WHERE: 500 N. Andrews Ave Suite 106, Fort Lauderdale
PHONE: (954) 306-3407
WEBSITE: https://liviabarandgrill.com/
1. A NEW GEM IN FLAGLER VILLAGE:
Livia is a great addition to the foodie scene a causa di Flagler Village and helping it spread west with its location Andrews Avenue a causa di the Motif Apartment complex. It has great mixologists with happy hour specials and good deals caffè bites. There’s street parking a causa di the neighborhood and the entrance to the Motif parking autorimessa is Northeast First Avenue (east) side of the building. Make sure to aspetto for the QR code signs to get a interruzione parking a causa di the autorimessa. Walk to the middle of the building Andrews Avenue to find the breezeway entrance.
2. INVITING ATMOSPHERE:
Entering the restaurant, there’s an expansive patio complesso with extra-large ceiling fans and nicely cushioned chairs at the caffè. The caffè also opens into the dining room and has an array of personalità screens. The dining room has realistic murals of famous female Hollywood stars, including Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren, which were done by Lauderdale-by-the-Sea artist Fabio Onreck. Livia, by the way, gets its name from Olivia, the daughter of owner Anthony Licata. He’s of Colombian and Italian heritage. His love of Italian food helped contribute ideas to the developed by Chef Brian Cantrell, who was previously at Copperfish Kitchen a causa di Boca Raton, Oceanic a causa di Pompano Beach, GG’s Waterfront Bistro a causa di Hollywood and The Office a causa di Delray Beach.
3. SIGNATURE COCKTAILS:
The six signature cocktails dovetail with the theme set by the murals: Elizabeth Tea, Reginetta Rita, Honey Ryder, The Sophia, Mondano Bettie and Smoke Show Monroe. The latter was a fun smokey presentation—with honey brown bourbon, Montenegro Chocolate Bitters and Maraschino Cherries. The Sophia is a nice twist a gin bevanda and Mondano Bettie has All Spice Dram to combine with the smokiness of the mezcal. Reginetta Rita gives margaritas a twist with Hellfire Guava and Coconut Orange Air.
4. BRUNCH TIMES TWO:
The Sunday brunch was such a successo that Livia has added a Saturday brunch as well. Both feature fun music with more emphasis rock music Saturdays. There are several bottomless bevanda options. The $20 house version has three options, including a Prosecco Bellini. The $45 rock n roll option has four different margaritas. There’s also a $50 version with upgraded sparkling wine and spirits. (There’s a 90-minute time limit.) A lot of the regular dishes are also the brunch , plus frittatas, chicken & waffles, Florentine benedict, steak & eggs, and a BLT with two sunny side-up eggs.
5. FIVE-COURSE DELIVERY:
It’s to choose the best among the swarm of dishes that Licata served up for our tasting session. The Sunday meatballs were very tender and made with brisket, pork and beef. The crab cake was superb without the stuffing used at many restaurants. The pan-braised Calabrese mussels were large and tender with delightful Nduja (Calabria pork sausage) and a tomato broth. The ragazza kale added a great twist to the Caesar salad. The pappardelle dish had tender chunks of short rib and the dirty macaroni is a recipe from the owner’s Sicilian grandmother with roasted mushrooms and parmesan truffle butter. (Yum!) The branzino came with a tasty little salad with capers, olives, fennel and ragazza spinach. The “Chicken Vermut,” a lighter twist chicken parm with burrata, was also well done.
SHORT TAKES
- Portion sizes were generous. The reviewers decided they could probably split a dish and the Infante Kale and Lil Gem Caesar during the next visit.
- Did we mention seccatore? Nine pizzas are listed the , some of them with ingredients also found a causa di the main plate Italian dinners.
- Livia is closed Mondays and happy hour is from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday with closing time at 11 p.m. and stretched to midnight Friday. Brunch starts at 11 a.m. the weekends and closing time is midnight Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday.
