The Lakeland Public Library offered a Facebook sneak peek into the Black & Brew Lake Morton coffee shop that’s about to open at its main branch. The shop, which will serve beverages and light bites, is tentatively scheduled to open Tuesday. Hours: Mon-Fri: 7-9, Sat: 8-9, Sun: 10-5.
Uncle Nick’s, which has developed a following for its bagel sandwiches and Italian specialties, has closed its stores in downtown Lakeland, Edgewood Drive and Bradenton to focus on the original location, which opened three years ago at Shepherd Road and Old Highway 37. Co-owner Nick DeBellis Jr. said he has several offers to buy the downtown NoBay location and plans to sublease the four-unit space.
Chef Marcos Fernandez is temporarily merging his two Dixieland restaurants. Starting Oct. 16, dishes from his new, fast-casual D’Lucas will be available at Nineteen61 for sit-down and app-driven take-out lunches. Ultimately he hopes to re-open D’Lucas in a new indoor setting. The Dixieland Village building where Fernandez opened D’Lucas in May will house his catering operation and cooking classes.
ALSO: Ledger coverage
On the “Low Down With Bump” podcast, resaurateur Marcos Fernandez recounts both successes and lessons learned during his journey from Miami to Colorado, back to Florida and eventually to the Lakeland Yacht and Country Club and his two local ventures, Nineteen 61 and D’Lucas.
After months in the making, Cafe Roti is ready to open its new home for Indian and Pakistani cuisine on Monday. Owner Dr. Saqib Khan has upgraded the site at 116 S. Tennessee Ave. between Main and Lemon that used to house a Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Check a preliminary menu.
The Lakelander staff lists Latin restaurants they think you should know about, and writer Tara Campbell (known to many for her baking talent) profiles some favorites: La Michoacana, Arepazo Grill (food truck), La Imperial Bakery and Brasa Latina.
A cute bungalow on Dixieland Mall Lane, a little alley west of Florida Avenue, became a restaurant a few years ago when Fat Maggie’s moved in and served the best broccoli au gratin. Then it was Crane’s Crossing at the Gardens for a brief while. Now it’s home to D’Lucas, a new restaurant opened in May by Chef Marcos Fernandez, who also owns Nineteen 61 three blocks away.
The owners of the popular Cafe Zuppina are opening a retail market next to their tiny South Florida Avenue restaurant to offer prepared foods and some of the ingredients used in their Turkish specialties.
