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Hi-Life Cafe
Joshua++Prezant 

00000 - 00000 of 00000

00,000 of 00,000

3000 N. Federal Highway Wilton Manors, FL 33306

954-563-1395 

http://www.hilifecafe.com  

3000 N. Federal Highway Wilton Manors FL 33306

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  • American, Contemporary
    $$$ $$, $$$
    MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Diners Club, cash, ATM/Debit
  • nice casual
    Banquet Facilities, Kid Friendly, Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Private Party, Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Accessible
    Dinner
  • Full bar
    Accepted, Recommended
    Lot Available
Description

The name makes one think of a roadside diner, or maybe a neon-lit tavern. Instead, the Hi-Life is haute cuisine by candlelight, possibly the most genuinely romantic restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Chef Carlos Fernandez, a wildly creative guy to be sure, crafts a dynamic menu that's almost as fun to read as it is to eat from. Hi-Life's wine list is similarly extensive and unique. Some of the most successful dishes are basically newfangled takes on familiar comfort foods. New York strip steak and mashed potatoes is utilitarian and user-friendly - but Fernandez will try something crazy, like cloaking the meat in smoked blueberry purée. His Latin roots creep into the American plates too, like a roasted pumpkin soup that shows up laced with chipotle and queso fresco. It's one of the most perfect date restaurants around because it feels like everything's meant to be shared: Appetizers come in two sizes (don't miss the tamarind-sauced tenderloin tips), which makes it easy to do. Fernandez loves to surprise his guests with the unexpected, so a meal at Hi -ife usually has an intimate, theatrical edge.








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Back to Top New Times Broward-Palm Beach Awards | Visit the Best Of Website
  • 2009 | Best Wine Deal

    Somehow, the era of the $25 or $30 bottle of wine with dinner feels so distant, it might as well have been our Stone Age ancestors who were extracting corks from the Beaujolais with hand-carved flint tools. Restaurant wine has rocketed out of reach for regular people: Now we're guzzling a hurried glass at home before heading out. But that's never been the case at Hi-Life Café, a neighborhood favorite that takes its name seriously. Chef Carlos Fernandez (a Top Chef contender) and... More »

  • 2009 | Readers' Choice: Best Restaurant in Broward

    Royce says: "Anyone who goes in there and tries their amazing butterfish and crabfish will sure never want to leave. Let alone the dessert menu."Click here to see all of the votes for Best Restaurant in Broward. More »

  • 2001 | Best Gay-Owned-and-Operated Restaurant

    Gay restaurants are a dime a dozen in South Florida, and most of them have a life expectancy measured in months. But for more than six years now, the Hi-Life has been an oasis of stability and consistency. Transplanted New Yorkers Chuck Smith and Carlos Fernandez started out with an atmosphere-drenched, one-room eatery that quickly gained a devoted following. Fernandez worked the kitchen (pretty much by himself), while Smith worked the dining room. That hasn't changed. It's not unusual to... More »

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People Who Like Hi-Life Cafe

Main Menu
Appetizers
$7.95
Stuffed Roast Squash
yellow squash stuffed with jumbo lump crab meat and roasted with blackwheel parmesan cheese.
Small $7.00
Large $12.95
Shrimp Pil-pil
jumbo shrimp in a spicy garlic oil. a spanish favorite!
Small $7.00
Large $12.95
Cajun Kisses
fresh jalapeño peppers stuffed with shrimp and cheese, wrapped in bacon, then grilled. very hot
Small $5.00
Large $8.95
Tenderloin Tips
crispy, marinated beef tenderloin grilled to medium, skewered with seedless cucumber and served with a peanut/tamarind sauce.
$9.95
Southern Scallops
pecan and corn encrusted scallops baked in a casserole to a golden brown.
$8.95
Creole Calamari
fresh calamari sautéed in a garlic fricassée
Soups And Salads
$9.95
Lobster Bisque
velvety bisque served with mini potato pancakes topped with sour cream
$5.95
Hi-life Mix
a mesclun mix of fresh baby greens, tossed with chef carlos' famous balsamic vinaigrette
Small $5.50
Large $9.95
Herbed Goat Cheese
two herb crusted medallions of goat cheese, pan seared, baked and served with a hi-life mix.
$7.95
Vichyssoise
chef carlos own version of the classic chilled potato & leek soup.
$6.95
Add Avruga Caviar $3.00
Classic Caesar
a traditional caesar with lots of garlic prepared to order and topped with a garlic crouton
Smalla $5.00
Large $8.95
Belgian Endive
individual leaves topped with bleu cheese, chopped pecans and tomatoes, drizzled with a champagne vinaigrette.
Dinner Entrees
$21.95
Hi-life Salmon
chef carlos' signature salmon filet is pan seared, then baked and topped with a light dijon sauce. served over sautéed spinach and roasted bliss potatoes
Small $10.00
Large $17.95
Chicken Fried Chicken
a hi-life favorite! skinless, boneless chicken breast is battered, then flash fried. served with mashed potatoes, squash and topped with cream gravy.
Small $15.50
Large $28.95
Crab Cakes
two large, moist, meaty crab cakes over a light mustard ponzu sauce with a hint of raspberry. served with white & wild rice and green beans.
Small $14.00
Large $25.95
Braised Short Ribs
boneless short ribs preparded in a red zinfandel wine reduction, served over mashed potatoes with baby carrots in a port wine reduction.
Small $14.00
Large $25.95
Jumbo Sea Scallops
seared jumbo scallops are served with a ginger accented sweet potato mash and grilled asparagus then finished with an orange glaze.
$24.95
Hawaiian Butterfish
this moist, meaty fish is crusted in cashew & coconut, sauteed and served over a melange of bliss potatoes, grape tomatoes, cilantro, scallions & ginger with a spicy red curry sauce on the side.
 
Fresh Catch Nicoise
grilled catch of the day served over a melange of roasted and grilled red potatoes, asparagus, grape tomatoes, green beans, kalamata olives and capers.
$26.95
Merlot Roast Duckling
one half of a semi-boneless duckling roasted, then grilled and topped with a merlot and port wine sauce. served with white & wild rice and baby carrots
Small $12.00
Large $21.95
Pork Tenderloin
cumin dusted pork tenderloin is oven baked, sliced and topped with a golden mustard & white wine sauce. served with haricot verts and mashed potatoes.
Pastas
Small $9.50
Large $16.95
Hi-life Angel
angel hair pasta tossed with sundried tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms in light, fresh basil sauce.
Small $10.00
Large $17.95
Penne Ala Mama
penne pasta tossed with spicy italian sausages and green peas in a tomato and cream sauce.
Small $11.00
Large $19.95
Pasta Purses
delicate purses stuffed with creamy goat cheese and roast hazelnut in a mushroom madeira wine sauce with a hint of brie cheese.
Small $12.00
Large $21.95
Southwestern Bolognese
a spicy bolognese made with ground filet and ny strip over angelhair pasta. finished with blackwheel parmesan cheese
Small $10.50
Large $18.95
Clams Capellini
capellini pasta tossed with melt-in-your-mouth baby clams, chorizo sausage, white wine and basil.
Desserts
 
Chuck's Mom Gave Us Her Recipe For Orange Coconut Pie
 
Chocolate Coca Cola Cake
 
Southern Derby Pecan Pie
 
Keylime Pie
 
Flourless Chocolate Cake
 
Great Granny's Fresh Fruit Cobbler Served Warm
with fresh vanilla ice cream.
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