Coming soon: Pier Sixty-Six’s big reopening is almost here, plus new steak shop to sizzle in West Palm Beach

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. Please note: Opening dates are subject to change.

Steak Shop by Rancher’s Reserve
500 Palm St., Suite 22, West Palm Beach; Instagram.com/steakshopfl

There’s a new boutique butcher shop/sandwicherie coming to town — and even the meats are hyperlocal. Its wood-fired burgers, chicken wings, Wagyu bratwurst, smash burgers, steak hoagies and steak pizzas all come from hormone- and antibiotic-free Akaushi cows and Berkshire pigs raised on a 700-acre pasture in Okeechobee called Rancher’s Reserve. That ranch’s owner, Nick Scalisi, also operates Fern (formerly Fern Street Wine Bar & Kitchen) in downtown West Palm Beach, and Steak Shop will occupy The Imperial Plaza at Flamingo Park on Palm Street when it opens sometime in late December.

Mary Lou’s Palm Beach
250 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach; Instagram.com/marylouspb 

This space in West Palm Beach once housed The Corner Store (aka Berto’s Bait and Tackle), but don’t let that country-store facade fool you — the new occupant, Mary Lou’s, will be a chic and sophisticated lounge. That is, once you get past all the fishing memorabilia and rustic tchotchkes and slip through a speakeasy entrance into the actual lounge with its ornate wood paneling, antique velvet drapery, animal-print bar stools and eye-popping surrealist mural. When Mary Lou’s opens in January, it will serve light fare and craft cocktails and wine, while also staging live entertainment. The moda muse is Mary Louise “Mary Lou” Curtis, who ran a fashion boutique, La Shack, in Palm Beach. She was also the grandmother of Mary Lou’s cofounder Alex Melillo, who has partnered with nightlife innovators Joe Cervasio and Topher Grubb.

Pier Sixty-Six
2301 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-525-6666, piersixtysix.com 

What will a $1 billion makeover at the historic Pier Sixty-Six get gung-ho gastronomists? Well, after four years of renovations — from the top of the tower to the dockside features — we now are getting some interesting intel. There will be nine food-and-beverage venues throughout the iconic resort destination. “This iconic venue has been at the heart of countless memories for both locals and visitors over the years, and we’re honored to bring it back to life,” says Frank Serindat, executive director of food and beverage. On Friday, Jan. 10, the first restaurants to debut at the 32-acre resort will be Sotogrande (southern Spain and eastern Mediterranean fare) and Calusso (inspired by the French and Italian rivieras). Next will be Pier Top, a lavish lounge rotating atop the 17th-floor of the hotel tower that is expected to open in February, according to the resort’s website. In addition to opulent craft cocktails, Champagne and wine, Pier Top will offer caviar, oysters and light bites.

Motek
5377 Town Center Road, Boca Raton; MotekCafe.com

Taking over the space vacated by chef Fabio Trabocchi’s Fiolina is this kosher-style Mediterranean sit-down, which began its life in downtown Miami before spreading out to five more spaces across Miami-Dade County. And it brings no shortage of Magic City clout: Its crispy, baked Arayes burger — with grass-fed kufta kebab, tahini and harissa aioli on a pita instead of a bun — notched back-to-back People’s Choice wins at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash in 2022 and 2023. The 220-seater, which takes its moniker from the Hebrew word meaning “sweetheart,” is led by owners Charlie and Tessa Levy and expected to debut in early 2025. The restaurant will also feature entrees such as a 20-ounce, bone-in ribeye with chimichurri and peppercorn sauce, baby lamb chops with majadra rice and sumac onions, salmon skewers, chicken and lamb shawarma, and a variety of hot and cold mezze.

Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza
7381 Boynton Beach Blvd., No. 305, Boynton Beach; Mistero1.com

Renato Viola’s Miami Beach-born pizzeria, known for its cheesy octagons (star-shaped pies with pouches of ricotta in its points), is growing its empire yet again. Its latest will bow in west Boynton Beach sometime in early 2025, joining recent outposts in Pembroke Pines and Fort Lauderdale. The pizzeria is so named for Viola’s O-1 visa, granted to individuals who show what the U.S. government sees as “extraordinary ability or achievement.” Neapolitan-style pies include the Star Luca, topped with spicy salami Calabrese, mozzarella, Italian tomato sauce and basil, and the Coffee Paolo, with gorgonzola blue cheese, honey and — yes — espresso. Future locations are also heading to Miramar and Doral.

