Michelin-Tested Chef Joe Anthony Brings Tonno Nero to Fort Lauderdale this October

Chef Joe Anthony gives the scoop on Tonno Nero and it's a delicious one. Credit: Marina Fiore Chef Joe Anthony has cooked in some of New York City's most demanding kitchens. Now, the South Florida native is bringing those lessons home with Tonno Nero, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant expected to open by the end of October at 510 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. The former Tacocraft space sits between Victoria Park and Flagler Village, a location Anthony selected after scouting properties from Fort Lauderdale to Delray Beach. Its high ceilings, open dining room and circular kitchen layout helped seal the deal. 'We could really be in the midst of everything,' Anthony told Browardist. 'And that's what we want to cater to. It's a mix of our community.' Anthony grew up in the Boynton Beach and Delray Beach area, launching his career at Atlantic Avenue mainstay 32 East. He later moved to New York City, working at Restaurant Daniel as it earned its third Michelin star, followed by Union Square Cafe and The Modern at the Museum of Modern Art. He became the first employee hired for chef Gabriel Kreuther's namesake restaurant, helping build the operation from scratch before serving as its culinary director. During his eight years there, the restaurant earned two Michelin stars and an array of hospitality honors. Anthony later returned to South Florida, serving as executive chef at The Moore in Miami, and currently oversees Arvine in New York's West Village. Tonno Nero will channel that fine-dining firepower without the starched-tablecloth attitude. Anthony wants a neighborhood destination where regulars know the chef, managers and servers by name. 'I want it to be a chef-driven restaurant in the way where people can come in and be like, 'Is Joe here?'' he said. 'We want the regulars to come in and just ask us by name and go back to the roots of hospitality.' The menu draws from the coastal cooking of Italy, Spain, Southern France, Greece and North Africa, while placing South Florida farmers, fishermen and producers in the spotlight. Anthony said his team will make its breads and pastas in-house, practice whole-animal butchery and adjust dishes as local ingredients enter and leave season. 'We really want to let Mother Nature determine the menus for us,' Anthony said. 'If there are some things that the farms out in Homestead will only have for three weeks, well, we're going to have something on the menu for three weeks.' Early dishes provided to Browardist include Grass Fed Bison Tartare with calabrian chile hot sauce and house country bread; Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with avocado and herbed croutons; Stuffed Pansotti with smoked beet ricotta and poppy seeds; and Squid Ink Orecchiette with grandma's bolo and pecorino romano. The menu also lists Roasted Florida Snapper with Sicilian style tomato and pearl barley stew; Bay Leaf Poached Flounder with celery root 'duxelles' and champagne sauce; Garlic Oil-Herb Flatbread with local ricotta and olive oil poached tomatoes; and Olive Oil-Semolina Cake with raisin chutney and brown butter cream. Anthony, who holds a functional nutrition certification, said the kitchen will scrutinize everything from pesticides and regenerative farming practices to oils and sourcing. His leadership philosophy has evolved, too, from the punishing brigade culture he encountered early in his career to mentorship. 'We don't want to chew people up and spit them out anymore,' he said. 'I want to train a team, and I want people to be able to come into work confident.' Weekend brunch, classic cocktails and a curated wine and spirits program are also ahead.