Taste Of The Town: Enjoy A Taste Of The Mediterranean At Ya Mas! Taverna In Fort Lauderdale
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- It's a taste of Mykonos on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale at Ya Mas! Taverna, meaning "cheers" in Greek.
The 3,000 square feet indoor, outdoor taverna was designed by local restaurateur Memphis Garrett.
Outside, a bougainvillea covered patio greets guests while inside shades of white and pops of color make for a cool vibe.
"One of the main center pieces of the restaurant is the big taverna table," explained Executive Chef Austin Blake. "We want people to feel at home and feel like they're dining with family, with your friends and really have that vibrant, joyable atmosphere."
Back in the kitchen, chef Blake prepares some of his modern Mediterranean dishes that begin in Greece and travel the coast.
"Israel, Lebanon, Italy, Spain. Anything that touches that border, that's what we're going to have on our menu," said Blake.
CBS4's Lisa Petrillo and chef begin their tasting with the whipped feta & labneh.
It has pistachio, Greek honey, and pickled onions served with homemade pita bread.
"That is a winning labneh dip," said Petrillo.
"It's got some flavor. I love the crunch of the nuts on top and it has the right amount of citrus and the creaminess. So creamy and so good, but feels light."
Next, Spanish octopus sitting on gigante bean purée.
"So we have that wonderful crunch on top from the buttermilk fried shallots, and then I love the bean sauce underneath. It's cooked perfectly," said Petrillo.
Then, whole branzino sitting on a red pepper bourdetto and topped with a caramelized fennel salad.
"Most of the time when you see branzino it's paired with lemon butter and white wine. We wanted something with a little more substantial flavor profile," said chef Blake.
"You upped this dish," said Petrillo. "Really fancy and really nice."
Finally, chicken souvlaki, marinated in Greek yogurt and harissa. It's served skewered with seasonal vegetables.
"There's a smoky flavor from the grill which I really love," said Petrillo. The sauce has little kick to it but again very tender and I love the texture and all the vegetables on it as well."
Ya Mas! Taverna is open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner and then Saturday and Sunday brunch.
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