Ela Curry & Cocktails and Mango Mercado
632 Hibiscus St., West Palm Beach; ElaCurryandCocktails.com and MangoMercado.com

After conquering the golfing paradise of Palm Beach Gardens with boundary-pushing Indian cuisine, chef Pushkar Marathe is coming for the rest of Palm Beach County. The 2023 James Beard semifinalist, currently adding a second Stage Kitchen & Bar to Boca Raton, will now also bring second locations of sister kitchens Ela Curry & Cocktails and Mango Mercado to West Palm Beach’s CityPlace by mid-2025, according to the restaurants’ publicist. Ela, specializing in thali-style street food, and Mango, a breakfast-lunch counter, will sit side by side on Hibiscus Street. “When the opportunity presented itself, we knew CityPlace would be a great location,” Marathe says, adding that Mango’s fast-casual offerings don’t sacrifice flavor and quality just “because it is quick and easy.” Ela features casual dishes like Duck Leg Biryani, Tandoori Cab Hanger Steak Skewer, chutneys and other street snacks, while Mango leans into daily soups, salads and handhelds from Wagyu beef carpaccio to roasted turkey club.

Parlor Doughnuts
444 NE Seventh St., Fort Lauderdale; parlordoughnuts.com/fort-lauderdale-fl 

Set to open this winter, this sweet newcomer to Flagler Village will offer signature layered doughnuts as well as vegan, gluten-free and keto-friendly options that feature a cake-like texture. There will also be a full coffee bar, plus special Pawler Dog Doughnuts available for your furry friends. The decor will mix modern with vintage Americana, evoking “parlor” rooms of 1900s Victorian homes. This marks Parlor Doughnuts’ first foray into Broward County.

Johnny’s Hungry Hoagies
790 E. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; johnnyshungry.com 

Ever since signs went up at the soon-to-come space in the plaza of the Laureat apartment building, near the oh-so-busy intersection of Broward Boulevard and U.S. Highway 1, there’s been anticipation buzz about this fast-casual eatery scheduled to open Thursday, Dec. 12. “We looked for a growth area with a large residential population and great visibility in a key section of downtown,” owner John “Johnny” Wiggins told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Wiggins would know. His career has been in commercial development and upscale home building. Why hoagies now? “There are a lot of generic hoagie sandwich shops,” the self-described foodie and lifelong Fort Lauderdale resident said. “We’ve created a very unique and craveable line of sandwiches based on the highest quality meats and cheeses, along with chef-inspired recipes that will differentiate us from other chains.” There will be indoor seating for 20 guests, and details are still being worked out on possible plaza seating.

Mistah Lee’s Smokin’ Good BBQ
8240 S. State Road 7, Suite 250, Boynton Beach; 561-617-3654, Facebook.com

It’s a good time to be pitmaster Lee Stransky, the owner and meat maestro who will open his first brick-and-mortar pit-stop later this November at the Melrose Shoppes, a strip mall in West Boynton Beach nursery country. In March, Stransky’s roving food truck won “Best BBQ” in the Sun Sentinel’s Best of South Florida Dining series (readers’ choice), following recent wins at the St. Pete Bacon & BBQ Festival and The Red Meat Lovers Club Best Sandwich of South Florida cook-off. His new shop will use four custom Gladiator smokers from Gator Pit of Texas to turn out 16-day, house-brined pastrami, beef brisket, chicken, beef and pork ribs. Also on the menu are four-cheese mac ‘n’ cheese, collard greens, Southern potato salad and cornbread slathered in Stransky’s “sticky” sauce.

