In 2017, some restaurants opened, some closed, others found new homes

Florida Today

Updated Jan. 2.

A lot can happen in a year, especially on the restaurant scene.

While the past 12 months brought delicious new dining options, 2017 also closed the doors to some longtime favorites.

On New Year’s Eve, Melbourne restaurant Island Pasta Company told customers of its demise on Facebook:

“A new year brings new opportunities. We will be closing Downtown for now to focus on new projects. In the meantime please visit us at River Rocks and we look forward to sharing new adventures with you soon,”the post stated.

Island Pasta had been a part of downtown Melbourne for 18 years.

In the mean time, Crush XI completed its move from Cocoa Village to downtown Melbourne, opening in its new location on Dec. 26. A sign has since gone up at the Cocoa Village site announcing Villa Palma in the Village will open there soon.

We know this list isn’t complete, but here’s a good representation of some of the places that arrived and exited in 2017.

Opened

87 Main Street Spirits, 34 S. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach, 321-613-2008. Laid-back beachside bar with a light menu and a comfortable back patio.

BaliBar Wines and Finds, 110 McLeod St., Merritt Island, 321-305-4328. Wine, beer and snacks, plus shopping, with a tropical feel.

Beachside Seafood, 1220 N. State Road A1A , Suite 101, Indialantic, 321-372-7000. Fresh seafood served in a casual atmosphere.

BHIVE, 4261 S. Hopkins Ave., Titusville, 321-222-2542. Modern ice cream parlor and sandwich shop.

BHIVE, an ice cream and sandwich shop, opened this year in Titusville.

Charlie Graingers, 6555 N. Wickham Road Suite 101, Melbourne, 321-610-4730. Barbecue chain.

Cryderman’s Barbecue, 401 Florida Ave., Cocoa, 321-877-0796. Barbecue spot with outdoor seating and takeout.

Customers wait in line for Cryderman's Barbecue, which opened this year in Cocoa Village.

Di’s Cuisine: Trinidad Flavors, 1427 Garden St., Titusville, 321-501-1228. Family-owned restaurant serving the cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago.

Dirty Oar Beer Company, 329 W. King St., Cocoa, 321-301-4306. Micro-brewery and beer garden.

More:Estampa Gaucha owners talk steak, Brazil and moving to Brevard

Estampa Gaucha Brazillian Steakhouse, 1700 W. New Haven Ave, Suite 285A, Melbourne Square mall, Melbourne, 321-586-4002. All-you-can-eat Brazillian meats with extensive salad bar.

More:Review: First Watch is a welcome addition to the breakfast scene in Viera

First Watch, 2328 Citadel Way Suite 104, Melbourne, 321-473-7210. California-style breakfast, brunch and lunch chain.

The Grand Martini, 345 S. Washington Ave., Titusville, 321-567-2204. Upscale martini bar in downtown.

More:Jazz performers find home in West Melbourne's Mystery Bistro

Half Note Jazz Room, 575 S. Wickham Road, inside Mystery Bistro, West Melbourne, 321-327-5706. Jazz performances on Wednesdays and weekends in a restaurant that serves Mexican, Italian, Greek and American specialties.

Hurricane Creek Saloon, 829 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne, 321-802-3205. Country-themed bar and restaurant in the location formerly occupied by PC Keats.

Ice House Sports Grill, 165 Barton Blvd., Rockledge, 321-338-7655. Sports bar in the spot formerly occupied by Malibu's Sports Grille & Bar.

Island Dockside at Harbortown Marina, 2700 Harbortown Marina Drive, Merritt Island, 321-412-3400. Casual waterfront eatery owned by the same folks who own Island Dockside on the Merritt Island Causeway.

More:JJ's Bar & Grille in West Melbourne is close to the interstate, but far from the ordinary

JJ’s Bar & Grille, 4455 W. New Haven Ave., Melbourne, 321-724-5840. Upscale feel, affordable prices.

JamRock Bar & Grill, 1901 Palm Bay Road N.E., Palm Bay, 321-372-7876. Caribbean restaurant bar.

Jersey Mike's Subs, 2338 Citadel Way, Viera, 321-372-0372. The latest location for this popular sub franchise opened in December.

More:Q&A: Latin Flavor in Melbourne specializes in authentic, fresh-made Puerto Rican fare

Latin Flavor, 1565 Sarno Road, Melbourne, 321-604-6800. Puerto Rican cuisine made from family recipes.

More:Review: Visit Le Crave in Suntree for the coffee; go back for the crepes

Le Crave, 6525 Third St., Unit 107, Rockledge (corner of U.S. 1 and Suntree Boulevard), 321-800-8448. Crepes, coffee, tea and wine.

Little Z's Pizza and Subs, 3 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach, 321-613-0200. Pizza spot opened by the owners of Zarella's Italian & Wood Fired Pizza in Cape Canaveral.

Yes, pancakes are in the name, but waffles share top billing at Merritt Island Pancake House.

Merritt Island Pancake, 950 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, 321-230-3560. Weekend breakfast and lunch place opened by the former owners of the Rockledge Diner.

