The weather this week has me thinking of comfort food, which leans toward Italian. There’s a new spot in Flagler Village that has an attractive patio, while Timpano on Las Olas is offering a special Sunday dinner, and chef Angelo Elia is again hosting his luxurious white truffle dinners at Casa D’Angelo locations in Fort Lauderdale, Aventura and Boca Raton. If sushi is your jam, Palm Beach Meats in West Palm Beach will unveil a new collaboration with Sushi Hara on Sunday. Or you can fill yourself with candy canes at the tree-lighting celebration at Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton. Here are details on these and other local events for your weekend to-do list.
FRIDAY
New Italia: This is opening weekend at the new Flagler Village location of restaurant North Italia in an attractive new indoor-outdoor space on Federal Highway in downtown Fort Lauderdale. This is the third North Italia location in South Florida for the elevated-casual restaurant group owned by The Cheesecake Factory. (There are locations in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood and Dadeland Mall, which will be joined by another in Aventura in December.) The modern Italian menu spotlights housemade pasta, pizza, seafood and other protein-based entrees under the direction of chef Juan Diego Henderson, whose resume includes stints at the Faena Group in Miami Beach and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Miami. Expect the patio at North Italia to be especially popular for happy hour (strong cocktail menu) and brunch, which features the signature Cannoli French Toast ($15). Visit NorthItalia.com.
Marc’s the spot: Stylish crooner Marc Anthony will be in Miami this weekend for two shows on his Viviendo Tour at the Kaseya Center. Tickets for the Friday concert start at $110+, while the Saturday show has seats starting at $71+. Both start at 8 p.m. Visit KaseyaCenter.com.
Prove your love: Freestyle fans (and you know who you are) will find a treat on Friday night when the Freestyle Free for All Tour comes to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood. Led by part-time Fort Lauderdale resident Taylor Dayne, the lineup includes Exposé, Lisa Lisa, Amber, K7/TKA, George Lamond, Coro, Brenda K Starr, Freedom Williams, Lisette Melendez, Cynthia, Noel and Rockell. Tickets start at $65+ at MyHRL.com.
Holiday favorite: The NightGarden is back at dazzled-up Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, with even more lights and new illumination zones this year. Tours take place Thursday-Sunday through January. Admission starts at $35+ for adults, $30+ for children 3-10, ages 3 and younger free. Visit .
Alanis returns: Of all the 2024 concert tours and comedy shows in South Florida putting tickets on sale this week, I feel the most kinship to Alanis Morissette, who is bringing The Triple Moon Tour to iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach on June 20. From the get-go, she was a stateswoman for issues that seem to have only gotten worse for women (hence, the rest of us) in the nearly 30 years since “Jagged Little Pill.” Tickets for the show go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at Alanis.com.
Come on down: The interactive touring production of the iconic TV game show “The Price is Right” is coming to the Coral Springs Center for the Arts on Wednesday, May 1. Tickets, starting at $32+, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at TheCenterCS.com.
SATURDAY
Nu Deco X Lucius: The latest inspired collaboration by the intrepid Nu Deco Ensemble will pair the orchestra with indie-pop band Lucius, featuring captivating vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, on Saturday at the lovely Miami Beach Bandshell. The rest of the program includes Fall III from “4: A Reimagined Vivaldi Four Seasons” by NDE cofounder Sam Hyken; Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 by George Enescu; and NDE’s Talking Heads Suite. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show, starting at $65, are scarce, of course. Visit Nu-Deco.org.
Drink it in: Sometimes you just want a chill weekend hang, surrounded by cool people in a different kind of space … Such an ineffable groove can be found on Saturday at Small Wine Shop in Flagler Village, where DJ KR Soto will spin thoughtful vinyl from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. as you peruse the shop’s curated wine flights and menu of small bites. Visit SmallWineShop.com.
Saturday laughs: On his Bones and All Tour, cult-fave stand-up Anthony Jeselnik will bring his newest batch of shock-y, cringe-y comedy to Hard Rock Live at 8 p.m. Saturday. Remaining tickets start at $173.50+ at MyHRL.com.
