I awake in my hotel bed at the il Lugano surprisingly lucid. Bright eyed and bushy tailed as they say. Considering last night’s final act at Fat Tuesday, this surprises me.
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A quick weather check reveals that today will be a warm 80 degrees, but raining. But, like back home in New England, if you don’t like the weather in Fort Lauderdale, wait five minutes. Plus, unlike Rhode Island, it’s not snowing.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
I’m not going to lie – rolling up to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood at nine in the morning makes me feel a little ”¦ dirty. Like downing shots with your buddies, gambling is a nocturnal social activity to be enjoyed anytime after, say, three in the afternoon. Anything earlier is an indication that one might have a problem.
But I’m here to sample everything Fort Lauderdale has to offer. To my surprise, the casino does a rather swift business at this early hour. Though not completely full, the parking lot had its fair share of Gambler’s Anonymous candidates.
A hard pull on the guitar-handled front doors brings me into a dark, secluded other world. It’s surprisingly quiet – just the low hum of winners and losers cheering and jeering, the clacking and stacking of casino chips, and the pleasant ubiquitous chime of slot machines.
I waste no time strolling around and drop a twenty into the first slot with “Lucky” in the name. I’m in the game for a good half-hour: I’m up, I’m down, I’m back up, way up even. Then: Credits: 0. Lucky no more.
Whatever you may think of the Hard Rock chain, you can’t deny that they’ve dug into a niche all by themselves. The polished décor, the “live free or die” brand, and the entire experience are all designed to thoroughly engross visitors in the rock star lifestyle.
Having lost my admittedly small “stash”, I decide to peruse this particular Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and find that it’s similar to others in the chain. Faux animal print abounds, including in the bathrooms. It’s like visiting Lenny Kravitz’s house (at least … what I imagine it to look like). If I ever needed to write a manual defining “trendy”, I’d start here.
I stroll around the inner ring of the casino, carefully scrutinizing an array of cases filled with historic rock n’ roll memorabilia: Steven Tyler’s mic stand sash, Elvis’ ripped corduroys, guitars signed by young bands I would have loved in high school.
Considering the convenience of the connected hotel, it’s a perfect spot to either stay for an entire trip or just pre-game with your best mates. It’s all perfectly self-sustained and, frankly, you wouldn’t ever need to leave.
Cruising Las Olas / Lunch at Timpano
The rain’s put a damper on my plans to stroll about Fort Lauderdale on foot. No matter. I decide to cruise Las Olas Boulevard in Big Bird (the name I’ve lovingly given my bright yellow Corvette rental car because it happens to be wide, yellow, and obnoxious).
Las Olas Boulevard, Florida © mattbigelow
It’s a quintessentially Florida strip – restaurants, boutique shops, businesses abound, surrounded on all sides by never-ending rows of palm trees and occasional glimpses into Fort Lauderdale’s intracoastal waterway. “Football widows” could wile away hours, if not days, here calmly wandering its several mile stretch.
On a local’s recommendation, I drop into Timpano Martini Bar & Chophouse. At one in the afternoon, it’s humming with the bustle of businessmen on their lunch hours. When the waiter arrives, I decide to be a good boy and offset last night’s indiscretions with only a glass of water and the Blackened Mahi Sliders with a side of potato wedges. The plate arrives delicately decorated with an array of sauces. The service was quick and courteous and the food quite tasty. I’d recommend it as a quick lunch diversion for anyone cruising the Boulevard – rain or shine.
A Nighttime Stroll Around Himmarshee Village
Himmarshee Village is a small collection of bars and restaurants just off Las Olas Boulevard. It’s come highly recommended to me by just about every local I’ve spoken to. Fortunately, parking abounds at this end of the strip so I drop off the car and walk the three blocks to the center of the “village”.
Tarpon Bend in Himmarshee Village, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Tarpon Bend (200 SW 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale) is an ideal first stop. It’s decorated in a polished nautical theme – just enough to let visitors know that they’re serious about seafood. The walls are replete with various fishing and gaming accoutrement, including two chalkboards detailing the largest species of several types of trophy fish ever caught – one board outlines the Tarpon Bend staff’s personal conquests, the other world records. (How exactly does one go about wrestling a 600 pound fish into a boat anyway? That’s insane!)
Bartender Allen kindly provides me with a Blue Moon. I take one look at the specials menu. The first item – Swordfish Mojo de Ajo – is the best preparation of fish known to man. Start with the freshest swordfish you can find (preferably something that was still swimming that morning), add a little garlic and lime, and it’s good to go. I devoured it and the side of black beans and rice in record time. I give it two fish hooks up way up. Allen and I chat awhile, comparing seafood from our respective homes. He provides several must-see recommendations, including Elbo Room, Le Tub (according to GQ Magazine, home to the Best Hamburger, period), and Cap’s Place.
It being Monday and all, it’s a quiet night in the village. Allen assures me that things pick up dramatically on Wednesday nights and don’t let up (maybe) until Sunday. I make a mental note to return in two days – my last night in Fort Lauderdale – to cap off what’s already been an amazing trip back home.