Mulberry Lane Cafe, 3440 N. Harbor City Blvd., Melbourne, 321-426-7149. Breakfast and lunch cafe with fresh baked goods.

More:Discover why ramen is all the rage at Naoki Japanese Cuisine in Palm Bay

Naoki Japanese Cuisine, 3360 Dixie Highway N.E. (U.S. 1), Palm Bay, 321-951-2710. Ramen and sushi restaurant in a space formerly occupied by Hioki's Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar.

Nini's Cuban Cafe, 147 Fifth Ave., Indialantic, 321-821-4928. Beachside Cuban restaurant named for the owner/chef's grandmother.

On the Tens, 3490 Garden St., Titusville, 321- 362-5716. Bar and restaurant serving lunch and dinner.

Pizza@Titus Landing, 2510 S. Washington Ave, Suite 110, Titusville, 321-267-2800. Fast personal pizza franchise.

Rising Tide Table & Tap, 523 Glen Cheek Drive, Cape Canaveral, 321- 576-0676. Upscale-casual with craft beer on tap and a gastro pub-style menu.

Rogue River Taproom, 1220 N. State Road A1A, Suite 107, Indialantic, 321-327-3913. Steaks, craft beer, modern delicatessen.

The Salty Fox, 602 Eau Gallie Blvd., Melbourne, 321-425-5453. Neighborhood bar with a quirky menu.

Slices Pizza, 3760 W. Eau Gallie Blvd. Suite 101, Melbourne, 321-425-6101. Specialty pizzas and Italian favorites.

Smokin Oaks BBQ, 3776 S. Hopkins Ave., Titusville, 321-607-6014. Barbecue spot located in a space formerly occupied by Bagel World.

More:Southern Charm Cafe in Cape Canaveral lives up to its name with breakfast and lunch

Southern Charm Cafe, 8501 Astronaut Blvd., Port Canaveral, 321-613-3800. Diner food with a Southern accent.

Tailgaters Sports Bar & Grill, 7720 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne, 321-622-6841. Sports bar with bar food that includes sliders and candied bacon.

Thai Thai House, 6977 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne, 321-425-4332. Thai favorites and sushi in Suntree's new medical complex.

More:Tilted Cup Coffee House offers riverfront dining in Rockledge

Tilted Cup Coffee Shop, 1 Orange Ave., Rockledge, 321-735-7214. Coffee and sandwich shop serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Time Out Sports Bar Plus, 607 Florida Ave., Cocoa, 321-504-0823. Sports bar with lots of TVs and a full menu.

More:Twisted Birch brings breakfast, sports bar to Rockledge

Twisted Birch,1279 Admiralty Blvd., Rockledge, 321-208-7616. A restaurant and bar on the Turtle Creek Golf course that combines the sports bar atmosphere of the former JD's and the breakfast deliciousness of Jimmies.

Wayback Burgers, 2530 S Washington Ave., Titusville, 321-567-5012. Retro-style burger chain.

Closed

The Cape Codder, 2690 S. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach.

Cibo, 3100 S. Fiske Blvd., Rockledge. Chef/owner Luca Filadi is now at Pompano Grill in Cocoa Beach.

Firehouse Restaurant and Lounge, 923 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne. This location is now home to Crush XI.

Hops and Dough, 630 E. Eau Gallie Blvd, Indian Harbour Beach.

Island Pasta, 903 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne.

More:JD's, Jimmies unite in Twisted Birch in Rockledge

JD's Sports Bar & Grill, 2295 U.S. 1, Rockledge. Owners opened the new sports bar, Twisted Birch, at the Turtle Creek Golf Club in Rockledge.

Jimmies, 1279 Admiralty Blvd, Rockledge. The restaurant closed, but its breakfast menu lives on at the Twisted Birch.

KOA Korean American Fusion, 114 Harrison St, Cocoa

Louis’s BBQ Shack, 2191 U.S. 1, Titusville.

Malibu's Sports Bar & Grille, 165 Barton Blvd, Rockledge. This space is now occupied by Ice House Sports Grill.

Mangetsu, 1212 E. Strawbridge Ave., Melbourne. The Korean barbecue restaurant was closed to make way for a Wawa.

Mi Cocina Latina, 4651 S. Babcock St., Palm Bay.

PC Keats, 829 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne. Hurricane Creek Saloon now occupies this space.

Quam’s Schoolhouse Burgers and Grinders, 106 Main St, Titusville. A vehicle in the Titusville Christmas parade announced Quam's will reopen in another location.

TooJay's Gourmet Deli, Melbourne Square mall.

Ulysses Prime Steakhouse, 234 Brevard Ave., Cocoa. When the high-end steak restaurant's sister restaurant, Cafe Margaux, remodeled, the two restaurants merged.

Moved

Brasas Grill Brazilian Steak House, to 325 E. Merritt Island Causeway, Merritt Island, from Cocoa Village.

Crush XI, to 923 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne, from Cocoa Village.

House of Pastel Macarons, to 921 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne, from Cocoa Village.

Leonard is food and dining reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Leonard at 321-242-3614

or sleonard@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @suzyleonard

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