World of Beer

Many of my friends will wonder why I didn't review WOB sooner. The answer, frankly, is that I didn't feel the need to: I already tell everyone I know to go or join me there - people often text as they are heading over to see if I'm already there! However, I recently became a member of the WOB "50 Club", so I felt it was probably time.

The Beer:
With several 400ish draughts and bottles on the menu, it's hard to think you could learn about beer or get proper recommendations from your server. In fact, even the youngest of their staff have been educated about their product and have rarely steered me wrong (and in fact have pleaded with me NOT to try something they knew I wouldn't like; I didn't listen, but they were totally right.)

The Food:
What makes my friends and I drool over owning a World of Beer franchise someday is the fact that they DON'T serve food. They host a book filled with menus from the local resturants, many of whom will even deliver food right to your table inside World of Beer! This means you aren't limited to one style of food, you can eat something different every visit, and the WOB staff can focus on what they're good at: BEER!

The Staff:
Fun, friendly, knowledgeable. At my local one, I am recognized regularly and greeted warmly.

The Info:
I have been to World of Beer in Orlando, Viera, Port Orange, and Coconut Creek. They are generally located in upscale, outdoor shopping centers with several restaurants within a moment's walking distance (the exception so far being the oddly freestanding Port Orange location). Live music is the rule not the exception, and the atmosphere is upbeat and friendly. Tables can be hard to find, so getting there early and making an evening of is is the best plan.


Contact:
(954) 984-0300 (or see contact info for all their locations)
http://www.wobusa.com

Tap 42 Bar & Kitchen

I have to preface this review with the following disclaimer: I REALLY wanted to like Tap 42. It's located in an under-rated (and for me, nostalgic) part of town, and has a random, hot-spot feel like lots of high-end, local-knowledge places in Miami. However, while it was full of the same self-important people who were busy self-importing themselves to anyone who would listen, they seem to have created something hard to describe... I think the closet I can come to describing the atmosphere is Nikki Beach meets TGIFridays: a high-end, exclusive target-rich environment with an attempt at whimsy (without nailing stuff to the walls).

The Beer:
Their marketing attempts to capitalize on the craft beer craze (and anyone who knows me knows how much I like World of Beer!). However, while they have 42 craft & micro brews on tap,and a hundred bottle varieties, on our visit they were out of at least one draft and 3 bottles... of just of the ones we'd asked for! Also, they have a questionable overall selection of beers, seemingly geared more towards the uneducated novice than the discerning beer connoisseur. They do get high marks for dedicating a large percentage of the draft menu to Florida-native beers, but why the balance is taken up by the full line of Sierra Nevada and a smattering of "mainstream imports" like Hoegaarden (for $9!?) remains a mystery.

The Food:
Tap 42 has the best looking food in Fort Lauderdale. While that sounds like a bold and unlikely statement, the key words are "best looking". While everyone was satisfied with the food and no one would say the food anything but good, it just looked so great that the taste had no choice but to be a small letdown. The veggie burger was deemed great, and the Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner burger with fried green tomatoes was quite a challenge.

The Staff:
Another issue we had, contrary to other reviews we have read post-visit (I try never to read reviews before I try a new place to avoid pre-judgement), or waitress was NOT any sort of expert on beer... we asked for a bottle of Young's Double Chocolate Stoudt (to mix with a Wells Banana Bread beer), and she said it was out back, unchilled...but she could bring it to us anyways if we'd like. WHAT?! Can you imagine choking down a beer than's so dark & dense it has it's own gravitational pull.. at room temperature? Other than that, everyone (our waitress included)was friendly, eager to please, and efficient.

The Info:
Do not dine here if you are in a hurry (we waited an hour on a Wednesday night), or if you are on a budget. For impressing a date, I really can't think of a better place, since it's got that cozy feel and suggest's one is in-the-know about our town's hidden hot spots. It's a little loud for a business meeting, but if that's not a deterrent, it's a perfect place to plan an IPO or a Ponzi scheme.

Phone: (954) 463-4900
Web: http://www.tap42.com

Location:
1411 South Andrews Ave.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Seasons 52

Seasons 52 is one of my favorite chain resturants, because it doesn't feel like a chain. Yes, the interior is similar, and the menu is the same, but at the same time, the food and atmosphere are so considered and well-executed that it is hard to believe this level of service can be mass-produced

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The Food:
Excellent menu selections prepared with uncommon ingredients, served with stylish drizzles and unconventional dishes. Nothing on the entire menu is over 475 calories, but even I can eat and feel satisfied. You probably won't feel 'stuffed', but thats not what fine dining is supposed to be about.

The Staff:
The Seasons 52 staff is among my favorite in town. The management seems to do an excellent job of screening prospective servers for intelligence and competence. Every week, the resturant holds a 'staff-only' wine tasting, to familarize the servers with each wine on the list, which is extensive. Servers are able to suggest wines not in the 'price must equal quality' manner most places use, but by actually comparing their selection to what you tell them your tastes lean towards.

The Info:
The menu here changes seasonally (hence the name), and always has a fresh vegetable or two related to the current one. They to an excellent tuna tartar, and have just started offering sushi (which I have not yet tried, but will).

Recommended For:
Entertaining guests, lunch, dinner, fine dining, good times, wine selection , romantic evenings
Contact:
Fort Lauderdale: (954) 537-1052
Boca Raton: (561) 998-9952
http://www.seasons52.com/

Locations:
On Glades Road:
2300 N.W. Executive Center Dr.
Boca Raton, FL 33431

At the Galleria Mall:
2428 E. Sunrise Blvd.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304

Best Affordable Steak in Fort Lauderdale

Chucks Steakhouse is the best place for a reasonably-priced steak in Fort Lauderdale, period. I've been meaning to post this review forever, and it's a shame I never got around to it. Don't take my slacking for contempt, this truly is one of my favorite local places.

The Food:
Chuck's has a great but relatively small menu. things you must try include the Prime Rib, Black Diamond Tuna (order it rare but charred on the outside with a side of Wasabi!), and the escargot. Also, every entree comes with the choice of soup or salad bar - which is immense, fresh, and the only way to go.

The Staff:
Staff here are knowledgeable about their menu, and offer the level of service expected at this type of resturant. They are in no particular hurry, and will be glad to reccomend a dish or make a change to a menu item if you wish.

The Info:
Chuck's came to South Florida in 1973, and some of the wait staff have been there for over 10 years. This is a place where the staff can learn your name and welcome you back over the years. The 17th St Causeway location is the better choice for dates, business dinners, or entertaining. The Commercial Blvd location is a great close-to-home option for last-minute meals, or when you want a great steak but don't feel the need for the livelier atmosphere the other location offers.

Recommended For:
Entertaining guests, date night, business dinners, good times, steak snobs.

Contact:
17th St: (954) 764-3333
Commercial Blvd:(954) 772-2850

Locations:
1207 SE 17th St.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 [MAP]
OR
2428 E. Commercial Blvd.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308 [MAP]