Cod and Capers Seafood, North Palm Beach: as fresh as it gets

Cod and Capers Seafood

US Highway 1, North Palm Beach

561-622-0963

www.codandcapers.com

Market open Mon. and Tue., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wed-Sat: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Café open Mon and Tues: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; 

        Wed.-Sat: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

By Jane Feehan

Cod and Capers Seafood is well known among restaurateurs in Palm Beach County who buy high- quality fresh fish and other sea delights from them such as stone crab and lobster. Their fleet of delivery trucks has been a familiar sight for years. They’ve also developed a loyal retail following among area residents.

Now they’re getting their feet wet with their own restaurant biz, a good thing for those who are looking for a very casual setting to eat some of the best seafood around; the café dishes it up as fresh as it gets.

Appetizers include crab-stuffed scallops, spinach-stuffed shrimp and clams Casino. There’s conch chowder on some days or lobster bisque. It’s all good, whether fresh fish sandwiches, lobster rolls, lobster tails, yellow tail snapper, hog snapper or jumbo soft shell crab as main courses The menu changes weekly with availability. Note: it’s almost cheaper to dine here than to buy their fish to bring home to cook.

Besides offering a collection of fresh seafood – local and cold water catch - Cod and Caper sells a range of gourmet sauces and spices, smoked salmon, fresh vegetables and wines. Unusual gifts for any occasion abound.

 A patio provides a comfortable Florida atmosphere - not far from the waters of Old Port Cove; a pleasant indoor dining room is available during inclement weather. Cod and Capers can’t be described as inexpensive but they do have deals. Their stone crab dinners on Wednesday nights starting at 5 p.m. (until May 15, when stone crab season ends) are more reasonable than other dining spots. Family-friendly, plenty of parking. Limited evening dining hours.

 Tags: Seafood market North Palm Beach, seafood restaurant Palm Beach Gardens

D'Angelo for pizza, tapas, and ... Fort Lauderdale

D’Angelo – Pizza, Wine Bar and Tapas

4215 N. Federal Hwy.

Fort Lauderdale, 33334 (Oakland Park)

954-561-7300 – Reservation required for parties of more than six

http://dangelopizza.com

By Jane Feehan

Brought to us by Chef Angelo Elia, the same owner behind the popular Casa D’Angelo, the more moderately-priced D’Angelo focuses on pizza, tapas and a wine bar.  It’s a concept that extends the D’Angelo name to a wider South Florida dining community. Judging by the crowds filling up the place, it’s a concept that seems to be working.

A striking modern black and white Italian décor provides a casual, smart setting to munch on an array of “artisan,” pizzas crowned with some interesting toppings, including Italian tuna, gorgonzola and buratta cheese, salmon and soft brie, arugula, dried figs and lots more. Pizza is good here if you’re less inclined to embrace traditional versions, though a Margherita may suffice – unless you order it topped with fries, which is an option.

Besides pizza, D’Angelo’s tapas ($12 and less) are also interesting, if not all tasty. Turkey and chicken meatballs are generous in size but short on flavor - no detectable garlic and slightly gummy (overabundance of bread crumbs?). But other small plates of rice balls or Arancini, crispy polenta, eggplant parmegiana, or stuffed zucchini flowers may make up for that item. D’Angelo also serves a small selection of soups, bruschette, ceviche (raw marinated fish) and carpacci (raw meats).

Daily dinner specials vary, but on my second visit included salmon stuffed with crab meat, chicken cacciatore, and a pasta dish; I chose the chicken.  A heaping plate of steaming hot chicken in red sauce and mashed potatoes came accented with tasty olives and sliced red peppers. It proved to be a good choice.

Reviews are mixed on their bread – bland – and salads. An arugula salad with white beans and shaved Reggiano drizzled in an orange citronette was terrific. A Ceasar, thrown together with two small heads of embarrassingly tired, limp Romaine lettuce, was a disappointment. That aside I’d return here for a meal. The service is excellent, the bar lively and the price is right. Valet parking, also at lunch.  Family-friendly.

