Here’s what’s coming soon to a city near you. Please note: Opening dates are subject to change.

La Birra Bar

2031 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park; LaBirraBarUSA.com

Its Golden burger — with two 4-ounce patties, American cheese, red onion and “secret mayo” — gleamed at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival’s Burger Bash in 2022. Now Daniel Cocchia’s burger franchise is heading to Broward County, with the first of two locations set to throw a grand opening on Aug. 21 inside a former Wendy’s on Oakland Park Boulevard. Cocchia, whose family opened 15 locations in Argentina before expanding to the United States (specifically, Miami’s Wynwood) in 2021, offers a menu of 26 burgers. For example, the Onlyfans burger comes with American cheese, bacon, thick-cut provolone, crispy onions and a so-called “stalker sauce.” There are also hot dogs and sides of french fries, onion rings and Spinach dip nachos, along with draft beer and Argentine red and white wines. A Weston outpost is expected to debut later this year.

Lola’s Tuscan Steak House by Todd English 

717 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach; lolastuscansteakhouse.com

Celebrity chef Todd English’s love affair with Palm Beach County is unyielding, even if the county doesn’t always love him. His short-lived West Palm Beach restaurant Todd’s closed in 2020, following runs of his wood-fired oven pizzeria Figs inside The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens and Mediterranean sit-down Wild Olives in Boca Raton. Now the four-time James Beard Award winner and TV host (PBS’ “Food Trip with Todd English”) is making another go of it, with a new spot in downtown Lake Worth Beach set to replace the former Callaro’s Steak House. There’s no menu available yet, but the the plan is to open Lola’s before the end of 2024.

Johnny’s Hungry Hoagies

790 E. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; johnnyshungry.com 

Ever since signs went up at the soon-to-come space in the plaza of the Laureat apartment building, near the oh-so-busy intersection of Broward Boulevard and U.S. Highway 1, there’s been anticipation buzz about this fast-casual eatery. “We looked for a growth area with a large residential population and great visibility in a key section of downtown,” owner John “Johnny” Wiggins told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Wiggins would know. His career has been in commercial development and upscale home building. Why hoagies now? “There are a lot of generic hoagie sandwich shops,” the self-described foodie and lifelong Fort Lauderdale resident said. “We’ve created a very unique and craveable line of sandwiches based on the highest quality meats and cheeses, along with chef-inspired recipes that will differentiate us from other chains.” There will be indoor seating for 20 guests, and details are still being worked out on possible plaza seating. This first location is expected to debut in late October or early November, with plans for a second location to be announced soon.

BrickTop’s 

12 NE Fifth Ave., Delray Beach; Bricktops.com

Touting jumbo lump crab cakes, prime sirloin meatloaf and ribeyes, this Nashville-born, steak-and-seafood chain is moving into the ground floor of a two-story retail building one block north of Atlantic Avenue. The 4,420-square-foot sit-down will debut in summer 2025, per its website, joining 10 U.S. locations including Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens (named The River House). The menu also features chicken Milanese, lobster bisque, steak frites, tavern burgers, grilled trout and cedarwood-planked salmon, along with N.Y. strips and filet mignon. And, of course, there will be cocktails, craft beers and wine by the glass and bottle.

Puya Urban Cantina

2750 Griffin Road, Dania Beach

Sometime this October, Dania Beach will gain its first kosher Mexican restaurant, in the ground floor of the just-opened Koosh Living at Griffin luxury apartments. Puya is registered to Guy Levintin, whose company BSD Capital developed the complex where the 120-seat restaurant will reside. The fast-casual eatery will feature an outdoor bar and a menu, still being finalized, that will include 20 types of margaritas.

Kapow Noodle Bar

32 SE Second Ave., Delray Beach; KapowNoodleBar.com

The clubby hot spot Salt 7 on buzzy restaurant row Atlantic Avenue closed on June 30, and this sumptuous noodle nook is taking its place. Kapow, from veteran restaurateurs Vaughan Dugan and Rodney Mayo, plans to open its third location sometime before the end of 2024, joining locations in West Palm Beach and its dramatically reinvented flagship in Boca Raton’s Mizner Park. The trendy Asian-themed restaurant will carry a vibe (mural-splashed walls, dark bamboo furniture) and menu similar to its sisters. Think short-rib gyoza tacos, Wagyu beef and shrimp shumai dumplings, KFC chicken bao buns, sweet potato poke bowls, salads and entrees such as Pekin duck and whole North Atlantic lobster lo mein with garlic butter, sweet soy, red pepper, carrots and scallions.

Parlor Doughnuts
444 NE Seventh St., Fort Lauderdale; parlordoughnuts.com/fort-lauderdale-fl 

Set to open in August, this sweet newcomer to Flagler Village will offer signature layered doughnuts as well as vegan, gluten-free and keto-friendly options that feature a cake-like texture. There will also be a full coffee bar, plus special Pawler Dog Doughnuts available for your furry friends. The decor will mix modern with vintage Americana, evoking “parlor” rooms of 1900s Victorian homes. This marks Parlor Doughnuts’ first foray into Broward County, with future plans to open three more locations in the region.

Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar 

222 Commercial Blvd., Lauderdale-by-the-Sea; cremagourmet.com 

Just a few steps from the beach in L-B-T-S, Crema is opening a 2,000-square-foot space with what they describe as an “industrial cafe-bistro vibe” in the next two or three months. Boasting locations throughout South Florida, Crema serves housemade breakfast fare, pressed juices, pastas, handcrafted sandwiches, salads, wine and beer. Its most popular dishes include the Open Face Breakfast Sandwich, Chicken Club Sandwich and Salmon Bowl.

Gabriella’s Modern Italian

40 NE Seventh Ave., Suite 160, Delray Beach; gabriellasfl.com

This new eatery just off buzzy-busy East Atlantic Boulevard is an offshoot of Gabriella’s Italian Steakhouse in downtown Red Bank, New Jersey. The Delray Beach version is expected to open this fall, according to a news release. The dinner menu in The Garden State original includes raw and chilled seafood, starters such as Shrimp Arrabiata and Truffle Ricotta, pastas, steaks and desserts ranging from Affogato Granita to Bombalonis.

Through The Vine
444 NE Seventh St., Suite 1A, Fort Lauderdale; Instagram.com/throughthevineftl 

This wine bar plans to debut in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village, nestled at EON Squared apartments, sometime this winter. In addition to the vino — curated by sommelier Jason Javens — oenophiles will be able to enjoy a menu of shareable plates and gourmet tapas with highlights such as charcuterie boards, Sweet Figs Truffle Honey Burrata Cheese Flatbread, Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters, and Watermelon and Cucumber Ceviche. The project is from a triumvirate of entrepreneurs and hospitality execs: Troy Cabrera, Isaac Benharoche and Eli Goldshtein.

