With locations in vibrant cities like Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, Sixty Vines brings a refreshing, wine-country ease to the dining scene, and it’s the kind that encourages lingering at the table, saying “just one more taste,” and swapping stories over bottles you’ve never tried before.

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.