2 minute read
TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT A BEST OF WINNER THE PUB DELIVERS
Rick Karlin
The Pub
The Pub or Village Pub, it doesn’t matter what you call it, the Wilton Drive staple is a favorite watering hole for many in our community. Mostly because the drinks are reasonably priced and poured by friendly, good-looking bartenders. But that’s not the only reason. Pub offers a variety of entertainment from drag shows to cabaret, to show tune Tuesdays and, in recent years, a revamped menu that offers not only lowercase p pub food but treats that go beyond bar fare, all at reasonable prices.
When Mike Connell came in as a partner five years ago, one of the things he wanted to do was upgrade the meals being served at the bar. Meals would be perhaps an overstatement, since the menu then basically consisted solely of fried and micro-waved snacks. The first step of Connell’s plan was to remodel the kitchen and hire a chef. When the menu first debuted in 2019 it was, perhaps, a bit too ambitious. The lobster roll offered was delicious but didn’t sell enough to be feasible.
In the intervening years, the menu has been tweaked and now is so successful, that The Pub took home SFGN’s “Best Of” award for bar food, and was runner-up for best burger.
The current menu has dropped all the fancy items and focuses on what it does exceptionally well: bar fare. Appetizers include pretzel bites and a giant pretzel, and various batter-fried yummies, both expected (wings, onion rings, cheese sticks, fries) and surprising (gator bites, pickle chips, and string beans). Sandwiches range from burgers and chicken to blackened grouper, BLT, and a veggie burger, while entrées offer homestyle fare such as meatloaf, fish & chips, pasta Alfredo, chicken cutlet, and chicken cordon bleu. Sandwiches are priced less than $10 and include a side, entrees are less than $20 and include a side or soup of the day. A variety of salad options are available for those seeking something lighter.
Breakfast is available until 1 p.m. and includes all the diner classics; eggs, breakfast sandwiches, omelets, breakfast burritos, eggs Benedict, as well as chicken and waffles. All are served with traditional sides. Freshly made buttermilk biscuits and toast accompany many dishes. All breakfast fare is in the $10-$15 range.
Side Dish
New Faces In Familiar Places
MA-PRAO opened in mid-October, replacing the former Thai Bayshore Restaurant which closed suddenly last summer … Sushi by Bou at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Pompano Beach didn’t even last a year, but a new place, SUSHI LAB, thinks it’s got a different enough take that they’ll be successful in that same spot. The father-and-son team Hank and Brandon Freid have already had success with their concept in New York City, one in Midtown and another in the East Village … Kitchenetta closed suddenly. Kitchenetta’s website is still up and operational and a note on the site says that they’ll be reopening soon. Soon is here. AZZURO’S, formerly of Sunny Isles has opened in the space …
Speaking of sudden closings. Wilton Manors’ HOLY MACKEREL and the BBQ restaurant attached to it shut down with no notice (as in folks showed up for drag queen brunch after confirming their reservations the night before). Signs up now say “Closed Temporarily.” We’ll see.
Cucina Caruso, the longtime pizzeria and Italian bakery owned by Domenico Caruso and Ana Cordoves, has been sold to new owner Agnes Evangelista, who rebranded the restaurant in early December as DA GIANNI … The latest occupant of 2410 Wilton Drive is AMADO MARKET. This iteration is an Argentine market and sandwich shop. It replaces the Nicaraguan restaurant Fritanga Managua, which replaced a gyros restaurant, which replaced … you get the picture.
