Now open: New Bear’s Food Shack says hola and aloha in Lake Worth Beach; Sakura Ramen specializes in Asian street food in Coral Springs

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Bear’s Food Shack and Tequila Bar, Lake Worth Beach

An unlikely fusion of Mexican and Hawaiian dishes — plus intoxicating tequila cocktails — distinguishes this beachy laidback shack that arrived downtown in early March. The eatery, from owner Mia Rizzo, actually combines two restaurants: the El Diablo that previously occupied this Lake Worth Beach space and Bear’s Food Shack in Delray Beach, which shuttered last fall on Atlantic Avenue. The menu includes poke bowls, acai bowls and smoothies along with quesadillas, burritos, fajitas, tacos, enchiladas and protein bowls. 717 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach; BearsFoodShack.com

Seabra Bakery & Café, Boca Raton

This Portuguese and Brazilian bakery from the owners of the Seabra Foods ethnic grocery chain (which has supermarkets in Parkland and Pompano Beach and out of state in New Jersey and New York) debuted in February in Boca Raton. Co-owners Antonio, Adam, Anthony and Aaron Seabra have opened a spot that specializes in custom-order cakes and housemade Portuguese rolls (pão da avó), along with wraps and paninis stuffed with grilled chicken, prosciutto, beef tenderloin and roasted turkey. There are also sandwiches named after South Florida cities, including the Boca Raton, a chicken cutlet handheld topped with Canadian bacon and vegetables. 465-475 NE Spanish River Blvd., Boca Raton; 561-631-9022; Instagram.com/seabrabakery

Brandon’s Bistro, Pembroke Pines

A Broward County dream team — retired Super Bowl champion Kayvon Webster, ex-NBA player Brandon Knight and influencer Starex Smith (aka food blogger The Hungry Black Man) — have partnered up to form this kitchen, which quietly debuted in a Pembroke Pines strip mall in early March. The restaurant, under chef Gerald Harvey, serves coastal cuisine rooted in the Southern Black diaspora, such as braised oxtail, blackened catfish and hominy cakes. There are also smoked turkey legs with mac and cheese, collards and roasted peppers, and braised short rib in a blueberry glaze atop a bed of garnet yam puree. 207 N. Hiatus Road, Pembroke Pines; 954-955-7927; brandonsbistro.com

Sakura Ramen, Coral Springs

Asian street foods tantalizing enough to merit their own Instagram account are on the menu at this ramen house, which debuted in early March in the Coral Landings III plaza off West Sample Road and North State Road 7. The restaurant, registered to Zheng Xing Zheng, offers seven ramen bowls along with stir-fried Japanese curry, takoyaki (fried octopus balls), Korean spicy cheese noodles, shrimp tempura bao buns, pad Thai and Chinese scallion pancakes. For sweet tooths, there are bubble teas, milkshakes, powdered Thai doughnuts and something called “dirty bread,” which is deep-fried, dusted with cinnamon, stuffed with Nutella and dunked into a coconut-based dipping sauce. 6192 W. Sample Road, Coral Springs; 954-247-9380; SakuraRamen99.com

The burratina appetizer at the new Pick-ITA-Up in Fort Lauderdale includes mixed greens, red onion, fresh tomato, basil pesto and small orbs of burrata. ( Pick-ITA-Up / Courtesy)

Pick-ITA-Up, Fort Lauderdale

Replacing the former Bowlicious on Commercial Boulevard is this clunkily named Italian restaurant whose slogan is “Italian fast food where fast means good.” (Only good? But we digress.) The restaurant opened to the public on March 16, per social media, and the majority of entrees are $12 (save cauliflower pizza, which is $15). They include five types of paninis such as boscaiola, a crisp handheld of pork sausage, caramelized onion, mushrooms, roasted red peppers and arugula; and 12 pastas from linguini and middleneck clams to rigatoni with basil garlic pesto and creamy burrata. Lentil soup, pasta fagioli, fresh burrata and six pizza styles round out the offerings. 1823 E. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-900-3621; Facebook.com/pickitaup

