Though Darmon has an affinity for the Mediterranean and its cuisine thanks to his travels throughout the region, his food also reflects a rich Southeast Asian influence because of the area's proximity to Australia. And they did just that: On November 2013, the couple opened Hardy Park Bistro, a quaint eatery in Fort Lauderdale serving upscale food in a casual neighborhood environment. After meeting his wife, Jessica, the duo planned on opening a restaurant of their own. The traumatic event led Darmon to question the meaning of life, so when a friend - and yacht captain - offered him a job cooking on a boat, he wasted no time packing up his knives to cook in the galley of a yacht moored in Saint Thomas. While working as a chef in high-end Sydney restaurants, he lost a close friend to suicide. Hardy Park Bistro's chef-owner Philip Darmon, an Australia native, has charted a unique course through the culinary world, guided in no small part by coincidence and fate. In honor of this county’s kitchen greats, New Times brings you the best chefs in Broward.Įxecutive chef/owner at Hardy Park Bistro Sure, Broward might not have any Michelin-starred establishments, but what this South Florida county lacks in accolades, it makes up for with a variety of creative concepts helmed by topnotch chefs. And these talented toques deserve some credit. This year was the first to mark the expansion of the famous South Beach Wine & Food Festival into Broward County, a nod to the growing pool of talent in these parts.
Having a world-renowned culinary scene, however, is not on the register.īut things are changing. Broward County is known for many things: beautiful beaches, spring break, megayachts, the largest per-capita gay community in the nation - the list goes on and on.