Fort Lauderdale’s latest restaurant & bar sensation – Sunness Supper Membership (SSC) – has formally arrived on historic Dawn Boulevard, making its grand debut earlier this yr. Named in honor of proprietor/operator Michael Stanley’s late grandfather, the fully renovated area at 2465 East Dawn Boulevard ushers in a scrumptious new eating vacation spot delivering soulful American cookery, craft cocktails, and hospitality worthy of a high quality dining-level expertise with out the formality.
“Sunness Supper Membership is called after my grandfather so to say it’s one thing near my coronary heart is an understatement,” says Michael Stanley, who isn’t any stranger to the trade regardless of SSC being his first brick-and-mortar idea. Beforehand, Michael operated MK Takeaways—a ghost kitchen delivering contemporary, made-from-scratch, chef-prepared meals—loved profitable years in meals service because the founding father of an natural child meals firm, Yummy in my Tummy, and served as director of operations for Tequila Ranch at The Park Sports activities Membership. Chatting with his first full-service eating idea, he provides, “I needed to create an area the place folks can come collectively to take pleasure in scrumptious and high-quality meals and drinks with a contact of magic within the air. Temper, music, and lighting are key, and no element has been missed within the design. I need the Sunness Supper Membership to be a spot the place reminiscences are made and good instances are had.”
Drawing inspiration from his childhood and South Florida’s numerous cultural make-up, SSC’s tempting menu was conceptualized by Michael in collaboration with James Beard Award-winning Chef Allen Susser. Mixing traditional American delicacies with world influences and showcasing mindfully sourced substances, the colourful menu ranges from contemporary uncooked bar objects and flavorful appetizers to foremost plates that includes steaks, chops, and seafood alongside modern-day consolation dishes.
Among the many beginning plates, highlights embrace East and West Coast Oysters; Crudo; Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Muffins with corn salsa and tartar sauce; French Onion Soup topped with a tacky crouton; Wooden Hearth Blistered Elote with queso fresco and Peruvian verde; Brooklyn Burrata with cherry tomatoes and aged balsamic; and a “Desk Tossed” Caesar for 2. The menu additionally options tantalizing choices reminiscent of Filet Mignon with crimson potato mash and demi-glace; Wagyu Beef Skirt Steak & Frites with chimichurri sauce; Heritage Pork Chop with crispy crimson bliss potato mash; Lobster Tail with jasmine rice and tangerine ginger butter; and a particular Catch of the Day with broccolini and fire-roasted lemon. Extra favorites embrace a Double American Cheese Burger crafted from brisket, chuck, and brief rib, Cabernet Braised Quick Rib with mashed crimson potatoes and honey garlic carrots, and Shrimp & Grits with shallots, cheddar, and bacon.
Save room for dessert—the restaurant’s lineup of candy temptations is as photo-worthy as it’s indulgent. Choices embrace S’mores Galore Brownie topped with Hershey’s chocolate, graham cracker, whipped cream, and jumbo marshmallows toasted tableside; and Berrylicious Shortcake with a buttered biscuit, contemporary strawberries, cotton sweet, and a Grand Marnier strawberry drizzle poured tableside. The whimsical Surprise Wheel—a mini Ferris wheel full of an assortment of candy, fruity, and chocolate treats—stands because the true star of the dessert lineup, with a portion of every sale benefiting an area charity.
Overseeing SSC’s dazzling bar program is mixologist Ally Champion, previously of Gastrotech and Apothecary 330. She has crafted a vibrant beverage checklist that pairs seamlessly with the culinary choices, together with handcrafted cocktails reminiscent of Silver Springs, Bizarre & Uncommon, Stay Love Chuckle, Hippie Invasion, Devils Den, and Southern Gentleman, alongside a high quality collection of wines and artisanal spirits.
Although SSC enjoys nice frontage on Dawn Boulevard, the precise entrance is within the rear of the constructing, adjoining to greater than 75 free parking spots. Friends are welcomed by way of a winding hallway paying homage to a secret passage, main into an almost 6,000 square-foot restaurant seating 130. The area showcases a classy but heat colour palette of sage inexperienced and neutrals, complemented by artisanal touches of wooden, marble, leather-based, and gold. A focus is the expansive U-shaped marble bar adorned with hanging wood-finished wine racks that seats near 30. Adjoining are two spacious banquettes, adaptable into an advert hoc non-public area, with desk seating that features a mixture of low- and high-top tables, half-moon cubicles, and elongated cubicles for bigger events. Elegant glass and wooden cupboards displaying the bottle choice add dimension between the bar space and eating room, whereas a wood-fired oven additional contributes to the venue’s inviting heat.
Trying forward, the second section of SSC—a hidden upstairs speakeasy overlooking the eating room—will open within the Spring of 2025.
