Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival, taking place Jan. 19-25, showcases Broward County’s renowned and emerging chefs, restaurateurs, and local food & beverage establishments. Featuring everything from outdoor food tastings and festivals to private collaborative dinners, it is a week of Bacchanalian delight. BBQ on the Beach, Beachside Brunch, and The Grand Tasting are big splashy affairs, but there are quieter moments, too.

Sometimes the most memorable holiday moments aren’t wrapped under a tree or packed into a suitcase, but they happen around a table, with good food, people you love, and the kind of atmosphere that makes time slow down just a little. That was exactly the case during our recent visit to Florida Room, the newest gem from culinary power couple Chef Jeff McInnis and Chef Janine Booth, tucked waterside at The Fort in Fort Lauderdale.

It’s a new year, and there are already so many changes to report. Wilton Creamery shuttered its doors on Christmas Eve, but expect a new ice cream shop to open there soon. Palmyra struggled along, but in the end had to call it quits. Of course, Violet’s and Zen’s has been closed for months now, but nobody turned off the colorful neon light on the second floor, so it still shines bright.

In today’s hyper-connected, social media-driven world, snark often passes for currency. A clever jab on Facebook, a sarcastic aside at work — these quick hits of wit may draw laughs in the moment, but they come at a real cost: our own well-being. 

There are certain restaurants that immediately signal an occasion, and Diplomat Prime, located inside the iconic The Diplomat Beach Resort, is very much one of them.

The holidays arrived quickly this year, and the moment my mom, Maritza, landed from Puerto Rico, I felt that familiar mix of emotion and excitement settle in.