One evening last week Hania and I went to the MASS District for dinner, the name standing for Music & Arts South of Sunrise. MASS and nearby F.A.T Village are the two most interesting neighborhoods in the city, filled with the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that high rents long ago banished from Las Olas.
We arrived early, so wandered over to Batch for cookies. As often, there was a line. We got talking to the couple behind us; they had driven up from Miami for some chocolate chips. We got one chocolate chip with walnuts and one gluten-free lemon blueberry cookie.
Then we walked a few steps to Heritage. Hania got the squash blossoms and calamari stuffed with sausage; I got a pizza. The man eating pasta at the table next to us told us he had driven down from Delray Beach. On a weeknight. For Italian food.
It was as incredible as it was heartening to think that Ft. Lauderdale – the MASS District in Ft. Lauderdale! – has become a South Florida foodie mecca.