Cannoli Kitchen Pizza

9180 Glades Road, Boca Raton; cannolikitchen.com

This pizzeria is expanding with locations coming to Boca Raton in October, then to Coral Springs and Coconut Creek in the second half of 2025. But that’s not all: The Boca Raton-based company that started in 1996 has its eyes on expansion to Orlando, as well as outside Florida to Alabama, Michigan and Georgia. “It’s rare to cultivate a restaurant brand with a mom-and-pop vibe that’s consistent across multiple locations, but that’s exactly what we are doing with this pizza franchise,” company president Austin Titus said. South Florida currently has four Cannoli Kitchen Pizza eateries: in Boca Raton, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Deerfield Beach.

Man Ray
522 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth Beach; Sub-Culture.org

Named after the iconic painter and photographer subversive who straddled two art movements — Dada and Surrealism — this restaurant is expected to open later this year on Lucerne Avenue in downtown Lake Worth Beach, replacing the former C.W.S. Bar + Kitchen. Billed as a spinoff of Dada in Delray Beach, the eclectic sit-down comes from Palm Beach restaurant impresario Rodney Mayo (Kapow!, Sassafras, Hullaballoo, the recently opened El Segundo) and features no menu yet.

Pura Vida
6 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach; puravidamiami.com

This Miami-based, health-conscious chain is quickly expanding throughout SoFlo with a particular focus on Palm Beach County. The new Pura Vida Delray Beach will overlook the ocean when the 4,000 square-foot space opens on Sept. 5. Founded by Omer and Jennifer Horev in 2012, the fast-casual keeps an eye on food allergies and dietary restrictions, offering dishes such as pasture-raised egg sandwiches, salads, raw acai bowls, wraps and gluten-free vegan sweets. “Our aim has always been to foster spaces where individuals can come together to enjoy not just great food, but a lifestyle centered around health and wellness,” Omer Horev says. There are already 26 eateries.

3Natives
Multiple locations; 3Natives.com

This South Florida-blended franchise is on a tear, with plans to debut multiple outposts later this summer in Broward and Palm Beach counties. The fast-casual smoothie and acai-bowl bar, started by Tequesta’s Anthony Bambino in 2013, has already opened 10 locations, most recently on Fort Lauderdale’s 17th Street Causeway (April 24) and Boynton Beach’s Jog Road (March 27). Locations on the way, per the 3Natives website, include: Coral Springs (1211 N. University Drive), Weston (292 Indian Trace, Suite 2), Lake Worth Beach (8764 Lantana Road, Suite B-114) and Loxahatchee (5070 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road). The juicery has eight signature acai bowls, from the Estes Bowl (granola, peanut butter, strawberry, green apple) to the Tequesta Dragon (dragonfruit, blueberry, raspberry), along with salads, wraps, bagels and avocado toast.

Bondi Sushi
3333 N. Federal Highway, Oakland Park; BondiSushi.com

This beachy, Big Apple-born, sushi-bar chain is expanding with its first Broward outpost, which expects to debut this summer at Oaklyn, a new sky-high tower giving Oakland Park a jolt of big-city appeal. The 2,100-square-foot kitchen comes from founder-partners David Hess, Aiden Carty and Justin Hauser. The dining room will be distinguished by a Japanese-style cocktail bar and a sweets shop called Icebergs, which will serve Japanese ice cream, rice-cake desserts, sodas and candy. Bondi, which also operates a Miami Beach outpost, will serve king salmon and yellowtail jalapeno sashimi, 12 kinds of handrolls (from lobster and toro to A5 Wagyu and truffle avocado), 14 types of nigiri (sea scallop, seared albacore), crispy rice and shishito pepper appetizers.

Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar

1840 Sawgrass Mills Circle, No. 4100, Sunrise; TommyBahama.com

This tropical-chic restaurant-retail mashup known for serving ahi poke bowls next to Polo shirts will debut at Sawgrass Mills mall in 2025, a Marlin Bar spokesperson told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. In South Florida, it will join Tommy Bahama restaurant/Marlin Bar outposts in Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter. At 8,500 square feet, the new Marlin Bar will be accented with tropical-print wallpaper, display men’s and women’s swimwear, sportswear and home decor, and include an outdoor patio. The shareable menu has a similar dash of island flavor, with entrees of coconut shrimp, blackened Mahi-mahi tacos, Kona coffee-crusted ribeye, grilled chicken and mango salad and, for dessert, piña colada cake.

Embarcadero 41
350 SE Second St., Suite 2, Fort Lauderdale; embarcadero41.us 

Expected to open in December, Embarcadero 41 — also called E41 — is the creation of the Vidal family, who came here from Peru in 2018 and created the boutique eatery brand that serves a menu mix of Peruvian fusion and Nikkei cuisine. Husband-and-wife dynamic duo Jorge (who worked with brewer SABMiller for 24 years) and Patricia, along with daughter Rafaella and son Rodrigo, opened their first restaurant in Sunrise in 2020 and now have three other locations: in Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs and Boca Raton. The menu includes ceviche and tiraditos; hot and cold appetizers such as pulpo anticuchero (octopus), conchitas a la Parmesana; rice and risottos, pastas, makis (sushi) and chef’s specials. This new location will have a full indoor-outdoor bar with a menu of signature cocktails, some made with pisco and Peruvian ingredients, and a wide and exclusive wine list. The new E41 will have three distinct areas — dining room, lounge bar and terrace — encompassing 3,600 square feet to accommodate 150 patrons.

Tropical Smokehouse

524 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; EatTropical.com

“Florida-style barbecue,” what 2023 James Beard semifinalist chef Rick Mace dubs his marriage of smoked meats and SoFlo soul, is expanding south to Delray Beach. Sometime later this year, Tropical will open on West Atlantic Avenue inside a mural-splashed building recently occupied by cocktail hub Pour & Famous. It’ll technically be the third smokehouse from Mace and business partner Jason Lakow, who opened their flagship West Palm Beach pit-stop in 2021 and a smaller fast-casual spinoff, Tropical BBQ Market, two years later. By all accounts, the menu will mirror the original, which serves low-and-slow, mojo-spiced pork shoulder and jerk turkey breast, medianoche hot dogs, DemKota prime brisket, barbecued jackfruit, and black bean and plantain rice bowls. The 800-square-foot building includes an expansive wraparound patio.

Ah-Beetz New Haven Pizza
Multiple locations; Ah-Beetz.com

Ah-beetz, for the uninformed, is the only proper way to pronounce “apizza” in New Haven, Connecticut — locals say it loudly and emphatically, like “achoo!” — which should tell you something about the authenticity of the pies served there. After debuting in Delray Beach in 2022 and in West Palm Beach in June, the pizzeria is adding two more franchises, which will bow in Royal Palm Beach (11051 Southern Blvd.) and in Lake Park (9475 A1A Alternate). Founded by Kassondra Frantz and Nick Laudano Jr., the restaurant touts Connecticut favorites such as white clam ah-beetz, “mootz” (or mozzarella) pies with toppings, plus calzones, wings, salads and grinders.

