Today, Gary enjoys the ‘Venice of America’ where canals wind through neighborhoods of pricy homes and sophisticated restaurants & bars!
Welcome to Fort Lauderdale, where sunshine, sophistication, and waterfront living collide in one unforgettable destination. Once known as a sleepy retirement hub, this coastal city is now a thriving, multicultural hotspot perfect for foodies, adventurers, and culture lovers alike.
This video takes you on a dazzling journey through Fort Lauderdale’s vibrant rooftop bars, including the chic lounge, Rooftop@1WLO, where they serve up handcrafted cocktails with spectacular skyline views. Gary enjoys Tiki Plantation Punch and the Garden Party Cocktail.
From there, dive into an intimate cooking class with one of Florida’s most inventive chefs, Chris Miracolo, at his exclusive TRPTaste, where the art of flavor and storytelling meet over goat cheese-stuffed dates with maple-bacon glaze.
Next, hop aboard a water taxi and explore the city’s iconic canals, flanked by jaw-dropping mansions, super yachts, and hidden gems like 3030 Ocean—a seafood haven where the menu changes daily based on the freshest local catch. Meet chef Adrienne Grenier.
The tour doesn’t stop there. Head over to Hollywood, Florida’s quirky beachside neighborhood, brimming with 1920s Art Deco charm, an exploding mural scene, and one-of-a-kind eateries. We end our culinary adventure with partner Piero Filpi at Olivia, a standout Italian restaurant where fresh mozzarella, handmade pastas, and seafood masterpieces are served with cinematic flair.
With 23 miles of beaches, a rich arts culture, and a deep commitment to inclusivity (90 languages spoken!), Fort Lauderdale is fast becoming one of America’s most dynamic and inviting places to live and visit. Whether you’re sipping cocktails on a rooftop, cruising the canals, or savoring a lobster-topped pasta, this is one coastal city you won’t want to miss.
In this 4K full episode of United Plates of America, host Gary Takle visits samples some of the best restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, Florida:
Chapters:
00:00 – Show Open/Intro
01:30 – Rooftop Bar for Cocktails with Stacy Ritter
05:35 – TRPTaste with chef Chris Miracolo
09:36 – Water Taxi tour of Ft Lauderdale Canals & fancy homes with David Margolis
12:41 – 3030 Ocean Restaurant at Marriott’s Harbor Beach Resort
16:04 – Downtown Hollywood, Fl with Art Curator Jill Weisberg
19:40 – Olivia Restaurant in Hollywood FL with Piero Filpi
#FortLauderdale #FoodieTravel #WaterfrontLiving #FloridaEats #TravelVibes #RooftopViews #SeafoodLovers #LGBTQFriendly #CulturalTravel #hollywoodflorida #floridatourism #tropicaldrinks #4kfood
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the Venice of America once considered a retirement
spot this city has become an exciting travel destination and a thriving multicultural community
and with such proximity to the ocean restaurants here provide some of the freshest seafood in the
state today we take a plunge into the exciting world of independent eateries and life on
the water here in Fort Lauderdale Florida [Music] [Music] we hit a rooftop bar for some handmade cocktails
this cocktail doesn’t just taste delicious it’s pretty i take a cooking class with one of
the most creative chefs in Florida what we do is we create a theme or an experience and
then we feature that on our website and if the guest likes it they can buy a ticket
just like they would a movie i love that we take a water taxi to one of the freshest
seafood spots in town our beautiful seafood in Florida so we’ve got a very light fresh
ceviche tuna ceviche with some Florida citrus and before we leave we visit the arts district
for some authentic Italian fair pasta every day for real a little vino three four times a
week [Music] my trip begins in the heart of downtown this rooftop bar features an open air
patio that sits high above the city welcome to Greater Fort Lauderdale what a great place and
what a great bar oh it’s amazing why don’t we go have a cocktail and talk about it let’s do
it tiki Plantation Punch little bit of citrus blueberry and passion fruit gives it that little
acidity that bite pineapple infused rum very popular [Music] tiki plantation punch and a garden
party cocktail this cocktail doesn’t just taste delicious it’s pretty this is the garden party
little bit of lemon juice homemade strawberry simple syrup that’s the secret it’s two secrets
fresh pressed cucumber juice too little Titos vodka prosecco beautiful strawberry and basil
cheers cheers this rooftop bar is like got so much cache how cool is this place it’s very cool
you can see pretty much all around downtown here too yep it’s a great view it’s a great view and
obviously especially at night it’s clearly not open during the day um but at night it becomes a
a really great place to just hang out after work you know you want to relax with your friends
chill have a nice cocktail famous for their handcrafted cocktails and delicious bites this
place is perfect for enjoying panoramic views of the city it’s such a great uh looking place