The Hampton Social, Delray Beach

This Chicago-spun restaurant and bar that leans strongly into the phrase “Rosé All Day” is bringing a pair of locations to South Florida, the first of which debuted March 15 at the new Atlantic Crossing shopping village. Its menu touts mostly trendy seafood fare, including colossal crab cakes and grilled octopus in creamy herb sauce, olives and pistachios, along with oysters and avocado corn pizzas, lobster rolls and smash burgers. Entrees include honey-glazed salmon and short rib atop a bed of creamy polenta. On social media, the 308-seat restaurant is a whole vibe: Instagrammable walls dripping with faux ivy, coastal decor, walls of rosé bottles, chair swings and market lights, and messages like “Let your dreams set sail” written in cursive neon. The project comes from Chicago’s Parker Hospitality, which plans to open another outpost in Miami’s Mary Brickell Village later this spring or summer. 40 NE Seventh Ave., Suite 100, Delray Beach; TheHamptonSocial.com

SoFresh, Fort Lauderdale

This Tampa-based, build-your-own-bowl chain is opening new Florida locations, and the Fort Lauderdale one debuted in early March on the ground floor of the Wells Fargo building on North Federal Highway. Bowls, salads, wraps and quesadillas begin with a base of kale, spinach, brown rice or cauliflower, and include proteins (garlic-herb chicken, salmon, ahi tuna), mix-ins and sauces. The chain also serves smoothies, pressed juices and lemonade. 506 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; LoveSoFresh.com

5th Element Indian Grill, Delray Beach

Coming in hotter than red curry is this Florida-born Indian chain, which debuted Feb. 22 inside the Palm Court Plaza storefront once occupied by Mr. Chen’s Hunan Palace (which abruptly closed in January). The restaurant, registered to Vijaya Kumar Indhupuru, serves tandoor-baked chicken tikka and lamb kebabs, paneer, chicken curry and goat masala. 5th Element’s Delray location joins sister stores in Pompano Beach, Sanford, Daytona Beach, Palm Coast and Jacksonville. 5130 Linton Blvd., Unit E1, Delray Beach; My5thElement.com

The Bite Eatery, Pompano Beach

After three-plus years of pandemic and supply-chain delays, nine food vendors and one cocktail bar have finally shuffled into this food hall in the tony Harbor Village Plaza near the Intracoastal Waterway. The 9,000-square-foot space carries a dizzying swarm of dishes — from ropa vieja and housemade pasta to lobster rolls and half-pound Reubens — from the following vendors: Deli Shack, Mama Mia Pasta & More, Abuelita’s Cuban Bistro, Captain Lobstar, Ceviche Time, Beef Boyz, Moop Gelato, Taco Vibez, Papa’s Pizzeria. The Bite Bar, with a breezy island motif, serves craft cocktails. Jessica Gollel, one of the Bite Eatery’s developers, says the 200-seat food hall will throw a grand-opening party on March 27. 2715 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach; 954-361-7702; TheBiteEatery.com

Belladukes in Boca Raton is a gourmet market and coffee bar with a rotating menu, bespoke grab-and-go meals, charcuterie specials, sweet treats, craft beer and wine (by the glass or bottle). (Lisa Mullen / Courtesy)

Belladukes, Boca Raton

Belladukes’ owners — Lisa Mullen and Lisa Klepper — say the gourmet market and coffee bar features a weekly rotating menu, bespoke grab-and-go meals, charcuterie specials and sweet treats, as well as craft beer and fine wines by the glass or bottle. There are three generations of friendships behind Belladukes. In addition to being childhood friends, both women’s parents were friends and now their children are pals too. By the way, the name comes from each family’s dog, Duke for the Mullens and Bella for the Kleppers. Free parking is available in the Tower 155 Garage and metered parking on the street. 155 E. Boca Raton Road, Boca Raton; 561-990-1516; belladukes.com