Ocean Prime
171 Las Olas Circle, Fort Lauderdale; Ocean-Prime.com

This upscale surf-and-turf chain already has a mighty presence across 17 major cities, and now the steakhouse plans to open its latest sit-down on Las Olas Marina in spring 2025. At 15,000 square feet, the eatery from Ohio hospitality outfit Cameron Mitchell Restaurants will devote half its 400 seats for patio dining. It will be perched beside the Las Olas Bridge, and diners may use the marina’s 68 public boat slips for access, chief operating officer David Miller says in a statement. “Our fifth Ocean Prime location in Florida marks another significant milestone in our expansion in the state,” Miller says. Ocean Prime — which also has outposts in Tampa, Orlando, Naples and Sarasota — will offer oysters on the half-shell, Dutch Harbor King Crab legs and chilled whole Maine lobster on ice, sushi rolls, lobster bisque soup and, for entrees, sea scallops and blackened snapper with corn spoon bread and Swiss chard in a corn emulsion. Carnivores, meanwhile, can carve into filets, New York strips and ribeyes with optional Bearnaise sauce, black truffle butter and bleu cheese crust, along with Berkshire pork in a sherry reduction and double-bone lamb chops in roasted garlic-thyme jus. The menu also includes cocktails and brunch.

Howl at the Moon
600 SE Second Court, Fort Lauderdale; 754-356-4695; HowlattheMoon.com

In a bygone Fort Lauderdale party era, dueling-piano bars tickled the ivories into the wee hours of the morning at Beach Place. Now one of those singalong nightspots, Howl at the Moon, is staging a comeback with a 5,000-square-foot venue off Las Olas Boulevard, behind Big City Tavern. It is slated to open in October. As with the other 12 national locations, this new piano-bar will sling cocktails, shots and beers, no doubt to loosen your tongue for belting out “Don’t Stop Believin’” for the 50th time. Meanwhile, performers will face each other across black baby-grand pianos, taking song requests for tips while inviting customers onstage.

Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza

1 Main St., Miramar; mistero1.com

Renato Viola’s pizzeria is expected to open this fall at the new Manor at Miramar, an eight-story, mixed-use development right in the heart of the southern Broward County city. Known for star-shaped, Neapolitan-style pizzas, Mister O1 has multiple South Florida locations, including in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Aventura and South Beach.

Charters are ready to ferry seafaring gatherers to hotspots in the Gulf of Mexico, where bay scallops are plentiful — if one knows how to spot them properly. With a dark shell on top and a lighter side on the bottom, the mollusks blend in with the seagrass and make for a challenging treasure hunt for those who seek them out.

I joined Capt. Paul Cross and Lucas Ebert of Waterfront Adventures for a chartered trip out into the Gulf, where we stopped at a prime spot for collecting scallops.

“We call it an underwater Easter egg hunt. Any day on the boat is a great day. It’s fun, but it helps to have an activity to do. It just makes it that much better,” said Cross, who grew up in Crystal River. “Kids can do this. People of all ages can do it. There’s crystal-clear water and you get beautiful days on the Gulf.”

Though the experience proved more tedious than anticipated, we ultimately headed back to shore with plenty to eat.

Venturing out

Just after 10 a.m., our small group climbed aboard Cross’s boat powered by a zippy 175-horsepower Yamaha motor, allowing us to breeze through mangrove tunnels with ease while classic rock blasted on the stereo.

As we left the town behind and ventured into the Gulf, dozens of boats dotted the horizon with other families in search of those meaty morsels under the water. The bay scallop season is nearing its peak as harvesting is open through Sept. 24 in Levy, Citrus and Hernando counties with a daily limit of 2 gallons per person or 10 gallons per vessel.

We got a little briefing from Ebert, who explained “the art of scalloping” — and perhaps tempered our expectations.

“People find around 8-10 scallops, maybe 20 if they’re really good. It’s a hunt. You have to keep swimming,” he explained. “Maybe every 30-40 yards, you find one, dive down and put it in your bag. When you find one, you can’t look away because when you look back down, you won’t see them.”

He also detailed the dozens of blue eyes that adorn the edge of their shells and let us know that though scallops have the capacity to pinch fingers slightly, they will not hurt you.

Before we got started on our own hunt, Ebert dove down and immediately popped up with a pufferfish in hand, much to our delight. After a quick round of show and tell, the fish swam away from the boat to carry on with its day.

Searching for Easter eggs

Outfitted with masks, snorkels, fins and mesh bags to collect our catch, we jumped in the water while Ebert snorkeled off on his own to ensure we had enough to enjoy a full dinner rather than a light snack. Cross swam with our group closer to the boat, pointing out scallops as we went.

The first three in my bag were caught with an assist from our captain, which almost felt like cheating — but the exercise did help in knowing what to look for. I ventured off on my own for what could have been half an hour or more, not having any luck despite my best efforts to look. Some aquatic plants bear the same shape as a scallop’s shell, playing tricks on my eyes.

The frustration was elevating as I began to question my hunter-gatherer instincts. If I was depending on this exercise as a matter of survival, I would have needed to catch many more scallops than the measly three in my bag.

Even though I felt like throwing in the towel, I found a sandy spot where these underwater Easter eggs had less cover to hide. I spotted one, grabbed it and popped up with glee.

“Looks like we will be eating dinner after all!” exclaimed Cross from the boat with a hint of sarcasm. However, the comment did remind me of what was at stake: a nice, freshly caught meal straight from the sea.

While we were getting our feet wet with our beginners’ scalloping course, Ebert was doing the real work of foraging our aquatic meal. Ultimately, he managed to bag 96 in the same amount of time that I caught seven.

After a few hours in the sun, we gathered back on the boat with slices of watermelon to help rehydrate us after the long immersion in saltwater.

“Good job, team,” Cross remarked before gunning it back toward shore, black storm clouds gathering around us. It was an exhilarating ride back and we all got to relish the day’s accomplishment — more than 100 freshly caught scallops.

Catch of the day

Our catch of the day was quickly put to use as Ebert got to work, shucking more than a dozen scallops right on the boat. Freeing the white meat from the shells, he adorned them with lime juice, cilantro and his special seasoning.

We took turns trying scallops on the half-shell, like miniature oysters. The garnishes helped bring out their delicate, slightly sweet and smooth taste, while the dash of lime provided a needed zest. After swimming for hours, it felt like our hard work had paid off. Fortunately, this was just the beginning of our group’s culinary experience.

