(A little history of the Sailboat Bend
area at end of review)
Using a groupon.com coupon we went to the Riverside cafe for lunch.
It was in a neighborhood I lived in when I first moved to Fort Lauderdale in
1979 but it was on the other side of the area which I wasn't familiar with so we
followed the directions given on the coupon---WRONG! It was difficult to find
entering from Davie Boulevard when we could have come in through Broward
Boulevard and it would lead us right to it on a straight road instead of all the
twisting, turning and dead ends that we found.

The area is a bit of Old Florida, as is the
building, and though the inside has been 'modernized' it has that country feel.
The coolers are filled with a huge selection of craft beers and all kinds of
sodas, some of which I hadn't seen since my childhood days like Cel-Ray celery
soda.

Besides a full menu ranging from various
omelets to salads. soups, subs, clubs, sandwiches and hot plates they also had
blackboard specials from which we ordered. I started with a bowl of shellfish
soup which was a little watery. We both had the homemade lasagna served with a
side of salad. The portions of lasagna were very large and tasty though a little
on the dry side.

There weren't any prices on the blackboard
so I was a little taken aback when I got check as it came to $36.04 which seemed
a bit high. It was my fault not asking what the prices were for the soup and
lasagna but, minus the $20 coupon plus the tip, it came to about $11 each for
lunch. One of the owners was helping his child do her homework and  the other
was working behind the counter. There was a comfortable feeling about the place.
As a part of old Florida, the area and the Riverside Market cafe provided a
pleasant afternoon but I wouldn't recommend it to a tourist.

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Sailboat Bend


Sailboat
Bend Is a gorgeous Fort Lauderdale community, very close to downtown and las
Olas. It was designed to be one of the first Fort Lauderdale working class
neighborhoods. Sailboat Bend was settled along a curve on the North Bank of the
New River which is it's southern boundary. The northern boundary is SW 2 Street.
East and West boundaries are SW 7 Avenue west and SW 11 Avenue. The majority of
the Sailboat Bend homes were built in the 1920's to early 1930's. There are a
few larger estate style properties on the banks of the New River, but most of
the homes in Sailboat Bend are not waterfront homes yet with some of the oldest
and most important historic homes in the county. Sailboat Bend is famous for
its "Sailboat Bend Swing Bridge". A 169 foot bridge was constructed in 1922 when
there were still deer grazing and Seminole Indians hunting along the banks of
the New River. The swing bridge is one of the few of its kind left in
Florida. It opens by swinging from side to side as a
large, horizontal gear rotates. Sailboat Bend began its revitalization in 1988,
when the first House and Garden Tour was held. The idea was to attract and
educate Fort Lauderdale's residents about the revitalization and beauty of the
area. The House and Garden Tour is still held today, mainly to showcase the
charm and historic heritage of Sailboat Bend's historic homes.