Florida Agenda

By RICHARD DAVID CHAMBERLAIN

When Oscar Wilde said, “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives,” he must have been channeling Market 17. This elegant eatery located in the Portside Yachting Center is the brainchild of siblings Kirsta and Aaron Grauberger, who in any other life would have been born in a vineyard, such is their expertise around bottles of wine.

While this may help explain the extensive wine menu with a selection numbering in the hundreds, it hardly prepares the hungry patron for the assortment of items on a dinner menu that changes nightly.

That’s right—nightly. Never one to rest on her laurels, executive chef Lauren DeShields recreates your assortment of unusual offerings as if playing pickup- sticks. You just never know exactly how the palate will play.

On a recent outing with diet guru and society hostess Nikki Haskell, we took the plunge without checking the evening’s menu—though it is available mid-afternoon online at www.market17.net/menus.htm. The concept at Market 17 is farm fresh food…so fresh in fact that what’s plattered tonight was alive and growing this morning.

While it may be tempting to skip the appetizer section and save your appetite for the entrees, part of the fun at Market 17 is the adventure of eating new foods. Translation: antelope satay ($15), served on a bed of soba noodles with a peanut dipping sauce. “You had what for dinner last night, dear? Antelope?” The look on your friends’ faces is worth the risk alone. Far less trendy, but just as delicious: Market Vegetable Tempura ($12), featuring baby broccoli, snap peas, avocado and fennel with a spicy kimchi aioli. A winner, no matter how you clean the plate. (We used our index fingers when no one was looking.)

Our server Brittany Peterson, otherwise known as the perkiest blonde since Gidget, recommended that I try the Grilled Florida Hereford Boneless Pork Chop ($23 in a petit portion; $36 for entrée size)— “you just can’t go wrong with Hereford pork, honestly.” Of course she was right.

It was tender and pink and, when combined with my new favorite l e g u m e – - s m o k e d beluga lentils—may just win the taste prize of the night.

Mrs. Haskill disagreed, casting her vote firmly in favor of her perfectly cooked and flakey Pan Seared Wild Florida Red Snapper ($23/$36). She pointed out that if the fish were any fresher, we would have had to scale it ourselves.

It wasn’t on the plate that long, of course. Nikki is tiny, but she knows her way around a fish fork. It was served crusted in something created by God herself, and served with herbroasted sunchokes.

On our next visit, if it’s on the menu, I intend to try the Pan Seared Duck Breast And Duck Confit ($23/$39). This particular evening, while it was listed as an entrée, the ducks apparently were smarter than the hunters for none arrived in the kitchen despite it being on the shopping list.

Happy Hour runs 5 to 7 p.m. nightly with half-priced drinks and appetizers at the bar. That includes the housemade sausages, the Market Ceviche, the Florida Middleneck Clams and Pork Belly, the Cornmeal Crusted Pigtails (if you have to ask, you don’t want to know), and yes, Antelope Satay—on any given day.

Dining in the Dark is another Market 17 fave. In this test of skill and taste buds, you consume your food in a blackedout room with your fingers.

There are night-vision goggles, but only for the servers. Clever Market 17. Tell them Florida Agenda sent you.

Market 17
1850 SE 17th St.
Fort Lauderdale FL 33316
954-835-5507

By TIM SLIVINSKI

Market 17
1850 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL
954-835-5507

I first visited and reviewed Market 17 about 10 months ago when it was still a new kid on the block to the Fort Lauderdale dining scene. I had a great experience while dining there, and I have since returned many times quite recently. If anything, this farm to table restaurant has only improved in its quality of farm fresh food and the creativity of its chef and the dishes he prepares.

One feature of Market 17 that I have fallen in love with is the special pricing and offer that comes with its daily happy hour, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. (Includes Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings!) All appetizers and starters are 50% off at the bar. Not only that, but Market 17’s signature cocktails are also offered at 50% off the menu price. It is possible to sit and relax, enjoy top quality food and creatively mixed cocktails, and lose yourself in the peaceful, subtle atmosphere that defines Market 17 for a very reasonable price, because when the check arrives, it is simply cut in half. This is most definitely a win for serious foodies who enjoy dining on the lighter side by choosing several small plates rather than a large entrée.

Market 17’s cocktail menu is a patron’s first clue that this is no ordinary establishment. Kimi McCurry is the bar manager, and she has created each cocktail on the menu with attention to fresh fruit juices, fruit purees, infusions, and garnishes. I am partial to her take on the classic Manhattan: the M17. Starting with Maker’s Mark Bourbon, she adds ginger, macerated cherries and more for a delicious remix of that old stand-by. If vodka is your spirit, then try the Strawpow Capricosa. Tito’s vodka (fresh from Texas!) is mixed with fresh muddled strawberries, pomegranate seeds and lime, and agave nectar. It’s all topped off with a splash of soda. It’s refreshing, full of flavor and, like all the cocktails on the menu, oh-sobeautiful to look at. Market 17’s cocktail menu is creative, playful, and unique, with cocktails priced between $9 and $13.

For a light supper at the bar or for a starter for two, you cannot lose with the ever-changing Housemade Charcuterie ($18). It arrives with two in-house made sausages, most recently smoked chicken and garlic sausage along with chorizo verde. A cheese spread, an herb ricotta spread, thin toasts offering tang and crunch, and Canadian-style boar ham that gives a slight salty addition to the palate. Rounding out the plate are various picklings (superb!) and chutneys and a whole-grain mustard. Every taste bud is hit with flavor, making it difficult to decide what on the plate is your favorite.

