The creation of the Hall of Fame opened 11 spaces on this year's Golden Spoon list. Filling those 11 openings are exciting winners, starting with California Grill at Walt Disney World and a couple that demonstrate the geographic diversity of the state's culinary talent: Jackson's in Pensacola and Cafe Marquesa in Key West.
Joe's Stone Crab returns to the charmed circle. And Mark Militello is another returnee, this time for his Boca Raton Mark's Mizner Park, but he is also worthy of Golden Spoons for his other superlative south Florida achievements: Mark's Las Olas, Mark's South Beach and the newest, Mark's CityPlace.
Chef-owner Jonathan Eismann is finally getting the Golden Spoon recognition he so richly deserves for all he's done at Pacific Time. His SoBe neighbors at Nemo, Myles Chevetz and Michael Schwartz, are also first-time winners as are chef-owner Matthew Medure of Matthew's at San Marco in greater Jacksonville (whose Restaurant Medure is a Best New Restaurant this year) and chef-owner Louis Chatham with his precedent-setting Louis' Downtown in Orlando.
Also first-time Golden Spoon winners: The Maritana Grille in the Don CeSar hotel on St. Pete Beach, where super chef Eric Neri consistently performs at Golden Spoon levels. Among luxury resorts, count Longboat Key's Colony Beach & Tennis complex as a first-time winner.
Few of the Golden Spoon winners are content to rest on their laurels, starting with the venerable Bern's, which continues to dance along the cutting edge of progressive American cuisine at SideBern's.
McGuire's Irish Pub continues to expand, launching another success in the northwest, Calypso! on Pensacola Beach, one of this year's Best New Restaurants.
Darrel Broek and Oliver Saucy, whose Cafe Maxx is a Hall of Fame winner, also joined this year's Best New Restaurants with their Bistro 17 in Fort Lauderdale.
Michael's Seafood in Delray, one of last year's Best New Restaurants, was revised and reborn as Brasserie La Cigale, a winner this year with new owners who made the move from two different restaurants in Palm Beach.
Another Top Newcomer from last year, Bonefish Grill in St. Petersburg, has been absorbed into the Outback family.
Golden Spoon
HALL OF FAME
Norman's, Coral Gables
Chalet Suzanne , Lake Wales
Euphemia Haye, Longboat Key
Chef Allen's, North Miami Beach
Victoria & Albert's,
Orlando (Walt Disney World)
Cafe L'Europe, Palm Beach
Four Seasons, Palm Beach
Darrel & Oliver's Cafe Maxx, Pompano Beach
Michael's on East, Sarasota
Bern's SteakHouse, Tampa
Mise en Place, Tampa
Golden Spoon Awards
Mark's Mizner Park , Boca Raton
Brooks Restaurant,
Deerfield Beach
32 East , Delray Beach
Casa D'Angelo, Fort Lauderdale
Criolla's, Grayton Beach
Beach Bistro, Holmes Beach
Matthew's at San Marco, Jacksonville
Sterlings of Avondale, Jacksonville
Cafe Marquesa, Key West
Crystal Cafe, Miami Beach
Joe's Stone Crab, Miami Beach
Nemo, Miami Beach
Pacific Time, Miami Beach
California Grill,
Orlando (Walt Disney World)
Louis' Downtown, Orlando
Manuel's on the 28th, Orlando
Jackson's, Pensacola
McGuire's Irish Pub, Pensacola
The Summerhouse, Siesta Key
Maritana Grille, St. Pete Beach
Luxury Resort Restaurants
Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables
The Colony, Longboat Key
The Breakers, Palm Beach
Renaissance Vinoy Resort,
St. Petersburg
Hyatt Regency Westshore, Tampa
Best New RestaurantsBoca Raton
Cucina D'Angelo
Clearwater
Island Way Grill
Coral Springs
Anita's Grill Mexicano
Coral Springs
Rino's Ristorante
Delray Beach
Brasserie La Cigale
Delray Beach
La Belle Epoque
Delray Beach
Sopra
Flagler Beach
Star Fire on A1A
Fort Lauderdale
Bistro 17
Jacksonville
Stella's Piano Cafe
Key West
One Duval
Miami Beach
Abbey Dining Room
Miami Beach
Kiss
Naples
Ridgway Bar & Grill
North Miami
Tulipano Centodieci
Orlando
The Boheme
Palm Beach
Trevini
Pensacola Beach
Calypso!
Ponte Vedra Beach
Restaurant Medure
St. Petersburg
Pacific Wave