i mean I mean all the canals just make the place look so pretty we’re called the Venice of uh
of America for a reason yeah we have um a great canal system here you actually don’t have to set
foot on land if you’re traveling from point A to point B until you get to where you’re going
so the water is a big part of living here right it is um we are a water culture-based
society and even if you don’t paddle board or kayak or fish there’s always water around
and I find water very calming yeah what What do you love about living here i loved the fact
that when my children were little they were in shorts and t-shirts most all year round my kids
have never been in a snowsuit um flip flops is uh is our um our trade here you can wear flip
flops pretty much anywhere i love that people from all over the world are traveling here for the
perfect climate and laid-back atmosphere the city is evolving into a youthful cultural hub we have
a vibrant economy here we have a booming economy here well you can tell by the cranks oh my gosh
it’s just the building is and and it we’ve always been a growing community but our philosophy is
that if you don’t grow and evolve then you do then you then you die so we continue to not only
evolve um in what the skyline looks like but in our philosophy is about life here and and growing
um people’s ability to achieve and succeed here and and while tourism is our number one industry
we also recognize you can’t just have an economy based on one industry so we’ve got a tech
industry here and a pharma industry here um we’ve got a convention center a true melting
pot this city is home to people from various ethnic backgrounds there are 90 languages spoken
in households in greater Fort Lauderdale so we are an incredibly diverse community yeah there’s a big
gay community here right huge gay community and we actually pride ourselves on that uh we are a safe
place to visit and live we are really focusing on the transgender community it’s a much more um
it’s a it’s a different way to travel if you’re trans and we are extremely sensitive to their
needs both as a CVB and in the hotel community at large and we do sensitivity training um how
you want to be identified how you self identify we’re a diverse community we actually believe we
are what was meant by the American melting pot [Music] this restaurant is home to one of the most
creative chefs in the city his intimate 26 seat venue offers a unique experience built
around an ever-changing menu this is such a cool concept isn’t it i actually love it it’s
one of the most fun times I’ve ever had well the thing is you’re actually you’re part of the
entertainment i mean your your all your um they can choose to sit at the table or if they want
to come over and heckle me they get the counter but see some people like to talk on their own
some people enjoy the interaction with the chef yeah yeah i love that what we do is we create a
theme or an experience and then we feature that on our website and if the guest likes it they can
buy a ticket just like they would a movie love that for the dish the chef prepares dates vinegars
applewood bacon goats cheese and some sweet syrups well what we’re going to do is we’re going
to take some majul dates um that I already have some stuffed with goat cheese but I’m going
to teach you how to pit them okay great and put some goat cheese in what I have here is just some
regular goat cheese that you can buy in a store in the little logs i put it inside a pastry bag
and let it soften up to a room temperature yep so then we just pipe it right down the center
go ahead you do that right there it’s a really unusual combination goats cheese and dates sweet
and then kind of like goat cheese and fruit is not so uncommon so what we what this dish um does is
it hits all the compasses of your palette you’re going to get sweet you’re going to get salty
you’re going to get pungent you’re going to get um the salt the sour powerhouse in there and
that’s the whole idea it’s one nice powerful bite this meal was shaping up to be like nothing
I’ve ever tasted so if you can start to see you’re getting a little golden color and then the fats
rendering out and this bacon grease um we’re going to get a little bit out but it’s actually
part of the sauce first thing you’re going to add balsamic and cherry vinegars okay with a 1/4
cup of each again don’t breathe through your nose now you’re putting in honey okay oh wow orange
juice concentrate all right okay who would have thought i like doing that because it is um
it’s a great way to get an intense orange flavor without watering down your dish too
much okay honey orange juice and even maple syrup now this is a unique concoction it’s
designed that when you put these dates in by the time the sauce turns into a syrup that
your dates are just heated enough to where your cheese isn’t melting out it’s not molten
in the center this is some nice Canadian amber um maple syrup the smell is so good can’t wait