Tags: Fort Lauderdale dining, Italian restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, pizza places in Fort Lauderdale, wine bar in Fort Lauderdale

Blog Update - history posts at new home

For those of you who subscribe to this blog, Jane's Bits, for history posts, note that many of those posts will be moved to Jane's History Nook at: janeshistorynook.blogspot.com, a new blog devoted to Florida history. Jane's Bits will continue to offer restaurant reviews and travel notes.

janeshistorynook.blogspot.com,

Tags: Florida history, Fort Lauderdale history, Miami Beach history, Miami history, South Florida history, Palm Beach history, film researcher

Michael R. McCarty's - to see or be seen in Palm Beach

Michael R. McCarty’s

50 Cocoanut Row

Palm Beach, FL

561-659-1899

Lunch and dinner served daily
Sunday Brunch, 11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Half-priced drinks at the bar 4-6 p.m.

www.michaelrmccartyspalmbeach.com

By Jane Feehan

Michael R. McCarty’s sits at a corner in the Royal Poinciana Plaza in this island town and draws the old Palm Beach crowd. It’s a great place to lunch outdoors and watch passengers emerge from a parade of  Mercedes-Benzes (with a Bentley or two) eager to be seen and to see who’s in town.

Not that it matters to these patrons, but the food is reasonably-priced while being comfortably good. Macaroni and cheese (cheddar, Parmesan and Gruyere), meat loaf, and chicken hash join traditional fare of USDA Prime steaks, and fresh seafood on the menu. McCarty's also does a marvelous job with cheese soufflés (best to call ahead for this treat.) The consensus is that Michael R. McCarty’s is a fun place, especially at night, when drinks at the bar are half price (between 4 and 6 p.m.) The tales proffered by local elites could be as good as the bar menu and appetizers – or the entire dinner.


Tags: Palm Beach restaurants, Palm Beach brunch, where Palm Beachers dine

Consignment/Thrift Shops Fort Lauderdale area

Below are some consignment/thrift shops in the Fort Lauderdale area. Do you know of others?

Another Chance

6125 Stirling Rd., Davie

954-584-5150

Tues.,Thurs., Fri.: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Wed. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. 4 p.m.

Sun., 12-4 p.m.

Bohemian Style

1309 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale

954-759-9144

Bohemianstyledesign.net

Couture Upscale Design

2939 N. Federal Hwy.Fort Lauderdale

954-565-4348

Coastal Consignments (furniture)

5435 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale

954-533-7505

Déjà vu, a Consignment Experience, Inc.

452 South Cypress Rd.,Pompano Beach

dejavuconsignment.net

M: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Tues-Fri: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Sat: 10 a.m-8 p.m.; Sun: 1-6 p.m.

954-942-5700

Hanky Panky’s

At Festival Flea Market – 2900 W. Sample Rd.,

170 Parade, Pompano Beach

954-973-2882

Hankypankys.com

My Sister’s Closet Consignment Boutique

2665 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale

954-563-5559

Out of the Closet

1785 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale

954-462-9442

Outofthecloset.org

Mon-Fri: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m

Sat, Sun: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The Prissy Hen

1825 Cordova Rd. (Harbor Shops),Fort Lauderdale

954-462-4484

Mon-Fri: 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Prissyhenconsignment.com

Thriftarella’s

4300 Davie Blvd., Davie

954-587-0818

Tues- Sat: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Thriftarellas.com

Twice But Nice

5229 W. Broward Blvd.,Plantation

954-581-6423

Mon.-Sat: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat.: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Vintage Diversity

236 W. Prospect Rd., Fort Lauderdale

954-566-7678

Tues.-Fri: 12-6 p.m.; Sat: 11 a.m. 6 p.m.

Vintagediversity.com

Worth Repeating

1732 N.E. 26^th St., Wilton Manors

954-563-4443

Worthrepeatingconsignments.com

Mon-Sat: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.


Tags: Consignment shops Fort Lauderdale, consignment shops Plantation,

Café Fiorello, NYC - Classy fare, setting near Lincoln Center

Café Fiorello

1900 Broadway – between 63 and 66^th Sts, across from Lincoln Center

New York, NY 212-595-5330

www.cafefiorello.com

Open lunch and dinner

Brunch on weekends

By Jane Feehan

Café Fiorello, across from the Lincoln Center, draws theater goers and loyal customers from the neighborhood and nearby businesses, including CNN.

Ideal for pre - or post-show dining, Café Fiorello offers a large semi-circular antipasto bar where a waiter will choose a few dishes to bring tableside or where diners can sit and and order their favorites for a light meal. This area of the restaurant features a great view of Lincoln Center.  

