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EAT DRINK NEW AND NOW
On the Map
Hospitality maven Memphis Garrett dishes on his latest culinary concepts You might not know Memphis Garrett, but you’ve certainly visited one of his many foodie outposts around Fort Lauderdale. Have you sipped a creative cocktail at the swanky Sparrow perched atop The Dalmar? Ordered Pipeline Nachos from The Poke House? Garrett is behind those concepts and more. He’s launched nearly 44 restaurants and nightclubs since beginning his career in 2008, following his debut on the CBS competition Big Brother, where he placed as runner-up. He says the experience led him to find his passion in the hospitality world. By the end of the year, he’s on track to have 13 concepts under his belt in South Florida alone, and he isn’t done yet. Since wrapping on filming Big Brother: All-Stars during the pandemic, he’s conceptualized two new dining and entertainment venues in Fort Lauderdale: His fast-casual Poke House is transitioning into a cocktail lounge and eatery called No Man’s Land and will offer imaginative cocktails and bites like beef carpaccio and hamachi crudo. “The way people are dining is changing,” says Garrett, who reassures poke lovers they will still be able to order their favorites from the location for pickup or delivery (a ghost-kitchen concept called Blue Wave Sushi will also operate out of the space, with a menu of bento boxes and sushi). “I wanted to create a place where you would forget about what is going on anywhere else,” he says of No Man’s Land. “A space where the service and the vibe make you not want to leave.” Next, Garrett plans to open a West Palm Beach Poke House and Blue Wave Sushi, followed by a location in Plantation. “This is my home and I want to make sure that the majority of my venues are here,” he says. (garretthospitalitygroup.com)
Even Keel’s crab grilled cheese
LIKE A LOCAL
Dine Out Lauderdale
SHELBY COOPER
From left: No Man Land’s 1 Wish cocktail and hamachi crudo
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Reap the benefits of being a local this month with the return of Dine Out Lauderdale. More than 40 area eateries will offer prix fixe three-course meals ($35-$45) through the end of the month. Not sure where to book a resy? Take our cue and be sure to add Even Keel Fish Shack and Sistrunk Marketplace to your list. At Even Keel, choose between wahoo crudo, chilled corn soup, or smoked salmon salad for an appetizer, while entrée highlights include crispy sweet-and-sour octopus and clam linguine carbonara. Sistrunk is allowing guests to choose four dishes from its diverse lineup of cuisines, from Nelli’s Southern Kitchen honey butter chicken biscuits to Senbazuru gyoza dumplings. (sunny.org/restaurants)
FORT LAUDERDALE ILLUSTRATED
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8/5/21 11:16 AM
