Rich B.
Yelp
I visited the newly opened "Daniel's" last night, which took over the old Val + Tino space at 620 S. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. It's apparent from the minute you step into the restaurant that this is not a typical steakhouse. Whereas most steakhouses have a dimly lit, darker ambience, you're instantly greeted here with a brightly lit ambience and lively scene.
We arrived about 15 minutes before our reservation time, so we sat at the bar and had a cocktail while we waited. I opted for the "Ring of Fire", which consists of Ilegal Mezcal, Aperol, Black Pepper, and Lime, for $18. Typically expensive for a cocktail in a high end restaurant, but it was very refreshing and flavorful.
Just as we were finishing our drink, the hostess came by to tell us that our table was ready, so we paid our tab and followed her over to our table while staring at various tables of people seemingly enjoying their delicious looking steaks.
The first thing I noticed when I sat down was the colored plates and gold silverware, which I don't recall ever seeing in a restaurant before. So right off the bat, we could tell this was going to be a unique experience. We were even asked if we preferred a white or a black napkin, which I believe was a first for me.
Our server came over shortly after and reviewed the menu with us, explaining how they source all of their ingredients locally here in Florida. Now, one thing that I noticed is that the menu was slightly different than the menu that is posted on their website. It was explained to us that the reason for this was because based on the fact they are committed to sourcing locally, some of their items will be based on availability, and therefore the menu will be an ongoing work in progress and may change on a weekly basis. I've posted a copy of the menu with this review to give you an idea, and you'll notice some of the differences if you compare this to the menu on their website.
Since we were absolutely starving, we immediately put in orders for three appetizers to get us started:
* Milk bread
* Basil Caesar
* Florida Burrata
The bread almost looked like a pretzel bun but had the texture of a croissant. It was nice and warm and practically melted in my mouth. The salad was unlike any caesar I've ever had, both in presentation and flavor. The dressing wasn't a traditional caesar and had a lemon taste to it. The burrata was super fresh and creamy, and I absolutely love yellow tomatoes, so that was a bonus.
For my entree I went with the 8 oz filet, cooked medium, along with a side of peppercorn sauce. In addition, we got 2 sides to share, the Grilled Aparagus and the Potato Fonduta (a fancy term for mashed potatoes). My steak was cooked to perfection, perfectly red in the middle and a nice char on the outside. The peppercorn sauce was to die for. So good in fact, I even dipped my asparagus and potatoes in it. Speaking of which, these were some of the best mashed potatoes I've ever had and the portion size was humongous. Watched it all down with a glass of very smooth red wine, but I can't recall at the moment exactly what it was!
For dessert we shared some key lime lie which was outrageous, but I was so full at that point I couldn't even eat all of my half of it. Lastly, here's a funny tidbit. Often while eating at a high-end restaurant, I try to guess the tab just for fun (actually, the bill wasn't so fun ). This time, I guessed it would be $377.86, and amazingly, it was $377.71- off by only $.15! Pretty crazy, although I would lose by Price is Right rules by going over.
But I digress. The experience was great, the service was top notch, the food was off the charts good, and the atmosphere was very nice. Now, will I be back soon? At a cost of $229 after tip, this is honestly not the type of place I'll come back to weekly or even monthly, but will I come back a few times a year as a treat or for a special occasion? Absolutely. Oh, and I would also come back to check out their happy hour at the bar, which has some reasonably priced drinks and appetizers, which you can see on their menu.
