I feel a little spoiled. I have some of the best places to eat a few steps away from each other. Lemoni has the tastiest paninis, salads and dinner specials. Buena Vista Bistro is a cute little French spot that has the best snapper and crab cakes ever. The owner and chef, Claude, opened up a deli on the corner earlier this year. I would go to the Bistro just to eat desserts sometimes. I’m not a big fan of apple pie but the way Claude prepared it was too good to pass up. Swiss-style with sliced apples on top and a perfect amount of filling, complimented by the perfect crust and a scoop of ice cream. So good.

The Buena Vista Deli is like Cheers but with yummy pastries instead of beer. If you visit often enough, you will definitely feel welcomed in this little neighborhood joint. Claude and his pastry chef, Damian, wake up at the ass crack of dawn to prepare the pastries fresh every day. My favorites are the raspberry tart, mille-feuille, duchess and the croissants. I also LOVE the raspberry jelly. I never was too big on jelly because I hate the consistency but Claude’s jelly is different. Home-made and fruity, not gelatinous. 

The Deli also serves salads, sandwiches and an array of breakfast items. I’ve heard the pate is really yummy too. They are open from 6am-9pm, plenty of time to stop by for a little snack or a full meal.

Although some people have argued with me about the best dim sum restaurant in South Florida, I can confidently state that Toa Toa is the BEST dim sum restaurant in Broward County. I haven’t gone to any places in Miami…why? Because I have no desire to stray from Toa Toa! 

My older sister first took me here years ago. I knew it had to be good because almost all the patrons were fellow Asians, with a few Whities sprinkled in there. (That’s also a tip on how good the food at an Asian restaurant is - if there’s Asians eating there, that means the food is authentic and not some diluted version.) I still order the same thing I ate the first day I went.

Baked barbecue pork buns - the pork inside is so yummy and glazed to perfection while the bun balances the sweetness of the sauce flavor. 

Shrimp dumplings, or as I like to call them “Ghosties” (Pac-Man reference). Diced shrimp are combined with sliced garlic, enclosed in a rice flour skin and steamed. I always dip it in a soy sauce-Sriracha mix.

The third plate I get is the SIlver Noodles. When my sister first ordered these, I thought the noodles looked like larvae, which was pretty unappetizing and gross. But she told me to trust her and seriously, they are sooooo good! The restaurant makes these noodles from scratch and they are sauteed in a pan (or probably a wok) along with carrots, bean sprouts, egg, shrimp, roasted pork and beef. The flavors are great and make a tummy really happy. 

Dim sum is offered all day and every day except for Wednesday. They make all the items fresh daily so there is always a possibility they may sell out of something if it’s a busy day. I always go during the week when it is slow, usually after lunch hour but before dinner. Even though it’s a little off the beaten path, it’s definitely worth the trip!