Adega Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse
240 S. Federal Highway, Deerfield Beach; AdegaGaucha.com

Bring out the steak knives: Another Brazilian churrascaria is coming to town. Flame-licked meats are the star of this all-you-can-eat steakhouse, which will open this December and is registered to Fabiano Borsato, Jean Oliveira and Elthon Figueiredo. This is the restaurant’s third location, after Orlando and Kissimmee. Here servers, known as “gauchos,” parade a carousel of ribeyes, picanha, beef and pork ribs, bacon-wrapped chicken, lamb and filet mignons glistening with salt. The mains are plated with rich peppercorn or gorgonzola sauces and sides including corn brûlée, fried yuca, roasted Brussels sprouts, caramelized bananas and mashed potatoes. Also on the menu are wines, cocktails, desserts and higher-end cuts such as 32-ounce, fire-roasted tomahawks and garlic skirt steaks.

Gesto
522 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach

Now that the 4-year-old Amar Mediterranean Bistro has moved into bigger digs across the street, the 1,200-square-foot space it leaves behind will be converted into a sourdough pizzeria, opening sometime in early 2025. The pie shop, owner Nicolas Kurban explains, will “take advantage of the same wood-burning oven” his bistro once used to fire pita bread. The offerings are still in flux, but “we’re looking at a very small menu” of eight signature pies, Kurban says. “It’s pizzas with the best mozzarellas and the best meats, a few salads and desserts, plus some beautiful wines, and that’s about it.” All pies, which use a sourdough base, will be fired between 550 to 600 degrees for two minutes. Kurban is no stranger to high-end baking, having spent decades managing food and beverage programs at hotel-casinos from Atlantic City to Las Vegas..

Stage Kitchen & Bar
5377 Town Center Road., Suite 200, Boca Raton; Instagram.com

The fourth and final tenant in Boca Raton’s high-end Restaurant Row, east of Town Center mall, is this global small-plates sit-down from chef-owner Pushkar Marathe, expected to open in early 2025. (It replaces a half-finished, Lebanese-inspired eatery named Shabibi.) Marathe, if you haven’t heard, is on a culinary tear lately, after picking up a “Best Chef: South” semifinalist nod from the James Beard Foundation in 2023, and a ranking on USA Today’s Best Restaurants of 2024 for his Stage flagship in Palm Beach Gardens. Marathe’s Boca outpost will be bigger than the original, with a dining room adorned in blue walls, bronze and copper chain accents, walnut-wood tones and caramel-hued faux leather. The kitchen, meanwhile, will have an open woodfire oven.

Oceana Coffee
1301 10th St., Lake Park; oceanacoffee.com 

When Oceana Coffee’s new headquarters arrives in Lake Park, which is expected by year’s end, it will include a cozy, little cafe with indoor/outdoor seating, a drive-thru window and an upstairs event space. Founded in 2009, Oceana has two locations in Palm Beach County, both in Tequesta. This venue will mostly serve as the company’s new roasting and manufacturing headquarters. The company works closely with The Els for Autism Foundation in Jupiter, offering internships to students and jobs to adults.

Elba
600 SE Second Court, Fort Lauderdale; ElbaLasOlas.com

Named after the famous Tuscan island where Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled, this new Mediterranean restaurant aims to be a different kind of paradise when it debuts in December a block north of Las Olas Boulevard. The restaurant and music bar, facing Tunnel Top Park and the mouth of the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel, comes from owner Christophe Bellone, who previously ran the 45-year-old breakfast-lunch bistro, La Bonne Crepe, before it closed earlier this spring. There’s no menu available yet.

Death By Pizza
15065 S. State Road 7, No. 400, Delray Beach; DeathByPizzaDelray.com

This pandemic pizza baby will officially have a sister. Joining the first Delray Beach location of Death By Pizza is this new 75-seat, brick-and-mortar spot, expected to open by year’s end on the southwest corner of State Road 7 and West Atlantic Avenue and replace the former Pizzeria Sophia. Born as an Instagram pop-up in the ancient COVID-19 era, the pizzeria specializes in Detroit-style pies built with a sourdough starter, which imparts a crunchy-chewy, focaccia-like crust. Many more tantalizing rectangles have joined the menu since its heady pop-up days, notably the Gandolfini (sweet Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, mozzarella, basil and honey), the Meatball Burrata (self-explanatory) and Final Vegstination (wild mushrooms, roasted broccoli, mozzarella and basil pesto). There are also salads, Philly cheesesteak eggs rolls, chicken wings and desserts such as an crushed Oreo mud pie and a half-pound cookie that uses the same recipe as Two Fat Cookies in downtown Delray Beach, Wexler’s family bakery.

