For the first time in more than three years, the Fort Lauderdale hotel's iconic Pier Top dining room will open to the public for brunch once a month through 2018. The Pier Top officially closed in 2007, and the hotel's luxury space has since been used exclusively for galas, weddings, and other special events.
One of the most decadent brunches in South Florida, it offers an array of internationally themed and seasonally rotating small plates, hot and cold stations, desserts, bottomless mimosas and bloody marys, live music, and panoramic views of the city's waterways.
"Brunch at Pier Top is one of the most unique experiences you'll have in Fort Lauderdale," Greg McGowan, executive chef for Pier Sixty-Six Hotel & Marina, says. "With globally inspired signature tapas, my passion is to take guests on a gastronomic adventure by introducing them to new flavors and textures."
The chef promises that no two visits to Pier Top’s brunch will be alike. "We change the tapas stations to reflect seasonal flavors while keeping traditional brunch classics, including eggs Benedict and pancakes."
It's not a high-end buffet without a tomahawk rib eye at the carving station.
Courtesy of Style Blueprint
According to McGowan, some of his favorite items set to be served at the inaugural brunch Sunday, April 1, are the king salmon crudo, a chef-carved tomahawk rib-eye, and sambal-spiced shrimp.
"The marbling and quality of the beef makes it superior to all other rib-eye cuts, the salmon is sushi grade and just melts in your mouth, and the bold flavor of the sambal spice makes the shrimp a unique item," he says.
For $75 per person ($45 for children under the age of 12), Pier Top offers two seatings for each selected Sunday, the first beginning at 11:30 a.m. and the second at 1:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended, and confirmed dates are April 1, May 13, June 17, July 8, August 12, September 9, October 21, November 18, and December 9.
"We're very excited for the hotel's future. Tavistock is investing significantly in revitalization to return the property as a world-class location," Jim Zboril, president of Tavistock Development Company, says. "Reopening the Pier Top is indicative of our long-term vision to return Pier Sixty-Six to its reputation as the social harbor in Fort Lauderdale."
If you're a brunch lover, don't miss South Florida's ultimate brunch celebration — New Times' Out to Brunch — from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 14, at Soho Studios, 2136 NW First Ave., Miami; 305-600-4785; newtimesouttobrunch.com. Tickets cost $50 to $70 through ticketfly.com.
Pier Sixty-Six Hotel & Marina. 2301 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-678-3917; pier66hotelmarina.com. Brunch is $75 per adult, $45 per kid and is served monthly.
