olas Boulevard next winter. The hard-to-categorize menu created by chef David Wong has a global vibe with tacos, sushi, Cajun chicken, burgers, plant-based dishes, pizza, seafood, steaks and a host of weekend brunch classics. The brand started in 1982 with its first restaurant in Edmonton, Alberta, and is now based in Vancouver. “We are incredibly excited to introduce Earls Kitchen + Bar to the vibrant community of Fort Lauderdale,” says Kristin Vekteris, chief brand officer.

Limani Grille, Boca Raton
6000 Glades Road; simon.com/mall

This seafood-focused eatery inside Town Center at Boca Raton promises Mediterranean dishes with a focus on Greek cuisines when it opens next spring. This will be the third location for the brand, which can also be found in Commack, N.Y., and Boston.

Madame Tang’s, Boca Raton
6000 Glades Road; simon.com/mall

Celebrity chef Ralph Pagano and Jay Shirodkar have created Madame Tang’s to offer what they promise will be a new, modern take on Chinese cuisine and other Asian favorites. The restaurant inside Town Center at Boca Raton mall is expected to open spring 2024. Early word is that the bar will also have an expansive program. Fans of TV cooking competitions know Pagano for his turns on “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Pressure Cook” and “Iron Chef,” but local foodies know him for his Naked brand: Naked Taco and Naked Crab, which have multiple locations throughout South Florida.

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Serious Dumplings, Plantation
7626 Peters Road, Plantation; SeriousDumplingsUSA.com

Replacing the former “fast-fine” restaurant Ovlo Eats, which shuttered earlier this year, is the fourth South Florida location of this dumpling franchise. Registered to franchisee Yang Ruyun, the shop expects to debut this winter in the Plantation Commons strip mall. The restaurant will specialize in dumplings of every ilk — xiaolongbao, pan-fried and steamed — along with noodle and rice bowls, scallion pancakes and squid salad, and dim sum from shrimp siu mai to braised chicken feet. The restaurant joins outposts in Boca Raton (which debuted in May), North Miami and Davie.

B&D Trap, Fort Lauderdale
1551 NW Sixth St.; 561-382-7944; BDTrap.com

This 2,500-square-foot pit stop devoted to Texas-style barbecue will smoke up Sistrunk Boulevard sometime in early 2024. The focus, of course, will be brisket by the pound and in sandwich form from hospitality veteran Kevin Rodriguez (The Doral Yard food hall) and pitmaster Orelle Young (The Beast by Todd English in Las Vegas), who competed earlier this year on Food Network Canada’s barbecue competition series “Fire Masters.” The 45-seat counter will also turn out ribs, chicken, pulled pork and turkey, along with sides of mac ‘n’ cheese, baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw and cornbread.