After cleaning up back on shore, we met at Waterfront Social, a dining destination on the shores of Kings Bay. Chef Olivia Plockelman took our pile of shucked scallops and made some magic happen with them in the kitchen, preparing them three ways.

The blackened scallops gave the morsels some zing, packing them with a mild spice and plenty of flavor. The fried scallops were perfect for dipping in tartar sauce or melted butter. In an exquisite and visually appealing preparation, the rest of the scallops were presented on the half shell, topped with marinated tomatoes, lemon garlic butter and bread crumbs.

Hungry after diving down to catch the very sustenance we were about to enjoy, we eagerly devoured the scallops, making quick work of the full plates. It was the perfect reward for the most delicious scavenger hunt I have ever had the pleasure of participating in.

Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com.

If you go

Waterfront Adventures has scalloping charters daily starting at $375 for a five-hour excursion with three people. The office is located at 525 NW 7th Ave. in Crystal River. For more information, call 352-651-5004 or visit swimmingwiththemanatees.com.

Restaurants that offer “catch and cook” specials include Plantation West 82, Peck’s Old Port Cove, Backwater Fins, Seafood Seller, Bayside Kraft Kitchen, Cracker’s Bar & Grill, The Boil Yard, Crab Plant, Shrimp Landing, Dan’s Clam Stand, Oysters of Crystal River, Wallace’s at the Greenhouse, Marguerita Grill, The Shed, Fish Tales and Nauti Time Seafood.

If you’re a holiday purist, it’s going to be a long 12 weeks as the attractions’ programming goes both mild and wild.

Why an early August start? It’s not tricky. The first five Not-So-Scary nights — plus two more of the 37 total event evenings — were already sold out a week ago.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Where: Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World

What’s new: Don’t say anything, but Bruno from “Encanto” will be making his first Not-So-Scary appearance. On the food front, two interesting event-exclusive items include the Oogie Boogie cupcake sold near Cinderella Castle and sweet-and-spicy beignets at Golden Oak Outpost, which is appropriately close to the new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride.

What’s back: “Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade,” “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular” fireworks show, “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” stage show, multiple treat-or-treating stations

When: 7 p.m.-midnight on select nights between Aug. 9 and Oct. 31

How much: $129-$199 on remaining dates

Bottom line: Characters in Halloween costumes are abundant, and kids can rake in candy (parents can repurpose it for actual Halloween).

Halloween Horror Nights

Where: Universal Studios Florida.

What’s new: There are no returning haunted houses, although one (Major Sweets Candy Factory) repurposes a former scare zone. There are mazes inspired by the films “Insidious,” “A Quiet Place” and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.” In addition, Universal will have a preview event Aug. 29, the eve of the launch. Tickets are $350.

What’s back: A “Nightmare Fuel” stage show with aerialists, pyrotechnics, rock music.

When: Aug. 30-Nov. 3.

How much: A single-night ticket costs between $83 and $123, depending on date. Multinight passes also are available.

Bottom line: HHN traditionally is filled with scary, sometimes bloody scenarios. Universal suggests it’s not for folks younger than 13.

Halloween Spooktacular

Where: SeaWorld Orlando

What’s new: It’s a daylight, kid-friendly event with a Trick-or-Treat Trail and sea-inspired characters.

What’s back: Spooktacular is sprinkled across the park, but a couple of big deals are the Sesame Street Halloween Parade and the Halloween Storytime with Big Bird. On Fridays, there are costume contests for kids.

When: Select days between Aug. 31 and Nov. 3

How much: Spooktacular is included with regular SeaWorld admission.

Bottom line: It’s very gentle, down to cookie decorating and a scarecrow dance party. There’s no overlap with the park’s competing after-dark, separate-ticket Howl-O-Scream event.

Howl-O-Scream

Where: SeaWorld Orlando

What’s new: Four fresh haunted houses, including Ultimate Gamble (“where the stakes are life and death”), Farm 51 (with crash-landed extraterrestrials), Atlantis Journey Below and Water’s Edge Wellness Center.

What’s back: Live entertainment in the form of “Monster Stomp” and “Sirens Song”

When: Select nights between Sept. 6 and Nov. 2

How much: An “any night” ticket sells for $54.99. There are also multinight packages, including one that wraps in the Howl-O-Scream event at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Bottom line: It’s another frightful occasion, especially in the dark scare zones.

Brick-or-Treat

Where: Legoland Florida

What’s new: “Monster Skytacular,” a drone show at the end of the day, plus a new menu of limited-time foods

What’s back: Candy stations, a dance party hosted by Lord Vampyre, “The UnbeLEAFable Halloween Night” show and a disco overlay to the Dragon roller coaster.

When: Weekends between Sept. 13 and Oct. 27

How much: Halloween activities are included with regular Legoland Florida admission.

Bottom line: The target audience is between the ages of 2 and 12.

Gators, Ghosts and Goblins

Where: Gatorland

What’s new: “Godwin’s Gourd Farm with gargantuan gourds as pumpkin monsters,” a Gatorland release says.

What’s back: Swamp Ghost’s Monster Museum with Cyrus the Gravedigger, Skunk Ape at Cryptid Petting Zoo, children’s costume parade, Live DJ, vendors, candy giveaways

When: Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 12 through Oct. 27

How much: Included with regular Gatorland admission.

Bottom line: Low key, old Florida charm plus reptiles.

Look for more attractions to announce spooky programming. Some like to get past end-of-summer promotions before using the H word.

Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Threads account: @dbevil. X account: @themeparks. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.

Part grown-up game den and part pie shop, the black-walled space caters to millennials and Gen-Xers seeking the type of retro distractions only a symphony of bells, chimes and ricocheting silver balls can satisfy.

Owner Dwight Slamp quietly opened Satellite in late June as an offshoot of Glitch Bar, his other clubby arcade in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village, with one key difference between the two: Satellite is a “way more nostalgic, mature experience,” he tells the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

“Let’s be honest: I’m a passionate pinball player, and I opened this business because I wanted to play pinball,” Slamp says. “It’s more sophisticated here than Glitch. And I’m obsessed with ‘Robocop’ and ‘Alien’ and old movies, so I just wanted to populate this place with cool stuff.”

Satellite is one of several new eateries that have shuffled into Oakland Park’s so-called Culinary Arts District, a warehouse row north of Oakland Park Boulevard along the spine of North Dixie Highway.

Slamp’s 2,500-square-foot lounge occupies two side-by-side warehouses facing North Dixie and has two entrances — one labeled “Pizza,” another “Pinball” — representing the lounge’s two halves. Yellow, peach and red horizontal stripes lead indoors, where no wall is spared the multicolored splash of vintage decor: rows of 1970s Telecasters, skull banners and comic-book illustrations awash in warm amber hues.