Shop Delray: The annual Warehouse Market returns to the Arts Warehouse in downtown Delray Beach on Saturday, with curated pre-holiday shopping among more than 20 local artists and makers. There also will be live music, food vendors, gallery exhibitions, studio tours, art activities and more. This free event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is kid- and dog-friendly. Visit .
Shop Hollywood: The Downtown Hollywood ArtWalk takes over its traditional stretch of Harrison Street on Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m., a gathering of pop-ups by local artists and makers, along with live music (the Flyers have a set at 8 p.m.), mural tours, food and drink. Visit .
Vegan in Wynwood: Vegan Street Fair Miami will roll out plant-based munchies by vendors from around the country at Mana Wynwood on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by vegan influencer, author and filmmaker John Lewis, also known as the Badass Vegan, the street fair is a free, family-friendly event. Visit .
Take the kids: Boca Raton’s annual Holiday Tree Lighting party is a cheap (free) mood enhancer on Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. at Mizner Park Amphitheater, where you’ll find a holiday market, food and drink vendors, live music, a stage show, “snow” flurries and the relentless optimism of Santa and his elves. They’ll flip the switch on the lights at 7:15 p.m. Visit MiznerAmp.com.
They’ve got your ’80s: Downtown Fort Lauderdale no-kill shelter Abandoned Pet Rescue will host its signature annual fundraiser on Saturday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at The Sanctuary Church in Fort Lauderdale. The Hugs & Kisses Totally ’80s Paw-ty will include retro music, an open bar, buffet, silent auction and the ’80s Best Dressed Contest. Tickets cost $70+. Visit .
SUNDAY
New sushi bar: The sushi from Palm Beach County’s popular Sushi Hara will debut in a new storefront home inside Palm Beach Meats on Sunday. Chef Gavin Rodriguez (a protege of chef Takeshi Kamioka at Gaysha New World Sushi in Wilton Manors who also worked at the much-missed Masamune in Fort Lauderdale and lmoto in Palm Beach) has been operating Sushi Hara for private omakase dinners, delivery and as a pop-up. His new collaboration will add sushi to the lunch menu at Palm Beach Meats. Sunday’s grand-opening celebration will include live music, sake cocktails and the flaky freakout known as Dan’s Biscuit Pop-up by chef Dan Ramos of Red Splendor Farm. Visit , Sushi-Hara.com.
Sunday supper: The simple, psyche-warming pleasures of the traditional Italian Sunday Supper should put Timpano Las Olas in downtown Fort Lauderdale on your list of weekend dining destinations. Simmering pools of tomato “gravy” infused with sausage, meatballs, maybe a few short ribs, poured over al dente pasta and paired with a chuck of garlic bread … if you grew up with it, there’s nothing better. Timpano’s Italian Sunday Supper (which also includes arugula and frisée salad) costs $78+ per couple. Visit TimpanoLasOlas.com.
Shopping line: You’ll find unique holiday shopping among more than 30 local vendors when The Flamingo Flea returns to Tarpon River Brewing in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. South Florida country singer Gabriel Key will perform — do not be surprised if some line dancing breaks out. Visit FlamingoFlea.com.
LOOKING AHEAD
SunFest tickets: The first wave of discounted tickets go on sale Nov. 23 for the next edition of SunFest, celebrating its 40th year in downtown West Palm Beach in 2024 with performances May 3-5. The SunFest Black Friday Sale will offer early-bird prices as low as $100 for a three-day pass. The sale runs through Nov. 28. Visit SunFest.com.
Every day I’m truffling: If you are in the mood (need) for a luxurious date night, Casa D’Angelo’s White Alba Truffle Dinner has returned for the season. The dinner will be available at Chef Angelo Elia’s Fort Lauderdale restaurant on Nov. 30 and Dec. 14, in Aventura on Dec. 5 and Boca Raton on Dec. 12. The five-course dinner, each dish infused with Urbani Truffles from Alba, Italy, and paired with wine from Ceretto Winery, begins at 6:30 p.m. and costs $325+ per person. Visit Casa-D-Angelo.com.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at . Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and Twitter @BenCrandell.