Red Pine Restaurant & Lounge, Boca Raton

Pricey traditional Chinese cuisine from high-end restaurateurs is having a moment in Palm Beach County, and the latest example is this eatery from Farmer’s Table owner Mitchell Robbins, which soft-opened March 8 inside the One Town Center building a wok’s throw from the Town Center mall. The menu touts wok entrees, dim sum, housemade egg rolls and steamed xiao long bao (savory bone broth soup pork dumplings) from chefs Chi K. Chan (formerly of Mastro’s) and Michael Schenk. The idea is “to bring traditional Chinese cuisine to a fine-dining environment, the side of Chinese cuisine that kind of got lost being Americanized for so long,” manager Charles Eisenhart says. The restaurant offers communal-style seating, and its red marble-topped bar slings 10 craft cocktails and mocktails. 1 Town Center Road, Boca Raton; 561-826-7595; RedPineBoca.com; OpenTable for reservations

Bariloche Gourmet, Fort Lauderdale

Gourmet fast-food is the concept for this new restaurant that opened on Feb. 17 three blocks from Fort Lauderdale beach. The name of the eatery refers to San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina. “Yes, I lived in Bariloche for a long time,” says Valeria F. Camporro, the owner along with husband Juan M. Delutault. “Bariloche is an amazing tourist city in Argentina [known] for its incredible natural landscapes and, of course, the food as well.” The signature dishes are sandwiches de miga, empanadas, pizzas, pastries and desserts. The new restaurant can seat 32 people indoors and outdoors. The couple also has a Bariloche Gourmet in Miami. 2915 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-918-8312; Instagram.com/barilochegourmet

Double Roads Tavern, Jupiter

Nightly jam sessions, a righteous vinyl shop and smoky barbecue are the norm at owner Vince Flora’s live-music tavern, which reopened after a two-year hiatus in late January. After pandemic troubles shuttered his original Double Roads in April 2021, Flora, a jazz player and blues rocker, revived it up the street out a former Outback Steakhouse. On the menu are smoked hamburgers, IPA beer-steamed shrimp, pulled-pork frittatas, arepa hush puppies, Nashville-hot mahi mahi and a barbecue-Cuban sandwich mashup stuffed with pulled pork, swiss cheese, pickles, brisket and mustard barbecue sauce. 103 U.S. Hwy 1; 561-437-3348, DoubleRoadsTavern.com

Brewlihan, Oakland Park

John and Stacey Hoolihan’s buzzworthy hive of mead — better known as honey wine — opened its brewhouse in August and its long-awaited public tasting room in late February, adding to the city’s growing cluster of craft-beer bars, breweries and distilleries perched along North Dixie Highway. The 1,700-square-foot mead house, decorated with science flasks and honeycomb motifs, has 16 taps and sources its honey from Florida beekeepers and fruits from farmers in the Pacific Northwest and New York. 3472 NE Fifth Ave., Unit 1, Oakland Park; Brewlihan.com

Maple and Cream Restaurant, Plantation

This new brunch restaurant specializing in coffee and prodigious latte art quietly opened in late February by the old Fashion Mall, a slight jog north of the Plantation Walk hullabaloo. The restaurant, registered to manager-partner David Gonzalez, offers diner fare such as biscuits and maple sausage gravy, croissant french toast and a shaved ribeye skillet mixed with eggs, potatoes, peppers, onions and smashed avocado. For lunch, there are so-called “light eats” — including roasted beet hummus, avocado toast and panzanella salad — but also comfort items such as fried cinnamon rolls and tempura chicken thighs plated with cornbread and broccolini. 375 N. University Drive, Plantation; MapleandCream.com

