Dine Out Lauderdale: Top 5 summer dining deals at Broward restaurants

In the Before Times, Dine Out Lauderdale served as Broward County’s way of boosting sluggish summer dining sales with restaurant discounts – at least, until snowbirds flocked back in the fall.

So what does a summer dining promotion do when local restaurants face a global pandemic with no end in sight? The answer: Start even earlier.

The culinary bacchanal known as Dine Out Lauderdale kicked off July 1 – earlier than its usual Aug. 1 launch – and will run through Sept. 30 with scores of eateries selling multi-course dinners at big-name restaurants. All fixed-price meals – typically appetizer, entrée and dessert – cost $35 to $45, not including tax, tip or drinks. Some restaurants don’t offer the deal on Fridays and Saturdays.

Not to be outdone, a supersize Miami Spice (which began June 1 instead of Aug. 1 and ends Sept. 30), Dine Out Downtown Delray (Aug. 1-31) and Flavor Palm Beach and Bone Appetit Boca Raton (both Sept. 1-30) are all dishing separate dining deals, each with their own rules.

Because many local restaurants have closed – some voluntarily, others permanently – as Florida’s COVID-19 cases surge, 51 Broward eateries will take part in Dine Out Lauderdale, down from 70 last year. Among the noteworthy: 15th Street Fisheries, Foxy Brown, Café Maxx, Le Bistro, Boatyard and the new Las Olas spot Harborwood Urban Kitchen and Bar. Find the full list via Sunny.org.

Another big Dine Out Lauderdale change: Some restaurants will honor takeout. Only dine-in customers were eligible in the past, says Stacy Ritter, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

“Each restaurant has to decide whether a discount works for their strategy,” Ritter says. “But if you ask me, I would pursue anything that gets customers through the door.”

For Ritter, Dine Out Lauderdale takes on greater urgency this year as COVID-19-weary restaurants struggle to survive on half-empty dining rooms. “These restaurants are just trying to break even, if not try to profit,” she says.

A note about Broward County dining: Under new county orders, in effect July 10, Broward restaurants must shut indoor dining by 10 p.m. to curb the spread of COVID-19, and indoor tables must be limited to six people (or 10 if from the same household).

Here are five Dine Out Lauderdale deals in Broward worth your time. If doing takeout, call restaurants ahead to confirm they’ll honor the deal, and consider meals that travel well in take-home containers.

Le Bistro

4626 N. Federal Highway, Lighthouse Point; 954-946-9240 or LeBistro.com

This cozy French restaurant from Elin Trousdale and chef-husband Andy Trousdale offers a $35 and $45 version of its three-course Dine Out special daily except Mondays. Meal begins with a choice of six appetizers, including crab cakes with spicy remoulade sauce. Entrees feature a choice of mushroom or jumbo shrimp risotto and coq au vin; the $45 upgrade includes choice of rack of lamb, duck breast or pan-roasted yellowtail snapper filets; and dessert. There’s also a decent curbside takeout deal: $100 for two entrees plus bottle of wine.

Harborwood Urban Kitchen and Bar

100 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-353-1234 or Hyatt.com

The ground-floor centerpiece of the 46-story Hyatt Centric Las Olas, which debuted in April, Harborwood is offering a three-course, $35-per-person deal (excludes Friday and Saturday), with choice of cured pork belly lettuce wraps for appetizer; strozzapreti pasta pomodoro (or peppercorn-crusted steak for $7 upcharge) for entrée; and banana cake for dessert.

Café Maxx

2601 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach; 954-782-0606 or CafeMaxx.com

Once a Dennis Max flagship restaurant, Darrel Broek and executive chef Oliver Saucy’s continuation of Café Maxx touts a strong deal. Its three-course, $45-per-person discount (not valid Thursday-Saturday) starts with ginger-braised beef and pork pot stickers or duck and smoked mozzarella ravioli; three-pepper crusted filet with bleu cheese au-gratin for main; and a warm apple and frangipane tart with caramel sauce and ice cream.

Beach House Pompano

270 N. Pompano Beach Blvd., Pompano Beach; 954-607-6530 or BeachHousePompano.com

Beach House’s $45-per-person, four-course deal, offered daily, serves up wood-fired artichokes to start; then choice of house or Caesar salad; cedar-plank salmon or Key lime-roasted chicken for entrée; and cheesecake or white chocolate bread pudding for dessert.

S3

505 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-523-7873 or S3Restaurant.com

One of the strongest deals you’ll find at a beachfront eatery, the stylish S3 dishes a $35-per-person, four-course meal (after 5 p.m. daily, excludes Friday and Saturday). Rosemary and Parmesan aioli frites or goat cheese croquette kick it off, followed by choice of salmon kamikaze or spicy tuna roll. For entrée, choose Faroe Island salmon pad Thai with coconut curry, a short-rib salad or filet with cauliflower mash; and passionfruit panna cotta with strawberry milk streusel for dessert.

Dine Out Lauderdale runs through Sept. 30. Go to Sunny.org/restaurants.

———

©2020 the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Visit the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at www.sun-sentinel.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.