If you are not squeamish about names, try the Crispy Pork Belly ($15). It is pork belly that crisps and then gives way to a smooth consistency of flavor unlike any bacon in the world. Served with parmesan polenta, caramelized onion, and arugula, this dish’s complexity of flavors and textures satisfies. Jumbo Stone Crab Claws are in season now, and Market 17 offers them – and they truly are jumbo – at $20 a piece. Sweet and tender, they come to you with three sauces for dipping: avocado soup, chililime aioli, and mustard sauce. As each sauce is as good and fresh as the next, it is nearly impossible to determine a favorite.

Feeling in the mood to splurge a bit on a recent Sunday evening visit, my partner and I decided to try a couple of entrées. Every entrée on the Market 17’s menu is offered in both petite and full entrée size. This is another plus that allows diners to be more adventurous and try more dishes while allowing the health conscious diner some portion control. I opted for the petite portion of the Roasted Red Feather Chicken ($19/$32). The chicken breast arrived moist and juicy and sitting atop a most delicious acorn squash spaetzle cake.

The fall flavors were a perfect harbinger of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Milk poached turnips escarole accompanied my entrée and I eagerly consumed every bit. My partner decided to try the Grilled Wreckfish ($22/$36), though neither of us were familiar with this particular fish. I have since found out this species lives in old shipwrecks, hence its name. It is a low harvested fish and is a great source of protein and B vitamins and minerals. A perfectly grilled and deliciously succulent piece of fish arrived, accompanied by chick pea puree, grilled heirloom tomatoes, arugula, basil hollandaise and pine nut pesto. Though it may sound like a too busy dish, it was not as each item was in perfect proportion and a complement to the others. He proclaimed the petite portion as perfect and just enough.

Market 17 seems to have found an audience of fresh “farm to table” food lovers in the South Florida market, and for very good reason. It offers a consistency of quality that is unrivaled in Fort Lauderdale. Cocktails, appetizers, and entrees use creative and fresh ingredients in unique ways. If you are looking for a special place for a relaxing and delicious evening out, head to Market 17. And if you begin your evening in the bar, look for me!

By TIM SLIVINSKI

In years past, the bar in a restaurant was often a place merely to hang out while waiting for your chance at a table. It was sort of akin to a “waiting room”. Restaurant bars often lacked identity or ambience, and frequently seemed to be mere holding rooms for hungry, anxious restaurant patrons. In recent years, however, all that has changed. The bar has become an integral part of a restaurant’s marketing and customer base. Current restaurant design puts as much thought into the ambience at the bar as the ambience in the dining room. Some restaurants clearly put a separation between the bar and the main dining area, while others attempt a seamless flow from bar to dining room, without a clear cut distinction between one and the other. Simply put, the restaurant bar has definitely come into its own.

Reasons for choosing to eat at the bar are as varied as the customers who patronize any particular establishment. Undoubtedly, some choose a seat at the bar because it’s available right away rather than waiting for a table, but that seems to be a clear minority option now. When dining alone, some feel more comfortable eating at the bar rather than taking up an entire table. In addition, bar patrons are often likely to strike up a bit of banter, so if you feel like conversation, the bar is a great option. If nothing else, a customer can always engage the bartender in a bit of schmoozing. Others may like the higher energy of the bar area; the bar is generally a bit louder, noisier, and many thrive on that energy level. Some restaurants even offer special “bar menus,” often called “bar bites,” with food choices that are not available in the dining room. If you find a favorite “bar bite” bistro, then you might definitely opt for bar dining. Of course, there are those who enjoy watching a bartender do his or her thing. It’s fun to watch a talented bartender in action – after all, mixing cocktails is an art, and some in the profession do it very well.

Some bartenders even have their own unofficial “fan clubs,” patrons who come in regularly to chat and watch them perform their magic with an array of spirits.

It should be noted as well that most restaurants that offer bars are happy to let you order dinner entrees from the dining room menu while seated at the bar.

Many of the restaurants we have spotlighted in recent months have fun, unique, energetic bar scenes that are worth checking out. Michele’s Dining Lounge, for example, has a beautifully appointed bar that offers delicious bar bites, with special Happy Hour pricing everyday. J. Marks, of course, has to be one of the hottest bar scenes in Fort Lauderdale; it draws a diverse mix of professionals who enjoy its high energy vibe. Worth noting is that fact that the bar at J. Marks serves a late night menu with selected appetizers and entrees at special pricing. Similarly, Mojo offers a special bar menu with amazing specials to accompany their delicious cocktails. (Try Mussels Monday for delicious mussels in a choice of broth to accompany your cocktail of choice. You’ll need extra bread for the sauce!)

Market 17 on the 17th Street Causeway has a beautifully curved bar with a menu of signature cocktails to accompany their bar snacks. Worth noting here as well is the amazing wine list that features several unique, more limited production varietals.

At Johnny V, the smooth marble bar is an integral part of the dining room. Order appetizers from the main menu or select an array of cheeses from their cheese menu to nibble on as you sip your favorite libation or glass of wine.

Dining at the bar can be a fun option. I have often found myself in interesting, lively conversations with people after just one sip of my cocktail. Some have even gone on to become friends. A word of caution, however: While dining at the bar can be fun when dining alone or with a friend or partner, it is often awkward in larger groups. The linear design of most bars can make conversation with three or more people a bit challenging. Next time you walk into a restaurant and take note of its lively, beautiful, vibrant bar area, take a chance — if you have not already done so — and eat the bar. You never know, I just might be sitting next to you!

Photo: Summer Baby Spinach Salad:  Bushbaby green beans, hearts of palm, sweet and spicy pickled starfruit, saffronorange vinaigrette salad from Market 17