Cluckin Hot Chicks, Dania Beach

Yet another new chicken franchise has landed in South Florida: Cluckin Hot Chicks had its soft-opening on Feb. 25 on South Federal Highway, replacing a former Checkers fast-food restaurant. Registered to owners Ahshan Latif and David Shaw, this fast-casual spot leans into Nashville-style hot chicken and every other poultry configuration imaginable: wings, tenders, quarters, sandwiches, waffles and tacos. Chicken is doused in 10 different sauces, from honey-cinnamon “Sweet Heat” to “What the Cluck.” (The menu is, of course, pun-heavy.) Sides include fries, coleslaw and mac ‘n’ cheese. A grand-opening party is planned for March 10. 645 S. Federal Highway, Dania Beach; 754-777-7901; CluckinHotChicks.com

After opening under the radar more than a year ago, Poke House has rebranded to Point Break and now offers pan-Asian cuisine in addition to its poke bowls. (Garrett Hospitality Group)

Point Break, Plantation

With a name like Point Break, you might expect Keanu to show up at the restaurant and nod approvingly at your choice of healthy lunch. But no, the name is really a rechristening of Poke House, a lunch-only poke shop from local restaurateur Memphis Garrett (Fort Lauderdale’s Ya Mas! Taverna, No Man’s Land) that opened without fanfare a year ago. The 1,300-square-foot storefront is in the Shoppes at Cleary plaza. Now that Point Break is a fast-casual eatery serving pan-Asian street food for lunch and dinner, Garrett ditched half the poke menu in favor of tuna tacos, Hawaiian fried rice, tonkotsu ramen, poke gyoza, coconut shrimp and chicken karaage. 8970 Cleary Blvd., Plantation; 954-999-5758; EatPointBreak.com

Moxies, Fort Lauderdale

The second South Florida entry of this popular Canadian restaurant chain is massive, fitting 366 seats and a pair of indoor-outdoor bars across two stories at the new-ish Main Las Olas building. After several months of delays, the restaurant finally soft-opened on March 1 with American and global cuisine, from hamburgers and N.Y. strip steaks to miso ramen bowls and beef vindaloo. The menu, created by chef Brandon Thordarson, also includes pot stickers, Thai chili chicken, French onion soup, baby back ribs and short-rib bolognese. Its two-story dining room and mezzanine is adorned in elegant white crossbeams, faux-grass walls, marble-topped tables and indoor palm trees. 201 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-666-6861; Moxies.com

Tin Roof, Fort Lauderdale

This Nashville-spawned, music-minded, bar-food chain with a popular location on Delray’s glitzy Atlantic Avenue has moseyed south to downtown Fort Lauderdale, quietly opening on St. Patrick’s Day inside the former Township bar, according to its social media. CEO Bob Franklin told the South Florida Sun Sentinel last spring that Tin Roof will feature nightly live music acts and a menu different than that of its Delray Beach outpost: Nashville hot chicken, fried pickles, burgers, hot dogs, funnel cakes, cheese fries and salad bowls. 219 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-654-7330; TinRoofFortLauderdale.com

Buccan Sandwich Shop, West Palm Beach

Clay Conley, arguably one of Palm Beach County’s most-decorated chefs (and a multiple James Beard Award nominee), has quietly created the Buccan Sandwich Shop takeout window into the side of Grato, his elegant Italian eatery in the Flamingo Park neighborhood. The sandwich counter is a spinoff of the lunchtime menu at Buccan, his small-plates bistro in Palm Beach, where fresh-sliced hot and cold meats are served on long rolls, along with soups and salads. There are handhelds stuffed with Grato’s meatballs, plus corned beef Reuben, prime N.Y. strip cheesesteak, Buffalo chicken, turkey club, falafel pita and double-cheeseburgers topped with remoulade. The takeout window (look for the giant pink flamingo on Buccan’s Kanuga Drive side) opened for delivery-only this week, with plans to debut the full takeout window experience by mid-March. 1901 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; BuccanSandwichShop.com