to try a bite oh wow that’s really quite thick now mhm take out the date yep a little bit of Put
a bit of bacon on there as well right well we’re going to finish the sauce with the butter we’re
going to get the dates out first yep and this is a very nice good if you’re entertaining this is
such a great great dish you can still get that little wisp of vinegar it’s not as intense as it
was in there oh yeah oh wow you can really smell the um the maple syrup mhm so then now we’ll put
a little bit not all of this butter so your butter should be chilled because you want to be able to
mount it in you never just drop it in you pop your butter in there and you make sure you’re able
to stand on top of it that way you get a nice creamy texture oh yeah like that then what I’ll
do is I’ll take the bacon right there wow look at that little bit of your greens okay it’s not
just for garnish has a little bit of a texture to it no they have a purpose they definitely
have a purpose and if you taste one of those you’ll see it’s got a nice intense mustardy bite
oh yeah and then for when you’re entertaining you can just take each one help yourself yeah look at
that and that’s it that looks absolutely fantastic let’s try the shelly and you see how the
cheese is just the right temperature on the inside oh yeah wow that is a very rich
powerful it’s a It makes a statement smack you in the mouth wonderful dish
that just tastes so so damn good 18 mi of waterways provides the city with an
unusual and exciting way to travel around the water taxis breeze through man-made water canals
creating a unique sightseeing experience someone said to me “The best way to see Fort Lauderdale
is from the water.” Absolutely it’s a great city to explore from the water canals waterways we got
the ocean we got everything you need here on water when I saw all the waterways I thought this is
such a great character because water brings so much to a town doesn’t it it does it does indeed
there is so much water so many canals here like I mean honestly in all my travels I’ve never
seen so many canals people come to this area because they want to they come here for the
warm weather and warm weather means you want to get on the water so what does living on the
water mean what what does it mean for people who live here tranquility okay that’s it right
there tranquility you get up in the morning it’s so calm water is certainly a big part of
life here in Fort Lauderdale 23 mi of beaches coupled with beautiful water canals make it a
city that is truly one of a kind this is a great place okay now we’re talking this is like a bit
of a mansion right yes actually that particular mansion is interesting it was built around a
tree there’s a beautiful cypress tree in the middle of there they didn’t want to destroy the
tree so they actually built the home around the tree that makes a lot of sense these are beautiful
look at this house here it’s absolutely gorgeous that’s very luxurious that kind of like Spanish
style it can be yours and look and look at the size of the dock you can park two boats on that
thing absolutely it’s for sale wow oh wow this particular home right here oh yeah harry Potter
house right there and the turf that you see in the backyard is actually golf course quality turf
beautiful home to many speedboats and super yachts the inter coastal waterways are a playground for
celebrities and billionaires here we find some of the most valuable properties in the country all
right so what’s this one here this looks pretty ostentatious yes this is Wayne Huizenga’s home
the original home he’s had several homes yeah he’s the guy who kind of started the whole canal
thing well he was very instrumental in development of Fort Lauderdale indeed wow uh the home actually
started as one home and just added on to the house it goes all the way across it goes all the way
around the point on the other side there around the pagoda there that you see just amazing most
of the people who live here are retired is that right i wouldn’t say in the m most quite a
few though quite a few yeah there’s a lot of old Let’s put this way there’s a lot of old money
here okay despite its reputation as a retirement spot the city is growing at an astonishing rate
so what’s the entry price to kind of own one of these my goodness uh several million dollars not
uncommon in the New River here and to be in the area of about 10 million and up wow because
you’re on the water right you’re on the water with your own sea wall you’re right here and you
can park your yacht out the front absolutely and then uh your life is just perfect yep some of
the yachts are bigger than the homes [Music] located in the Marriott’s Harbor
Beach Resort 3030 Ocean Restaurant features a beautiful view and a unique daily menu fort Lauderdale is all about water yes it is
everywhere here not only is it out in sea but it seeps right into the whole city that’s true mhm
has that played a part in in the menu yeah and the restaurant’s called 3030 Ocean so we definitely
try to make seafood a major focus my best um seafood provider he sends me a list every