Behind the central bar, neon signs and a nook of notorious monster masks — from the Night King on “Game of Thrones” to Iron Maiden mascot Eddie — frame a copper backsplash where 12 craft-beer taps are mounted.

Basically, Slamp says with a laugh, the lounge resembles a mashup of his high-school bedroom and a mall arcade in Houston, Texas, where he often filled his after-school hours growing up. Lining the walls are 19 machines from movie franchises, including “The Avengers,” “Godzilla” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters and Rush.

Care to play? A change machine on-site will convert $1 bills into a single arcade token, the cost of a pinball game.

Slamp, 45, is under no delusion that South Florida’s pinball-loving demographic is massive. Which is why pizza, calzones and alcohol are Satellite’s primary moneymakers, he says.

Moon Pizza Pie, his pizzeria in the lounge, serves nine signature pies ($18 to $23) and four calzones ($16 to $23), along with build-your-own pizza ($15). By far the most popular is Eclipse, topped with sausage and cup-and-char pepperoni, ricotta and fresh basil with an optional drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey.

Sides include meatballs ($9) and Loaded Comet Fries ($12), a supreme nacho-style concoction where ground beef, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, pickled onions and jalapeños, ranch and ketchup top a mound of waffle-cut fries.

A self-taught piemaker, Slamp says he perfected his recipe after experimenting and buying pizzamaking books on Amazon. At Satellite, his brick-lined Marsal gas oven fires pizzas at 700 to 800 degrees for two minutes using a blend of 00 flour and King Arthur bread flour. Pies are then finished at a lower temperature “to tighten the crisp and achieve that leopard-spot crust,” he says.

In the month since Satellite opened, Slamp says serious pinball-heads have already hit the machines. He’s started a Mondays-only pinball league, which is sanctioned by the International Flipper Pinball Association, and hosts monthly pinball tournaments.

“I didn’t exactly design the place to optimize foot traffic,” Slamp says with a laugh. “My only regret is not taking seating out of the pizzeria so I can put in more pinball machines.”

The vibe, he says, stands in stark contrast to the full-liquor Glitch Bar, which debuted in 2016 and offers free arcade play with the purchase of drinks. Glitch doesn’t carry pinball machines because they have tiny, expensive parts, and party crowds are casually aggressive with the equipment, he says.

“At Glitch, where it’s free, I only have arcade machines with joysticks and buttons that can handle the abuse of people slapping it around,” he explains. “The pinball games at Satellite are pay-to-play, and that gives you emotional investment. If you put money into a game each time, you’re going to commit to that game.”

Satellite Pinball Lounge is located at 3501 N. Dixie Highway, Oakland Park. Visit Instagram.com/SatellitePinballLounge or call 954-728-0659.

Satellite’s neighbors

Satellite Pinball Lounge is next door to three new Oakland Park restaurants that are also crowding onto North Dixie Highway. Here’s a brief rundown of Satellite’s neighbors.

BMC Smash Burgers
3499 N. Dixie Highway, Oakland Park; Instagram.com/Eat.BMC

Opening sometime in mid-August is Jason “Jay Rok” Smith’s new smashburger shop, a brick-and-mortar version of his cult-favorite Eat BMC food truck that’s a fixture at Fort Lauderdale bars LauderAle, Orchestrated Minds Brewing and Laser Wolf. The menu, he says, will be as barebones as his 1,000-square-foot, open-kitchen storefront: patties smashed on the flattop using a chuck-brisket-short rib blend atop a challah kaiser roll, crinkle-cut french fries, tater tots, and a combination of craft beer and domestics in cans and bottles. “I’m just finishing up painting the bar,” says Smith, a Hialeah-raised native. “I love making people happy and making super-crispy burgers, and Oakland Park is an up-and-coming place with a great vibe.”

Meat N’ Bone
3553 N. Dixie Highway, Oakland Park; MeatNBone.com

This is the fifth brick-and-mortar eatery for the online butcher shop cofounded by meatheads Luis Mata and Gabriel Llaurado in 2018. It joins locations in Wellington, Coral Springs and Miami. Mata and Llaurado are also behind steakhouses The Wagyu Bar on Coral Way and the upcoming Wagyu House in Hallandale Beach. The boutique butcher shop, which soft-opened this month, sells a variety of prime meat and poultry cuts along with seafood.

The Oasis Garden & Eats
3555 N. Dixie Highway, Oakland Park; 305-904-1670; TheOasisGardenEats.com

Replacing the former Prison Pals Brewing Co., which closed in June, is this healthy-eats bar operated by Get the Cook, the event-planning side business of Meat N’ Bone. Run by professional caterers Caron Cole and Suzanne Pallot, the restaurant is scheduled to host its grand opening on Saturday, Aug. 10. The Oasis is situated next to Meat N’ Bone and will feature a slim menu of build-your-own protein bowls, along with Wagyu beef carpaccio, tuna tataki, smoothies, alcohol-infused ice cream, and beer and wine by the glass and bottle. There’s also an expansive artificial-grass patio in the rear.

Under everyone’s nose, downtown Delray Beach is becoming a more urbane oasis of fine food and drink — and the latest proof is the wave of seven new restaurants and bars about to shuffle around the Atlantic Avenue drag.

Lefkes Estiatorio, the first of these swanky restaurants, soft-opened on Friday, Aug. 2, as a modern Greek kitchen and sushi-sashimi bar inside the four-story Delray Beach Market. At 5,000 square feet, the sit-down looks as sumptuous as it sounds, with terra-cotta flooring, blue and white accents, earthy champagne walls and a state-of-the-art sound system set to pump out European music every Thursday through Saturday, when it converts into a nightclub for DJs, violin and saxophone players.

Georgia Dumas, Lefkes’ managing partner, calls downtown Delray Beach a “beautiful up-and-coming place” that blossoms at night, which fits the Lefkes vibe perfectly. This is Lefkes’ fifth location, opening after a year of permitting delays inside the Delray Beach Market, which recently underwent a face-lift to attract higher-end restaurants.

“Delray is craving something extra, so I thought, ‘Let me bring a bit of Greek nightlife here,’” Dumas tells the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We wanted to be different so you never get bored. People are happy dancing to Italian and Israeli music here.”

The 240-seat restaurant (180 indoors, 60 on corner patio) will serve meze that includes spreads of tarama (fish roe), skordalia (a garlic-potato-crushed almond puree) and tirokafteri (a roasted red pepper-feta dip), along with chargrilled Spanish octopus and veal meatballs with tomato sauce and feta crumbles. There’s also a full-service sushi-sashimi bar planned, run by sushi chef Raymond Chan.

Some entrees, under Lefkes Delray executive chef Gregory Simpson, blend traditional Greek dishes with modern preparations both obvious and subtle. Many signature dishes add high-end seafood, such as oven-baked Atlantic cod served over potatoes stewed in tomato sauce, and lobster moussaka, a rich lasagna of Maine lobster, braised beef ragu, eggplant, potatoes and bechamel. Others, like the wood-fired lamb shank slow-braised in red wine, are served over pasta and vegetable mirepoix instead of classic orzo.