Bagels With Deli, Delray Beach

A sister location to its flagship New York-style deli on Linton Boulevard, this bakery registered to owners Robert and Dawn Bloom debuted Feb. 5 on West Atlantic Avenue, sharing a strip mall with Joseph’s Classic Market. Along with noodle kugel and potato latkes, there are appetizing cases selling spreads and salads by the half-pound (including hummus, macaroni, Greek orzo, chicken and tuna), plus 14 fresh-baked bagel flavors, bialys and flagels (aka flat bagels). The breakfast-lunch menu also offers housemade corned beef hash, egg sandwiches, LEO omelets, wraps, salads bowls and 14 deli sandwiches filled with everything from hot pastrami to honey almond chicken. 8854 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; BagelsWithDeli.com

Smoke Shack BBQ & Burgers, Royal Palm Beach

Born in New Jersey, Timothy Jensen and Greg Stouffer’s smokehouse pub debuted its first South Florida outpost in early February in the Cobblestone Village plaza. The sports-themed restaurant serves barbecue sandwiches, footlong hotdogs, beef brisket and baby back ribs by the pound, along with 10 styles of hamburgers on brioche. But Smoke Shack’s bestsellers are its specialty sandwiches like Three Little Pigs, packing roughly a pound of 14-hour smoked pulled pork, 4-hour smoked pork belly and whole-hog bacon into a brioche bun, somehow managing to save room for lettuce, tomato and onion on top. A second location is planned for Delray Beach, at 13900 Jog Road, sometime in April. 10233 Okeechobee Blvd., Royal Palm Beach; 561-437-1121; SmokeShackBBQandBurgers.com

Le Colonial, Delray Beach

This luxe time capsule to 1920s French Colonial Vietnam, under restaurateurs Rick Wahlstedt and Joe King, soft-opened on Feb. 15 within the new Atlantic Crossing shopping village. At 7,500 square feet, this restaurant-bar is accented with tropical furnishings, breezy verandas, leather banquettes, mahogany millwork and framed period photographs. Its classic Vietnamese menu, by chefs Nicole Routhier and Hassan Obaye, offers crunchy green papaya salad dressed in tangy nuoc cham (a sweet-sour-spicy dipping sauce), moist dumplings garnished with ginger, half roasted duck and suon nuong, or lemongrass-marinated baby back ribs. Wahlstedt and King — who operate other locations in Chicago, Houston, Atlanta and Lake Forest, Ill. — are planning another Le Colonial in Naples later in 2023. 601 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; LeColonial.com

Bubbakoo’s Burritos, Miramar

Customizable Nashville hot chicken burritos, barbecue shredded pork quesadillas and General Tso’s crispy chicken tacos are on the menu at this fast-casual Tex-Mex franchise born on the Jersey Shore, which debuted Feb. 10 in the Miramar Park Place plaza. The location, operated by franchisee Suresh Patel, offers build-your-own burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, nachos and something called a “chiwawa” (basically panko-breaded, fried rice balls topped with nacho cheese plus other burrito add-ons). This is the third Bubbakoo’s location in South Florida, joining outposts in Deerfield Beach and Coral Springs. 11225 Miramar Parkway, Suite 230; 954-589-0737; Bubbakoos.com

Napoli Now! Pizza Napoletana, Cooper City

This Neapolitan-style pizzeria from owners Gaetano and Guy Sperduto quietly debuted in early December In the Cooper Square plaza, across the street from Cooper City High School. The pizzeria dishes 14 pies topped with Italy-imported mortadella, salsiccia and nduja sausages, thin-sliced prosciutto, spicy pepperoni and broccoli rabe, along with housemade meatballs, five sandwiches and four salads. 9630 Stirling Road, No. 102, Cooper City; 754-888-9966; NapoliNow.com

Cookiehead Bakery, Coral Springs

If you remember Bagelmania, then you might want to know that the Schwartzberg family is back in the bakery biz. Their new sweet shop, Cookiehead Bakery, had a soft opening Jan. 26 in Coral Spring’s Royal Eagle Plaza. Owners Margie and Gary Schwartzberg decided to open their latest venture at the behest of their grandchildren who — during the pandemic shutdown — wanted to see two generations of recipes (Gary’s father was also a baker starting in the 1930s) get some props. Margie and Gary themselves are bakery veterans with 52-plus years of experience. Back in 1978, they moved Bagelmania down to SoFlo from Brooklyn, N.Y. With Cookiehead, the crowd favorites so far are the “traditional 1931 Chocolate Chip recipe originated by my dad,” says Gary, before adding that other popular cookies include “the Strawberry Cheesecake and Fiona’s Buttercream Funfetti Sugar Cookie. Yum!” 9162 Wiles Road, Coral Springs; 754-225-5858; cookieheadbakery.com