Novecento
116 NE Sixth Ave., Delray Beach; novecento.com 

Led by brothers Andrei and Aliosha Stern, the SuViche Hospitality Group acquired the Argentina-inspired restaurant brand Novecento in 2018 and is now planning to open a new location in December in the space that formerly housed The Falcon gastropub (and before that Death or Glory). “We have been looking for an iconic location in Delray Beach for a long time,” Aliosha Stern tells the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We did not want to go into a traditional commercial space. The old Falcon House is a unique property with deep ties in the local community. We felt this was the best representation of Novecento.” Along with the occasional tango show, expect classic Argentine-influenced fare such as steaks, handcrafted empanadas, homemade pastas and a curated wine list. The concept first opened its doors back in 1991 in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. Now there are Novecentos in Argentina and Uruguay, and — much closer to home — in Miami-Dade County’s Brickell area, as well as Key Biscayne, Aventura, Doral and inside Hard Rock Stadium. The Delray Beach location will seat 50 guests inside and 80 outside under a pergola.

Patsy’s Pizzeria
114 Plaza Real S., Boca Raton; PatsysPizzeria.us

Another slice of Big Apple pizzeria royalty is firing up in Boca Raton before the end of this year. When pizza pilgrims picture New York-style pies, they’re no doubt thinking of Patsy’s Pizzeria, an East Harlem dynasty that’s been serving smoky, crispy thin crust cooked out of its 91-year-old shop’s bituminous coal oven. One of the oldest progenitors of the style, the eatery was founded by Patsy Lancieri in 1933, and later begat other New York icons like Grimaldi’s and helped spawn a New York pizza renaissance that’s still very much alive. (Fun trivia: Its Harlem shop even played a major role in the horror prequel “A Quiet Place: Day One,” earlier this summer.) The first Patsy’s in Florida is registered to Matthew and Tonin Raja.

Carolina Ale House
123 NE 20th Ave., Deerfield Beach; carolinaalehouse.com 

Remember the rash of Bru’s Room closings earlier this year? Restaurateur Lou Moshakos, the man behind the makeover of the Cove Waterfront Restaurant and Lucky Fish Pompano, has snapped up the sport bar’s old perch near the Deerfield Beach Pier and plans to open the 25th chain location of Carolina Ale House before year’s end. As with other Carolina Ale Houses, the sports-themed restaurant will carry pub fare: fish and chips, creamy spinach chicken and shrimp, steak frites, 28-day aged ribeye and Carolina baby back ribs, along with salads, burgers, cheesesteaks, a smoked brisket French dip, beers and cocktails.

Taco Labs
7619 S. State Road 7, Parkland; 561-961-0585, TacoLabsFL.com

No, it’s not some research center for tortillas, but owner Arun Sareen‘s (of Arun’s Indian Kitchen fame) modern taqueria does lean into the experimental with Indian-Mexican fusion tacos that mash up Mexican and New Delhi flavors. The restaurant, which replaces the former Blue Agave in the Waterways Shoppes at Parkland plaza, plans to debut later this fall, joining its flagship in east Boca Raton. Alongside the usual trendy favorites — al pastor, birria, carne asada — there’s also tinga and New Delhi tandoori, with proteins (chicken, steak, jackfruit or tofu) slow-cooked in a clay oven then tossed in a tangy spiced sauce. There are also chimichurri wings, Korean barbecue burritos, fajitas and, for dessert, churro and vanilla ice cream.

Gabriella’s Modern Italian

40 NE Seventh Ave., Suite 160, Delray Beach; gabriellasfl.com

This new eatery just off buzzy-busy East Atlantic Boulevard is an offshoot of Gabriella’s Italian Steakhouse in downtown Red Bank, New Jersey. The Delray Beach version is expected to open this fall, according to a news release. The dinner menu in The Garden State original includes raw and chilled seafood, starters such as Shrimp Arrabiata and Truffle Ricotta, pastas, steaks and desserts ranging from Affogato Granita to Bombalonis.