day with um what fish came in and where it was caught so this is a real challenge for you cuz
then you need to kind of adapt the menu right daily almost yes daily we change we can change
the menu um based on what’s available what’s freshest what’s looking great um I definitely u
wanted to highlight our our beautiful seafood in Florida so we’ve got a very light fresh ceviche
of course tuna ceviche with some Florida citrus some clams and then we’ve got a whole fried uh
yellowtail snapper and that those come from Key West let’s try it shall we having heard so much
about Florida’s unique cuisine I can’t wait to dig in and experience this culinary feast so we’ve
got some beautiful fresh tuna that’s from caught in Fort Pierce Florida um and it’s just mixed
with some Florida citrus there’s oranges and chilies that’s gorgeous um I really love the way
that um Florida does ceviche a little different from everywhere else in the country you do this
whole citrus thing yeah we do a lot of citrus and ours is fresh it’s not marinated for a long time
for that and then it’s also balanced out with a little olive oil and this is these are crispy
yuka chips so you could if you’re familiar you can always use it for the scoop yes absolutely
we should do that let’s Let’s try it let’s try Well you’ve already tried it but let let me try
i’m going to make sure I get some of that citrus on there because that’s going to make a big
difference to the taste right yes definitely oh what a wonderful dish so so damn tasty and
these chips you do these we do yes mhm beautiful wow that is absolutely sensational chef Adrian
works with trusted local fishermen to source only the freshest seafood in town depending on what
the ocean has to offer the chef here knows how to make the most of Florida’s unique ingredients
oh yeah i can see this is gorgeous look at that and the the broth has some um chorizo and
uh shallots really tasty for the main dish our chef prepared the yellow tail snapper i
really I love eating whole fish um I think it’s so fun to sit around with friends and
just kind of pick the pick the Yeah you’re almost fighting for the for the food
right yeah exactly so we we’re eating the um the skin and everything yeah the skin
and everything nice and crispy great oh yeah that looks And it’ll be nice and juicy from
the bone here’s some um some of the green papaya sauce so let’s have a look at this
you might have a few little bones but Okay oh the fish just [Music] beautiful
now we head over to Hollywood not Tinsel Town in California of course but
Florida’s own bustling beach [Music] so we’re in Hollywood which is kind of part
of the whole greater Fort Lauderdale area but Hollywood’s its own thing isn’t it yes Hollywood
is like no other place even though we share our name with our sister city in uh Los Angeles
which is Was it named after Hollywood in LA absolutely yeah um Joseph Young um decided he’s
like kind of the founder of Hollywood Hollywood is a very very unique eclectic place uh we’re
very proud of that it’s like no other city in this area and although we are part of greater
Fort Lauderdale Hollywood is definitely its own entity downtown Hollywood is full of bars
restaurants and art exhibits we really enjoy our own Hollywood weird status because it is
a very unique eclectic place and we have lots of independent businesses lots of independent
restaurants everything about Hollywood is is very unique and different than a lot of places
i mean just driving up and down the road here you got you got the palm trees which are kind of
almost reminiscent of the Hollywood in California but also there’s a little bit of art deco in the
buildings and stuff absolutely it’s kind of like they must be like 1930s 1920s yeah the majority
of the buildings here are um from the 1920s to the 1940s and if you do walk around you’ll see
little historical plaques and it’ll explain each building and why it’s historical um there’s a lot
of art deco style we have some mid-century modern um very very different types of architecture
so it’s not this kind of homogeneous strip mall everyday kind of situation you have everything
is very very um unique and different combining a hometown atmosphere with a world class beach
Hollywood Florida is a great place to call home recently the whole arts thing’s really taken off
here right right behind us we have the latest mural but this is one of what how many 26 26 yeah
wow the Art and Culture Center in town offers live stage performances contemporary gallery
exhibitions and an array of art classes why is it so important to have these this really revitalized
this area this area was always cute and unique but because of these beautiful contemporary art murals
that we have here it kind of adds surprises around every corner especially if you haven’t been
here cuz this is an ongoing project so it’s like we keep adding really this is great the
thing about art I mean art’s great if you could buy one piece of art and have it into your your