Rosalia’s Kitchen, Miramar

This Mediterranean-Italian fusion restaurant registered to owner Rafael Brazon-Di Fatta opened in late January in the Miramar Square plaza. The uncommon mashup results in dishes such as Bolognese arancini balls and roasted eggplant ravioli, as well as gnocchi cheese alfredo. There is also a variety of hummus platters, spanakopita, Greek salads, vegan chickpea sambusak and Israeli crispy chicken sliders. For dessert, there’s Israeli cheesecake with butter cookie crumble and a tower of cream puffs drizzled with bourbon caramel and chocolate sauces. 12130 Miramar Parkway; 954-589-2411; RosaliasKitchen.com

Effe Cafe, Cooper City

More than a year after Nunzio Fuschillo and Patty Lopez’s pop-up bakery ran out its lease at a Cooper City Marathon gas station, the husband-and-wife duo are heading back to their old stomping grounds. Fuschillo and Lopez, both chefs who cut their teeth at a two-star Michelin restaurant in Italy’s Tuscany region, officially reopened Effe on Feb. 16, the couple announced on Instagram this week. Fuschillo and Lopez started Effe in 2020 after getting laid off from Michael Beltran’s Nave in Coconut Grove. The plan is for the resurrected Effe storefront to revisit all its old dishes, and eaters should expect more mojo pork sandwiches, parigiana puff-pastry pizzas, lobster rolls, Cuban sandwich croissants, quiches and cafes con leche from the cult-favorite cafe. 10295 Stirling Road, Cooper City; Instagram.com/effe.cafe or Facebook.com/effe.cafe

The Rooftop at Kimpton Shorebreak Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort

Just a few blocks from the sands of The Strip on Fort Lauderdale beach, this hotel has been making lots of changes (including dropping “Goodland” from the name). Back in October, it closed the main restaurant Botanic, replacing it with La Fuga, a “coastal Italian cuisine” concept in a soft opening. Now, La Fuga as well as the new Rooftop lounge had a grand opening earlier this month. The Rooftop at Shorebreak has its own menu, a Mediterranean tapas-style concept. 2900 Riomar St., Fort Lauderdale. 954-908-7301, ext. 3; shorebreakfortlauderdale.com/fort-lauderdale-restaurant/rooftop

Alpen Bakery Store, Pembroke Pines

Two married bakers hoping to provide a better life for their two daughters relocated from their native Chile to Cooper City and plan to open their new Austrian-Latin fusion bakery in Pembroke Pines sometime in February. The pastry shop, owned by Anja Frings Uribarri and Ruben Molina Lobos, specializes in fruit tartlets and chocolate muffins but also tantalizing exotic pastries, including Austrian-style sachertorte (a denser, chocolate-glazed chocolate cake layered with fruit jam), alfajores (dulce de leche sandwich cookies) and moka cake (topped with mocha buttercream). 8937 Taft St., Pembroke Pines; 954-646-7100; Facebook.com (search for “Alpen Bakery Store”)

Rice Mediterranean Kitchen, Fort Lauderdale

This Miami-based boutique chain of fast-casuals has been serving up Eastern Mediterranean flavors since the early 2000s. There are seven locations in Miami-Dade County. The Fort Lauderdale location debuted on Feb. 1 (per social media) in the Bank of America Plaza at Las Olas City Centre, alongside other eateries such as Coyo Taco, Subway and Smoothie King. The extensive menu includes kabobs, wraps and falafel platters. There are also tenderloin, chicken, snapper and sirloin platters. 401 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; RiceKitchen.com

