The new Vinos, Eddie V’s and other bar, restaurant updates on Las Olas Boulevard
The best way to spend time during a pandemic is in planning for life after the pandemic. Optimistic signs of that future life abound on Fort Lauderdale’s Las Olas Boulevard these days. Here’s an update on what’s new:
Vinos Wine Bar and Cocktail Lounge
Clayton Chelley may not have great timing — he signed a lease on the new location of Vinos on Las Olas about a week before the March coronavirus-closing of South Florida bars — but he does know how to create a great place to drink.
The new Vinos will open at 901 E. Las Olas Blvd., just down the street from the old location (922 E Las Olas Blvd.), which has been torn down. (A spokesman for the Las Olas Company, owners of the property, said the redevelopment plan for the land is still being considered.)
Chelley says the new Vinos will be ready to open in three or four weeks.
There is no way to re-create all of the intimate comforts of the beloved original, especially the European coziness of the down-the-alley courtyard, but he is going to try.
“It was just a small bar, but that was the glory of it,” Chelley says.
The warm woods and hues will be repeated in the new location, the candle wall has been re-created and the bar will again be topped by sections of wooden wine crates.
There will be an outdoor lounge area, covered this time, an improvement over the old courtyard.
Inside, the main bar will be augmented by two wine rooms, each containing a couple of high-top tables with seating for six or eight. A separate room in a Victorian design will be available for private functions.
Hidden behind an inconspicuous door will be a high-end speakeasy that gives the new location its name: Vinos Wine Bar and Cocktail Lounge. Chelley says a template for the space can be found in Hollywood, where Chelley last year opened Sidecar Speakeasy at the Hotsy-Totsy Bar and Grill.
“This will be like no other bar on the street,” Chelley says. “It’s not going to be pretentious. It’s not going to be noisy. There’s going to be really good little nooks you can sit in.”
Visit Facebook.com/vinosonlasolas.
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar
Look for the opening of Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar at 800 E. Las Olas Blvd. in mid-late January, co-founder Barry Gutin said on Monday.
The makeover of the stately Spanish-tiled two-story building, once home to the flagship store of the iconic Maus & Hoffman fashion shop, was delayed by COVID and design changes to increase outdoor seating and more easily accommodate takeout service.
When it opens, Cuba Libre will help form an especially lively intersection, joining American Social and the outdoor Marlin Bar at the Tommy Bahama store. No truth to the rumor that Capital One Café on the other corner is looking for a mixologist. Visit CubaLibreRestaurant.com.
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
The sign for Eddie V’s Prime Seafood has gone up on the fa 1/4 u00e7ade of the new 46-story condominium tower at 100 Las Olas, but it’s likely to be late February or early March before it opens, a spokesperson said Monday.
This will be the third Florida location for the chain operated by Darden Restaurants, which also runs Seasons 52, Capital Grille, Yardhouse, Bahama Breeze Island Grille and other properties.
The Orlando location, near I-4 south of Universal, has been especially popular with South Florida Yelpers. There is another Eddie V’s in Tampa.
Positioned as “a luxury dining destination” with a wine list recognized by Wine Spectator, Eddie V’s will include a speakeasy-style cocktail space called the V Lounge. Visit EddieV.com.
GreenWise Market
Work continues on Fort Lauderdale’s first GreenWise Market at the corner of Las Olas Boulevard and Southeast Third Avenue, with a spokeswoman for parent company Publix predicting a January or early February opening.
The 28,000-square-foot location, part of Publix’s specialty grocery stores featuring natural and organic food items, is on the ground floor of The Main Las Olas, a 1.4 million-square-foot mixed-use property. Residents will have a dedicated elevator into the store.
A GreenWise Market opened last year in Boca Raton at 8210 Glades Road. Visit GreenWisemarket.com.
Staff Writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com.
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