The Wharf Fort Lauderdale Gathers South Florida's Top Culinary Talent Under One Roof

A new event and entertainment complex is set to open in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Located in the heart of the city's Las Olas neighborhood on the New River, the Wharf Fort Lauderdale is scheduled to debut the weekend of November 8. A sister concept to the Wharf Miami, the 8,000-square-foot space...

By Nicole Danna

November 1, 2019

Image: The Lunchroom will be one of several food options at the Wharf Fort Lauderdale when it opens November 8.

The Lunchroom will be one of several food options at the Wharf Fort Lauderdale when it opens November 8. Be Nice Restaurants

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A new event and entertainment complex is set to open in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Located in the heart of the city's Las Olas neighborhood on the New River, the Wharf Fort Lauderdale is scheduled to debut the weekend of November 8. A sister concept to the Wharf Miami, the 8,000-square-foot space will offer locals and tourists a new way to indulge in some of the area's best dining, entertainment, and nightlife.

Accessible by boat and car, the Wharf Fort Lauderdale occupies more than an acre along the New River. The nautical-themed open-air concept will offer guests tent-covered communal seating on an AstroTurf lawn where they can sample food from several pop-up concepts by some of South Florida's top culinary talent.

In addition to hosting a variety of public and private events, the Wharf will also partner with iconic Broward- and Miami-based chefs and restaurateurs to expand the city's culinary offerings. The complex is a joint partnership among the founders of Breakwater Hospitality — Emi Guerra and Alex Mantecon — Merrimac Ventures CEO Dev Motwani, and Barreto Group CEO Rodney Barreto.

"It's exciting to bring one of my favorite Miami hangouts to Fort Lauderdale," Motwani ays. "By combining some of our best local food scene operators with some great concepts from Miami, we really get the best of both worlds."

To bring their vision to life, several of South Florida's top culinary talents have come together as the Wharf's resident food vendors for its food court-style culinary pop-up. The curated list will continue to evolve over time bringing the freshest concepts to the downtown area.

Options include seafood by chef/restaurateur Dean Max's Even Keel, classic American fare by restaurateur Eliot Wolfe's Lunchroom, Asian cuisine by chefs/owners Alex Kuk and Diego Ng's Temple Street Eatery, pizza by chef/restaurateur Jose Mendin’s the Piefather, and Miami’s Mojo Donuts + Fried Chicken. The Wharf Fort Lauderdale will be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday beginning at noon.

"We’re excited to partner with local concepts that have helped shape the Fort Lauderdale food scene, as well as some newcomers to Broward that we’ve brought along with us from Miami," Guerra says. "With each food concept, we want to bring something unique and different to downtown for lunch, happy hour, evening, and especially late-night dining."

The Wharf Fort Lauderdale. 20 W. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; wharfftl.com.

Nicole Danna is a Palm Beach County-based contributor who began covering the South Florida food scene for New Times in 2011. She began covering food and beverage news as the entertainment editor and reporter for the Colorado Daily. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times, the New York Post, New York Moves, and her hometown newspaper, Darien Times, among others.

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