World of Beer Bar & Kitchen, Royal Palm Beach

This chain emporium of craft-beer suds, wine, cocktails and pub fare debuted its latest South Florida taproom on Feb. 4 on Southern Boulevard, roughly 3 miles west of the iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre. The beer hall touts a mind-numbing variety of draft and bottled brews (there are hundreds, from saisons and stouts to hard seltzers and mead), and its menu features soft-baked pretzels, chicken wings doused in eight sauces and dry rubs, salads and tacos, six styles of hamburgers and four flatbreads, and entrées including steak frites and grilled Atlantic salmon brushed with India Pale Ale glaze. 11121 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach; WorldofBeer.com

Just Pizza & Wing Co., Coral Springs

After months-long permitting delays, this Buffalo, N.Y.-born franchise opened its first South Florida pizza-wing stop on Feb. 1 under local franchisee Noel Morreale. The eatery’s name, to be fair, sells short its sheer number of specialty configurations, such as the 3 Cheese Steak Pizza with a mozzarella-Swiss-white American blend atop thin-sliced sirloin steak, and wings with intriguing (bourbon whiskey, blackberry barbecue, Cajun honey) and scald-your-mouth-out flavors (“lethal hot” Buffalo style). 2359 N. University Drive, Coral Springs; 754-240-4887; JustPizzaUSA.com

Oreo Mint shaved ice once served at Vampire Penguin in Fort Lauderdale. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Vampire Penguin, Fort Lauderdale

This frozen desserts shop across the street from The Galleria mall lasted a few weeks short of a year. Franchise co-owner Sharon Rinaudo was first introduced to Vampire Penguin — a California-based brand known for shaved ice sweets — when her sister opened a location in Aiken, S.C. The corporate office did not respond to the Sun Sentinel’s questions regarding any additional plans for the South Florida market. 2585 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 754-223-5148; vampirepenguin.com

Rebel House, Boca Raton

Chef Eric Baker’s redheaded renegade on the outskirts of Mizner Park closed on March 27 after 11 years on Palmetto Park Road. The timing couldn’t be more bittersweet, since Baker’s business partner, David Bouhadana, tells the Sun Sentinel that reservation lines have been “melting” all month since Guy Fieri featured the brash American gastropub on the Feb. 17 episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives.” Rebel House debuted in 2012 under cofounders Evan David and Mike Saperstein, its menu and decor standing in punkish contrast to the polished pink buildings that sprouted up around it. They sold the eatery to Baker in late 2019, who put his stamp on the menu with dishes like matzo-fried chicken, Mongolian beef lo mein, pork cheek empanadas and lobster meatballs. AlleyCat, Baker and Bouhadana’s hip American-Asian mashup on Mizner Boulevard, will reopen in the Rebel House space on April 5. 297 E. Palmetto Park Road; 561-353-5888, RebelHouseBoca.com

Thai Thyme & Sushi Bar, Plantation

This 6-year-old Japanese-Thai eatery in the Plantation Centre West plaza permanently closed on Feb. 28. Co-owner Iwan Saputra told the Sun Sentinel that the restaurant has been sold to new owners. Thai Thyme specialized in pan-Asian fare including bento boxes, shoyu ramen and tom kha soup, along with sushi, poke bowls and curried dishes. 7039 W. Broward Blvd., Plantation; 954-990-7110; ThaiThymeFL.com

Blue Moon Diner, Cooper City

This suburban strip-mall hub for down-home classics — bacon-stuffed omelets, tuna cheese melts, bison hamburgers — has closed in the Pine Lake Plaza on Griffin Road after 13 years. The eatery abruptly shut in mid-January without fanfare or social-media updates, and its phone number and website have been taken down. Last year, the diner was renovated by new owners Shaune and Sarah Walter, who took over Blue Moon in 2021. The diner was also known for its collision of high-end and low-end dishes, such as breakfast burritos, lobster quiche, avocado egg rolls and Atlantic salmon. 10076 Griffin Road, Cooper City