Michael Mayo
Sun Sentinel
Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
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Past articles by Michael:
Remembering the 17 lives lost in Parkland
Friends and family of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School victims celebrate the good deeds, ambitions and accomplishments of the 17 who lost their lives in Parkland on Valentine's Day, 2018. → Read More
Mayo: The ‘art of food, art of survival’ and end of a chapter
With the coronavirus outbreak closing restaurants and halting normal life, dining critic Michael Mayo reflects on three restaurants he planned to review this month and three decades at the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "My departure had been planned for some time," Mayo writes. "But I didn't plan on having a final month quite like this." Some words of reminiscence and hope. → Read More
John Tanasychuk, former Sun Sentinel dining critic, dies at 61
Former Sun Sentinel restaurant critic John Tanasychuk died this week at age 61 after a long battle with lung cancer. Chef-restaurateur Michelle Bernstein called him “sweet and unassuming.” For more than a decade Tanasychuk roamed South Florida's dining scene, delivering honest assessments of eateries high-end and humble. → Read More
Mayo: Pain, fear and not much beer. Scenes from the new coronavirus normal
A restaurateur hands a bag of frozen chicken and meat to a worker he just laid off. A seafood wholesaler starts filling out an application for a emergency small business loan. A school mom and her two young daughters wear masks as they wait in line outside their Hollywood charter school to pick up printouts of coursework to be done at home. Voters stand six feet apart in line at a near-empty… → Read More
Mayo: I can’t see my ailing mother because of coronavirus. My head understands, but my heart aches.
My mom is 87, had major brain surgery last month and has stage 4 melanoma. And now I can't hold her hand or hug her for a month. But she is proficient with her iPhone and knows how to FaceTime (except I get a great view of her ear). Columnist Michael Mayo shares what life is like when the state says you can't visit a parent who lives in a nursing home. → Read More
Eating out amid coronavirus: How should restaurants and consumers cope?
You gotta eat. Even during a global coronavirus pandemic. South Florida restaurants are already seeing a drop in business, while some owners say they're hoping that an increase in takeout/delivery services such as UberEats and DoorDash will help save their bottom line these next few months. → Read More
Join the discussion: Are you comfortable going to restaurants amid coronavirus uncertainty?
With "social distancing" now a thing and South Florida governments instituting crowd bans to prevent "community spread," is it still safe or wise to go out to eat? Dining critic Michael Mayo poses some questions about restaurant life in South Florida during the coronavirus crisis and asks people to share their thoughts on the "Let's Eat, South Florida" Facebook group. → Read More
Sage Bagel Deli in Hallandale closes abruptly after 47 years
Sage Bagel & Deli in Hallandale Beach has closed abruptly after 47 years. Known for fresh bagels boiled and baked in house, Sage attracted legions of displaced New Yorkers since 1973. Owner Harvey Fuerst cited rising rent and operating costs for the shuttering. Its last day was Tuesday, March 10, 2020. → Read More
Lunch review: In praise of roast beef at Fort Lauderdale’s Top Round
The roast beef sandwich is often overlooked and underappreciated, but dining critic Michael Mayo sings the praises of the options offered at the new Top Round in Fort Lauderdale, the first East Coast outpost of a chain that started in California. → Read More
Are changes ahead for popular Hardy Park Bistro in Fort Lauderdale?
Hardy Park Bistro, a popular neighborhood restaurant in Fort Lauderdale near the Broward courthouse, has been sold. Australian-born chef Philip Darmon and wife Jessica Rossitto opened the restaurant in 2013 and this week announced its sale to Susan and Aaron Mohan, a mother-son team. → Read More
Review of Casablanca Cafe: This old Fort Lauderdale beach house could use some new tricks
Two stars for Casablanca Cafe on Fort Lauderdale beach, a historic home built in 1927 that converted to a restaurant in 1995. The setting and atmosphere are the draws, and breakfast service was recently added after an ownership change. Dining critic Mike Mayo says the restaurant could be so much more. → Read More
Greater Fort Lauderdale Food and Wine Festival returns March 18-22
The second Greater Fort Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival takes place March 18-22 with additional events. The grand tasting again takes place at Young Circle/Arts Park in Hollywood. → Read More
‘Check Please, South Florida’ returns: Which restaurants are featured?
"Check Please, South Florida," the popular restaurant-review show hosted by chef Michelle Bernstein on WPBT-Ch. 2 (PBS), returns March 2 for a new season of 10 episodes. Check out the full list of 30 restaurants that will be featured. New episodes air 7:30 p.m. Mondays through May 11, → Read More
Is Skyline Chili closing in Fort Lauderdale? Maybe, but not so fast
The owners of Skyline Chili in Fort Lauderdale have submitted a redevelopment proposal to the city to close the longtime eatery to make way for a Valvoline Oil Change shop, but many hurdles remain and shuttering could be months or years away. The Cincinnati-style chili parlor has been in business on North Federal Highway since 1971. → Read More
Italian rub out: Tuscan Prime restaurant closes on Las Olas
A glut of Italian restaurants on Las Olas Boulevard has apparently reached its limit, as Tuscan Prime announced its abrupt closing on Feb. 27, 2020. The Italian steakhouse opened in May 2019 and lasted nine month. A dozen other Italian restaurants and pizzerias remain on the downtown Fort Lauderdale stretch → Read More
Review: Sassafras cooks up modern Southern charm in West Palm Beach
3 1/2 stars for Sassafras restaurant in West Palm Beach, where Subculture Group (Dada, Kapow Noodle Bar) and chef John Thomas (32 East, Tryst) bring elevated touches to homey Southern fare. The restaurant opened in November 2019 and features sweet-tea brined fried chicken, shrimp and grits, hoppin' John and pork chops with cornbread pudding. → Read More
After 3 years, Fat Boyz Barbecue closes in Deerfield Beach
Fat Boyz Barbecue closed its Deerfield Beach flagship on Feb. 25, 2020, with owner Jarael Holston-Jones citing unsafe conditions in an aging building after a 3-year run. That leaves two Fat Boyz locations remaining, in Coral Springs and Fort Lauderdale (Cypress Creek Road). → Read More
Now open: Seafood Street Eatery brings clam-shack casual to Boca
Seafood Street Eatery opened in Boca Raton this month, inspired by the Cape Cod clam shacks of owner Derek Panaia's youth. The restaurant features an affordable menu of fried, steamed and broiled seafood, including Ipswich (belly) clams, lobster rolls and a blackened mahi sandwich. Acclaimed veteran South Florida chef Johnny Vinczencz (Johnny V's, Jackson's Prime) heads the kitchen. → Read More
Review: Valentino Cucina still one of South Florida’s best restaurants under new chef
3 1/2 stars for Valentino Cucina restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, which remains one of the region's best restaurants under new chef Joel Ehrlich after the departure of founding chef/partner Giovanni Rocchio last fall. Perhaps the signature pastas have lost a bit of their magic, and some of the new dishes (duck, fish) are straining to impress, but in a nice new wrinkle, the restaurant has begun… → Read More
Five chill spots at the Hard Rock (casino, not stadium)
An insider's guide to hidden spots and good bites and sips at the expanded Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, good for Super Bowl 2020 week and beyond. Highlights include a hidden speakeasy in the Davidoff cigar shop; caviar, champagne and chicken sandwiches at Marky's Caviar and a mighty good fresh-ground burger at the Hard Rock Cafe. → Read More