own house no one’s going to see that right this is this is real art but it’s for the masses the
mural project’s goal is to enhance and enrich the existing cultural fabric of local community so
I’ve been curating the downtown Hollywood mural project since 2012 since uh around its inception
i work for the Community Redevelopment Agency of Hollywood and the way the project works is
we work with private property owners who want murals on their wall who are willing to buy all
the materials and anything that the artist needs these guys pay for it that’s right great so the
the property owner pays for the mural and the CRA of Hollywood the community redevelopment agency
pays the artist okay so food Mhm food here is kind of cool right oh yeah we have like almost every
different kind of nationality you could think of as far as food the the food here is really
wonderful and one of the greatest things about this place is there’s no chain restaurants
really it’s all unique private businesses Olivia restaurant is the brainchild of one of the
most renowned restaurant tours in Florida Olivia was founded on hard work true love and sheer
passion with really breathtaking decor home inspired recipes and great attention to detail
this place is one of the most exciting eateries in town and I’ve watched my mom cook all her recipes
the pasta could not leave the table every day we had to have pasta how much has that influenced
you in your restaurants your mom’s cooking it has influenced me a lot because she always cooked
very delicately as you do in home rather than mass production but I took that and I brought it into
more of a production and continuously redefined the way of cooking in restaurants because I like
to eat very light yeah and I like my customers to eat light so I don’t put all the unnecessary evils
inspired by his mother’s cooking the restaurant serves dishes in true Italian fashion using only
the finest freshest ingredients authenticity of the Italian flavors and and cuisine is so evident
in in your food which we’re about to try in a sec i hope so but you’re serving like 500,000 people
per year in the other restaurant yes and still keeping that authenticity this is a modern miracle
well that’s what it’s all about that’s why I could be there for the last 24 years because uh you
can’t produce it 2 days before and then serve it i don’t believe in that we produce it as it goes
along it’s like an assembly line everybody knows what they do everything is organized and as it
goes through the line it goes right to your plate the Italian chef here focuses on the best from
each region and creates a unique menu featuring some classic Italian dishes as well as those that
are a little less known the chef here is I don’t know why he’s not in the movies okay he’s a
wonderful man which I had the uh the luck of meeting and uh he also told me about his story
he even cooked for the pope for real yes and he’s got a delicate touch he’s got original
recipes and he does everything in a way that uh just have to taste it people usually have
mozzarella right out of a refrigerator yeah of course this time you have it right out
of the mozzarella ba where he makes it fresh from the curry with hot boiling
water and a pinch of salt you work it until finally it’s ready like a flower and
there it is on your plate proing itself on following tradition the chef promises
to serve only authentic Italian flavors now this is the mozzarella you were telling me
about that’s that’s just been fresh there you go okay thank you look oh my gosh it’s really the
consistency of that is something else okay let me take this bit here so what So what do we got here
we’ve got some um some 24 month old cured proto that’s wrapped around the fresh mozzarella
yep and you can see it in the taste oh my god absolutely stunning everything at
Olivia is about the right ingredients the right balance and the right atmosphere
let me try one of these okay we have an everything bagel lightly toasted oh wow with
fresh Scottish smoked salmon okay some sweet onions yep what the chef does which is really
unique he prepares the inside with a touch of cream cheese and a dash of mascarpone cheese
okay okay he mixes it all together that guy is a genius it’s a little bit sweet and
then he spreads it on the bagel and the taste is so incredible only because you put a
touch of mascarpone cheese let’s try shall we a bagel with mascarpone cheese and
delicious amazing Scottish salmon for our main dish the chef has prepared pasta
with Maine lobster jumbo shrimp and clams rich and bursting with flavor a truly Italian
feast on top here we got what seems to be a um This is a big jumbo shrimp which we topped the
dish with can you see the size of that thing look at that please just stunning thank you so
much there you go this is great Italian food at its best oh wow [Music] through unique eateries
and a vibrant arts culture Fort Lauderdale is evolving into one of America’s most exciting
places to live thanks for coming on the tour with us join us next time as we continue our
tasting journey throughout America [Music]
