The Wharf is Expanding to Fort Lauderdale

March 12

LAS OLAS — Popular Downtown Miami watering hole, The Wharf, is getting a Fort Lauderdale counterpart later this year at 20 West Las Olas Boulevard. Like the Miami location, The Wharf Fort Lauderdale will be a multi-use, riverfront space, housed on 1.25 acres of land with different bar options and bites from various food trucks and chefs in the area. No announcement has been made yet on the food and drink vendors or exact opening timeline. Stay tuned for more details.

January 25

WYNWOOD — Steven Haigh and chef Michael Lewis, the duo behind Wynwood’s mega-popular KYU, announced that later this spring they’ll be debuting their latest restaurant, Laid Fresh (250 NW 24th Street). The new restaurant has taken over the space previously occupied by Dizengoff and Federal Donuts to open an egg-focused eatery. It’ll offer a brunch-like selection of dishes made with plenty of eggs, bacon, along with a selection of salads, fried chicken sandwiches, gluten free options and sweets. Drink choices will feature cans of wine, bubbles and local beer along with mugs of mimosas.

December 10

CORAL GABLES — Chef Jamie DeRosa and two-time James Beard finalist executive pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith will team up to open Ad Lib in early 2019, housed in the former Swine Southern Table & Bar space. Both Goldsmith and DeRosa recently consulted with 50 Eggs Group, which owned and operated Swine, and DeRosa along with John Kunkel, the founder of 50 Eggs, are partners for this new restaurant. For Ad Lib the duo have tapped Sam Ross of New York City’s Attaboy to oversee the bar program along with sommelier Daniel Toral. Details on the menu are still vague at the moment but according to reps the menu will be “approachable” and will feature a “sophisticated playfulness” while the interiors of the space itself will focus on art. [Certified Open]

November 2

SOUTH MIAMI — The duo behind Stiltsville Fish Bar in Miami Beach, Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth, have announced plans to open a permanent outpost of their popular Southern-inspired New York City eatery, Root & Bone, in South Miami next door to American Harvest. The two already have a pop-up of the restaurant housed inside of the Sagamore Hotel, and according to Food & Wine their new Miami location will be twice the size of its NYC counterpart and will open by year’s end. The duo is also planning on opening up a restaurant in Indianapolis come 2019. [Certified Open]

MIMO — José Mendín is going back to his Puerto Rican roots for his latest restaurant, La Placita. According to Miami.com, Mendín and his restaurant group, Food Comma Group, has teamed up with Puerto Rican soap star Julián Gil and the owners of Balans, to take over the former Balans space in MiMo which recently closed. The restaurant will serve up straightforward Puerto Rican fare — i.e. no fusion here — plus drinks by Cocktail Cartel Co. and plans to open by December. [Certified Open]

LITTLE HAVANA — Michelle Bernstein and Julio Cabrera are teaming up once again for their new cocktail lounge and restaurant called La Trova. Set to debut in Little Havana later this year, the 5,000-square-foot space will feature a Cuban cafe, two bars, and a special type of bartending (dubbed cantinero) school, according to the Miami New Times. Drinks will be a mix of classic and not-so-classic libations while food prepared by Bernstein will be Cuban inspired bites. [Certified Open]