“Growing up, I would never think of putting lobster and moussaka in the same dish,” says Dumas, who was born in Kavala, a seaport city in northern Greece. “But here, it comes out wonderful and amazing.”

Dumas’ restaurant mini-chain began its life 20 years ago when her cousin, Anastasios Ntoumas, opened two Lefkes locations in Athens, later expanding to the island of Santorini before hopping across the pond to Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, in 2018.

For now, Dumas says, Lefkes plans to launch its happy hour in mid-August, with weekend brunch to follow sometime in September.

Like Lefkes Estiatorio, other new upscale restaurants are blooming around the tony Atlantic Avenue drag over the next six months. Below, find a half-dozen that are coming up.

Gabriella’s Modern Italian
40 NE Seventh Ave., Delray Beach; GabriellasFL.com

Another export from New Jersey, co-owner Frankie Brusco’s classy surf-and-turf steakhouse expects to open this fall in the trendy Atlantic Crossing shopping village, next door to The Hampton Social. With a dining room tastefully appointed in yellow and royal-blue banquettes, chandeliers, warm wood accents and a fully-stocked liquor wall, Gabriella’s will offer a menu similar to its Jersey original. Meals here trend more Italian than steakhouse, such as rigatoni in spicy vodka sauce and firecracker shrimp, although there are total splurges, too, like caviar bumps and bistecca alla fiorentina, which is a 40-ounce, 45-day dry-aged porterhouse with steak fries, garlic confit, preserved lemon, bone marrow and parsley salad.

Tropical Smokehouse
524 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; EatTropical.com

“Florida-style barbecue,” what 2023 James Beard semifinalist chef Rick Mace calls his marriage of smoked meats and SoFlo soul, will be smoking up Delray Beach. Sometime before December, Tropical is expected to open inside a mural-splashed building recently occupied by cocktail hub Pour & Famous. It’ll technically be the third smokehouse from Mace and business partner Jason Lakow, who opened their flagship West Palm Beach pit-stop in 2021 and a smaller fast-casual spinoff, Tropical BBQ Market, two years later. The menu will emphasize low-and-slow Duroc pork spare ribs and ground brisket-short rib blend burgers, along with mojo-spiced pork shoulder, jerk turkey breast and barbecued jackfruit. The 800-square-foot building will feature an expansive wraparound patio.

Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina
1000 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561-665-4800; MichaelMina.net

The Delray Beach cut of Michael Mina’s globetrotting steakhouse brand will mark the chef-restaurateur’s first foray into Palm Beach County when it debuts this December inside The Seagate Hotel & Spa. Running the kitchens of the 6,000-square-foot, 310-seat restaurant, resplendent in gold and hunter-green accents, will be executive chef Dmitriy Kakuschke (ex-Bourbon Steak Nashville). The menu traffics in high-end excess: slow-poached Japanese A5 Wagyu, dry-aged or wood-fired steaks, Maine lobster pot pies and pastrami-spiced short rib — paired with rich dipping sauces. Black truffle mac and cheese and duck-fat french fries are among the highlights.

Good Night John Boy
33 SE Third Ave.; GoodnightJB.com

Sometimes you need “Funkytown” and sometimes you need “Disco Inferno,” but you’ll find both at Good Night John Boy, a ’70s-themed discotheque strutting in platform shoes to the Delray Beach Market in early 2025. This chain dive bar — named, of course, after the famous sign-off on the 1970s drama “The Waltons” — touts groovy cocktails (names include Mood Ring, Chevy to the Levee, Dirty Ashtray) and so-called Dad beers (Miller High Life), along with mirror balls, bell-bottoms, trucker hats, wood-paneled walls and other nostalgic slices of retro decor. This is the bar’s fifth boogie wonderland, and the second in Florida, after one hustled into St. Petersburg in 2023.

Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill
105 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; GeronimoBarandGrill.com

Navajo fry bread on Atlantic Avenue? Believe it: Replacing the old Cabana El Rey on the western edge of the Atlantic Avenue restaurant row is this Connecticut-based mini-chain set to open in early 2025. Touting ingredients sourced “directly from New Mexico,” per Geronimo’s website, the menu will offer pork burritos braised with Chimayó chiles, guajillo-braised short rib, frito pies, buffalo steak chile, quinoa chile rellenos and handmade corn tortillas with eight meats, from birria to cauliflower al pastor. Sangria, margaritas and mojitos will be served by the glass or pitcher, plus expect agave flights and craft cocktails.

Roka Hula
270 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; RokaHula.com/Delray-Beach

This Polynesian fusion restaurant-bar, described as a “modern Asian tiki” speakeasy on its website, is plotting a 2025 opening inside the former Taverna Opa space. It will become Roka’s second location after West Palm Beach hospitality outfit True Grit (Calaveras Cantina, Voodoo Bayou) opened its flagship inside a Voodoo Bayou in Orlando. It will tout a menu of pork belly baos prepared four ways — classic, Thai chili, Vietnamese and Korean — along with seared miso-glazed striped bass, sashimi, rolls and an A5 kobe beef omakase. And, of course, it will serve 14 tiki cocktails (like Psycho Starlett and Saigon Suzy) and a lengthy rum, tequila, mezcal, shochu and Japanese whisky list.

More details were revealed in the ensuing weeks, sometimes via Universal’s official podcast, sometimes presented as the back stories of the event’s original houses.

We’ll know more, probably, before HHN begins Aug. 30. For now, here are clues about what to expect in all 10 houses in one place.

• A Quiet Place – In a location where screams are standard fare, a shhhhhhh theme stands out. This house will be based on two “A Quiet Place” movies, which feature minimal dialogue and invisible creatures with super-hearing. How might that work?

“We haven’t seen how the guests interact with the house yet. So, really it’s kind of this contract with the guests as they go through. It’s like, ‘OK, if you make a noise, they will get you,” Charles Gray, senior show director, said in a Discover Universal podcast.

“I think it’ll be almost like a role-playing game,” Gray said. “Like, if you’re in it, if you’re really buying into this idea, you’re going to have a lot of fun.”

• Major Sweets Candy Factory – Sweets already hit the streets in an HHN scare zone in 2022. The house, set in October 1955, seems to feature the Major, who is suspected of murder, his business partner Miss Treats and a new character named Taffy. A Universal podcast, styled as a radio show with laugh track, throws in children on a field trip (school bus alert), secret ingredients, the missing McGrew family and weapons such as a “blood-soaked machete” and a baseball bat with steel spikes.

• Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America – It’s got campfire lore (or is it campfire fact?) in the form of La Lechuza, the whistling El Silbon and the fanged, clawed, Tlabuelpuchi plus an ill-advised round of escondite. There’s a barn, a big bird, bosque, bloodiness and cowboy boots and, according to the podcast backstory, a cemetery, innards and the “horrid smell of death.” (Universal Studios Hollywood had a Monstruos house at its HHN last year)

• Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines — It’s like ladies night, HHN style, with a story of Dracula’s daughter seeking revenge on the Van Helsing family plus She-Wolf, the Bride of Frankenstein and a mummified Egyptian princess.

• Goblin’s Feast – This house appears to be populated by orcs, trolls, elves, hobgoblins and a witch with pointy teeth and cracked black lips. A goblin family prepares for a holiday feast, but there are detours through a pub and a burial forest.

• Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – Scenes are inspired by the 2024 film of the same name, running from the ‘Busters’ containment facility to the New York City sewers.

• Insidious: the Further – Meet the Red-Faced Demon, the Bride in Black, KeyFace and the Man Who Can’t Breathe from the “Insidious” film series, which dates back to 2010. Also planned: multiple red doors.

• Triplets of Terror – Details are scarce for this house, but the “Barmy triplets birthday bash” involves re-creating their family’s murders, according to Universal social media.

• The Museum: Deadly Exhibits – “A folklore museum’s newest exhibit, the Rotting Stone, has released an evil spirit that decays everything,” according to the official HHN website.

• Slaughter Sinema 2 – The first house announcement was back in May during a Horror Nights panel at a Spooky Empire event. It’s a sequel to a 2018 house, and it will feature eight new (yet fictional) films, including “Heavy Metal Hell 3-D.” Six years ago, the Sentinel called the Sinema house “cheesy by design” in a good, popcorn-scented way.

More HHN notes

• Among the five scare zones will be Demon Queens, Swamp of the Undead and Torture Faire.

• The stage show is title “Nightmare Fuel: Nocturnal Circus,” and it will feature pyro, aerialists and “pulse-pounding rock rhythms,” Universal says.

• For the first time, Universal is offering a preview to the general public. Tickets for Premium Scream Night, set for Aug. 29, are selling for $350 for the limited capacity event, which includes food and non-alcoholic beverages plus access to all 10 haunted houses with shorter wait times and staggered entry.

• Among the HHN merchandise: Lil’ Boo travel tumbler (and plush pillow), T-shirts for each house and a redesigned Chucky popcorn bucket.

• Halloween Horror Nights runs on 48 select evenings Aug. 30-Nov. 3. For tickets and more information, go to halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando.

Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Threads account: @dbevil. X account: @themeparks. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.

It was also the only Florida location in its category and the only botanical garden on the list, according to a news release sent by the gardens.

To compile the list, Time asked for nominations of places, including hotels, attractions, restaurants, museums and parks, from its correspondents and contributors. There is also an application process.

Time’s announcement gives props to Sarasota’s cultural scene by also shouting out the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and the Sarasota Museum of Art.

But Selby Gardens’ downtown campus on Sarasota Bay was the winning attraction. The announcement called the gardens a “thriving oasis of banyan trees and mangroves” and makes note of its recent expansion and its position to become the world’s first net-positive energy botanical garden due to its 57,000-square-foot solar array.

“The visitor experience is equally impressive,” the announcement states. “A new welcome center beckons arrivals into an open-air structure draped with spectacular air plants that introduce the gardens’ many wonders, including a world-renowned collection of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads, and ferns.”

It highlights The Green Orchid, the new restaurant that uses electric and induction equipment and “sources produce from rooftop gardens cared for by a group of military veterans.”

Also noted is the stormwater management system that cleans millions of gallons of water each year before it’s returned to the bay and the upcoming restoration of the 1920s-era Payne Mansion.

“For now, there’s more than enough to admire across this 45-acre green lung housing some of the world’s most noteworthy plantlife,” the story said.

For more information, visit selby.org.

©2024 Tampa Bay Times. Visit tampabay.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic is the fifth Epic land to be detailed by Universal. It will have Parisian settings based on the “Fantastic Beasts” films and British elements from the “Potter” franchise created by author J.K. Rowling.

The news was made public on the birthday of the Harry Potter character, which is also Rowling’s birthday.

The centerpiece ride – dubbed Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry – will transport visitors from Paris to the British Ministry of Magic for the trial of Dolores Umbridge, once the cruel headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

In the attraction storyline, Umbridge tries to escape, then the familiar wizarding trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione, plus a house-elf known as Higgledy, chase after her whilst dodging Death Eaters.

The attraction will utilize “omnidirectional lifts,” and it will be the “most ambitious, groundbreaking ride Universal has ever created,” a company news release stated.

The Wizarding World land will also be home to “Le Cirque Arcanus,” a show with live performers, aerialists, puppetry and special effects. Its story revolves around Ringmaster Skender and creatures including demiguises, diricawls and mooncalves, who debuted in the 2016 film “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”

The Place Cachee streets will be populated by exchange students from Hogwarts and Ilvermorny Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic was developed by Universal Creative and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment.

Dining options in the land will include Cafe L’Air de la Sirene (French sandwiches, plats du jour), Le Gobelet Noir (gathering spot for international witches and wizards), Bar Moonshine (gathering spot for American witches and wizards with quidditch team pennants and drinks) and Bieraubeurre Cart (Translation: butterbeer).

Wands will be available for purchase at Cosme Acajor Baguettes Magique. Interactive wands will cast spells in the land and create interactions with beasts and enchanted objects in storefront windows.

Other store names include Les Galeries Mirifiques, Tour en Floo and K. Rammelle, a confectionary shop.

Epic Universe is scheduled to open near the Orange County Convention Center next year. Other lands now under construction include Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Celestial Park and Dark Universe, which will feature the monster-based experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein. An Epic Universe preview center is now open at Universal CityWalk.

Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Threads account: @dbevil. X account: @themeparks. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.

Diners seeking deep discounts this summer will be spoiled for choice during Dine Out Lauderdale and Miami Spice, with a record number of restaurants participating in both movable feasts.

The promotions, running Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, offer diners passports to scores of deeply discounted multi-course lunches and dinners at top eateries.

For Dine Out Lauderdale, there are 174 restaurants offering multi-course lunches and dinners ranging in price from $35 to $75 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. This matches the cost of Dine Out’s 2023 promotion, and the number of participating restaurants has more than tripled since 2022 (which had 48). We recommend skipping those $75 splurges, though, and instead opting for $45 and $55 deals that won’t obliterate your wallet.

Meanwhile, Miami Spice has prix-fixe lunches for $30 to $35 and dinners for $45 to $60, which also mirror’s 2023’s deals — and many participating eateries happen to be Michelin-starred.

