Tony D’s
3300 NE 32nd St., Fort Lauderdale, 954-440-2151, TonyDs.net
After seven years in Rochester, N.Y., the owners of this regional old-school Italian and New American restaurant have picked South Florida for its first expansion.
“Too many restaurants fail by only focusing on one thing,” co-owner and chef Jay Speranza says. “We will provide our guests with an equal balance of delicious, fresh and creative Italian cuisine, honest and sincere service and an upbeat, high-energy atmosphere.”
Standouts include Greens and Beans with sausage ($14), crunchy yet creamy pine-nut arancini ($15), meatballs al forno with ricotta ($16), wood-fired pizzas ($15-$17), filet mignon with chianti-veal reduction ($44), tri-seafood zuppa di pesce ($41) and Nutella cream cheese-stuffed brownie ($10).
Daily bellinis and sangrias are featured among specialty cocktails ($10-$14), such as Antipasti Bloody Mary and Meyer lemon limoncello.
Dinner is served nightly amid an open-air ambiance with dark wood accents, a mural of the owners’ parents playing boccie in Italy, and river rocks fronting the bar and 17-seat chef’s counter overlooking the marble-walled open kitchen. Classic R&B plays in the background. An awning will cover sidewalk seating.