An elegant menu, with an array of fresh seafood, traditional Italian dishes, prime steaks and other meats, matches this restaurant’s classy dark wood interior. It’s expensive but thoroughly enjoyable right down to divine desserts. The café offers al fresco dining in warm weather. Service – good. Not a great place for kids, especially at night. For transit directions, visit: www.hopstop.com.

Tags: NYC restaurants, pre-theater dining near Lincoln Center, post-theater dining near Lincoln Center, Italian restaurants NYC

American Museum of Natural History, NYC: Our Global Kitchen - it's all about food

American Museum of Natural History

Central Park West at 79th Street

New York, New York

212-769-5100

Amnh.org

By Jane Feehan

I could not leave New York City without stopping by the American Museum of Natural History, the queen of museums. It was like stepping back into history – my history. It was a frequent field trip destination for my grade school in New Jersey.

Much appeared the same at this museum founded in 1869 (President Ulysses S. Grant laid the first stone in 1874), starting with the gigantic prehistoric elephants stationed near the entrance of the first exhibit. But there have been many additions. The Hayden Big Bang Theater presented a nifty four-minute video projected on to a sunken, circular screen introducing the Rose Center for Earth and Space and its examination of universe and earth through time.

There’s so much to see here – and so many toddlers, and babies in strollers. Why do parents drag young kids to these places? Children younger than seven don’t appreciate - or understand - these exhibits.

I sought refuge from the parade of strollers in an exhibit less traveled and paid an additional $6 to see Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture (amnh.org/our-global-kitchen). This was worth the trip – and the extra money. It’s a terrific exhibit featuring: how food is grown around the globe; how it’s traded and shipped (did you know 30 percent of the world’s food is destroyed in transit?); how it’s cooked in different countries; and the central place food takes in cultural celebrations. Tastings are provided by Whole Foods Markets.  There’s also an interesting collection of international cook books, edible plants grown hydroponically, spices, and a table movie showing chefs’ hands creating a variety of familiar dishes (more boys at this table than girls).

Our Global Kitchen also includes food in history: ancient irrigation systems, spices along Asia’s Silk Road, and models of crops grown hundreds of years ago. Lastly, the exhibit examines future food sources and the role some may play in eliminating world hunger. Enough food can be grown to feed the world now, the museum claims, but politics and natural disasters are among the causes that undermine the ability to feed all. Food for thought …

General admission tickets to the museum run $19, special exhibits additional. If traveling by subway take the B line during weekdays and the C train on weekends. The 81^st street subway exit features wall/tile art apropos of the museum. There are several restaurants and gift shops in the building as well as  restaurants in the neighborhood.

For transit directions, visit: http://hopstop.com

Tags: NYC museums, food exhibits, food history, natural history, prehistoric food,natural history, things to do in New York City

    

Coppelia, Greenwich Village: Luscious Latin food in this "diner"

Coppelia CLOSED

207 West 14^th Street

New York, NY  10001

www.ybandco.com

Open 24/7 – Catering also available

212-858-5001

By Jane Feehan

One may question why Coppelia bills itself as a diner. It’s not a prefabricated building. It’s not one long train-like dining car. But a counter dominates the main room and it does serve breakfast 24 hours a day, five days a week with brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.  

Coppelia is much more than their description as a New York-style luncheonette with Cuban accents. It dishes up some luscious Latin food for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers house-made desserts and breakfast sweets that alone would be worth a visit. Cuban coffees and Latin music punctuate a menu of

Huevos Rancheros; Pan France or Challah French toast heaped with fresh fruit; empanadas bursting with sweet corn, chicken or beef; Ropa Vieja – slow-cooked shredded beef in tomato salsa; Mejillones - steamed mussels, jalapeño bacon with cilantro and spicy fries; Camarones Diablo – dark rum-glazed shrimp with rice. For the less adventurous, there are diner standards: eggs plain, hamburgers, tuna melts, grilled cheese and more.  Happy Hour draws devotees looking for a little socializing to go with Coppelia’s great food.

I’ve traveled from midtown Manhattan to the Village a few times just to visit Coppelia. I’ll dine there again before I return to South Florida. Will I find a Latin diner as good as Coppelia in Fort Lauderdale or Miami?        For transit directions, visit: http://hopstop.com

Tags: NYC diners, diners in Greenwich Village, Latin diners in Manhattan, good diners in NYC, Cuban food, Latin food in NYC

For transit directions, visit: http://hopstop.com