As usual, the big bargain blitz is designed to prop up sluggish summer sales. And the timing, perhaps, may offer some foot-traffic relief after dozens of legacy mom-and-pop restaurants and longtime chains called it quits in recent months.

Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, which promotes Dine Out Lauderdale, says an aggressive marketing strategy and new hires at the county’s tourism arm have boosted the number of participating restaurants to record levels this year.

“This is the time of year when restaurants need the most help,” Ritter says. “And I think more restaurants than ever have seen the value this program brings and want to get involved.”

Most participating Dine Out restaurants are in Fort Lauderdale or east of Interstate 95, although plenty exist in the ‘burbs, including The Cook & The Cork in Coral Springs, Vienna Cafe & Bistro in Cooper City and Tacocraft in Plantation. Three participants are food halls, including the new Block 40 in Hollywood, offering a $35 passport-style prix-fixe in which customers pick eight menu items from a lineup of 11 vendors.

A note to first-timers: Not every deal saves bundles of money, and it helps to compare each restaurant’s year-round menu against their advertised dine-out prices. Chima Steakhouse in Fort Lauderdale, for example, offers its all-you-can-eat Brazilian meat and salad bar (normally $63.90) for $55 — a $9 savings. Compare that with Le Bistro in Lighthouse Point, which will be serving a three-course, beef Wellington-centric meal for $75, when it normally goes for $130.

Here are five restaurants serving up some of the best deals this summer during Dine Out Lauderdale and Miami Spice.

BROWARD COUNTY

J&C Oyster
2035 Harrison St., Hollywood; 954-300-1007; JandCOyster.com

Miami-Dade County’s loss became Broward’s gain when chef Raheem Sealey (Drinking Pig BBQ, KYU) decamped to Hollywood last spring, and now his oyster bar’s Dine Out deal is further proof. Its $55 multicourse, omakase-style “experience” includes a raw oyster trio, fish dip, cucumber salad, cauliflower, pork belly, mussels and a choice of cornbread or s’mores cake. Craving fried chicken, too? Then splurge on J&C’s $75 experience, featuring a half-dozen raw and broiled oysters, avocado and crab salad, mussels, Thai crab curry and the aforementioned bird, plus a choice of the same desserts. The discount is offered Wednesday-Sunday.

Eatapas
4140 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 754-779-7554; EatapasFL.com

There are two Dine Out Lauderdale paths worth taking at Filomeno and Kremena Giannino’s snazzy Spanish tapas kitchen, home to platters of sizzling paella, tableside sangria and hand-carved Iberico ham. Diners with lighter appetites can order five tapas for $30 daily (normally $6 to $17 apiece). Feeling hungrier? Eatapa’s $55 dinner menu, offered Thursday to Sunday only, serves three courses. We recommend starting with fried calamari or Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp in a garlic brandy sauce, dusted with red pepper flakes), followed by paella, which serves two. Conclude with Crema Catalana (Spanish crème brûlée ) or Tarta de Santiago con Helado (almond cake crowned with ice cream).

MAASS
525 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-256-0000; MaassFTL.com

Chef Ryan Ratino’s open-fire American sit-down inside the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale, which quietly opened in December, touts one of the strongest Dine Out deals. Its $55 three-course menu begins with tomato salad topped with black garlic, raspberry and Thai basil. For the second course, order striped bass in a coconut broth spiced with vadouvan and lemongrass, and for dessert, snag a raspberry mochi taco filled with yuzu curd for a $26 savings off the year-round price. For the indulgent, MAASS’s $75 four-course menu dishes a better bargain: Start with appetizers of foie gras macaron, truffle popcorn and peach-burrata salad, followed by an entree of smoked potato ravioli with red wine-glazed beef, maitake and watercress, and finish off with a dark chocolate, coffee and dulcey cake, for a whopping $42 savings. Both deals are offered daily.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

Blue Collar
6789 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-756-0366; BlueCollarMiami.com

It’s hard to match the impressive three-course deal offered by this acclaimed comfort-food staple, which will charge a flat fee ($35 for lunch, $45 for dinner) for any appetizer, entree and dessert on its lunch (Mondays through Fridays only) or dinner (daily) menu. Better still, Danny Serfer’s spot gained a full bar when it relocated into larger digs across the street last April. The mix-and-match option means sharp discounts for savvy diners who order, say, Blue Collar’s Corben sandwich ($29, with slow-braised brisket and Dijon on Portuguese muffins and latkes, dipping jus and applesauce) or spicy oxtail ($35, with scotch bonnet and mashed potatoes on ciabatta). Pair that with an appetizer ($21 wild royal red shrimp and grits) and dessert ($9 Heath bar and butterscotch bread pudding), and the value far exceeds the $45 price tag.

Cafe La Trova
971 SW Eighth St., Miami; 786-615-4379; CafeLaTrova.com

As the effortlessly charming host of “Check, Please! South Florida,” tastemaker Michelle Bernstein crowns culinary excellence across the region. But there’s plenty of excellent food worth having at the star-chef’s modern Cuban cafe-retro cocktail bar in Little Havana, which is dishing a $45 three-course dinner. (It’s even Michelin-blessed, if recommendations from a French tire company are your thing.) Start with Cuban sandwich empanadas stuffed with mojo-marinated lechon, ham, Swiss, yellow mustard and pickles. Continue with skirt steak ropa vieja, plated with rice, black beans, tostones and avocado cream (or update to a three-piece rack of lamb for $18). Finish with Michy’s bread pudding, a decadent dessert soaked in Cuban rum raisins, chocolate and an orange rind (and splurge an extra $4 for bourbon-soaked cherries and whipped cream). The deal is offered Mondays through Thursdays and Sundays.

This set of Hartmann’s mountain zebras will eventually be seen by the public on the theme park and resort savannah.

In June 13, Penne, a female foal was born to mother Heidi. She weighed in at nearly 100 pounds at birth, Disney says.

Heidi’s first offspring was Asha, born at DAK in 2020. In July, Asha gave birth to a boy, creating a three-generation family seen on the savannah at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Later, Juno gave birth to a girl named Cada, whose sister Cricket was born at the park in 2023.

And on July 16, Aziza gave birth to a male zebra. They’re both still backstage, out of sight of the public. (Aziza also gave birth to Dot at Disney World last year).

“Each of these new arrivals is incredibly special for the Hartmann’s mountain zebra species,” Dr. Mark Penning, Disney Parks vice president for animals, science and environment, wrote on the official Disney Parks Blog. “Currently, these animals are listed as a vulnerable species due to habitat loss and hunting.”

This summer’s zebra births were enabled by the Species Survival Plan of the Associations of Zoos and Aquariums.

Hartmann’s mountain zebras are native to sub-Saharan Africa. Animal Kingdom is also home to Grevy’s zebras and plains zebras.

dbevil@orlandosentinel.com