Drive to make West Palm Beach premier culinary capital as wealthy flock to Florida

With more businesses and billionaires flocking to Florida, culinary hotspots are springing up to meet their expensive tastes in West Palm Beach, which has gained the nickname “Wall Street South.”London’s Los Mochis — a Mexican-Japanese fusion favorite of Stella McCartney, Drew Barrymore and more — is launching at Phillips Point, a two-story office complex next fall, Side Dish can reveal exclusively.Los Mochis will also be part of the city’s first food festival, Taste of West Palm Beach, which will be held Oct.16 at CityPlace.Other new spots on their way to West Palm Beach include restaurateur Keith McNally’s beloved Pastis, and, Side Dish can reveal exclusively, Tutto — from Gianpaolo de Felice and Gabby Karan de Felice.

The duo are known for popular Hamptons eateries Tutto il Giorno and Tutto Mare.Chef Harold Moore, of Upper East Side favorite Café Commerce, is also opening a West Palm Beach winter pop-up, and there are whispers that top chefs like Michael White, Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi may be considering outposts, too.Popular Hamptons froyo spot BuddhaBerry just opened its first location outside the East End in West Palm Beach in late September.Ela Curry & Cocktails, a modern Indian restaurant, will open in CityPlace this fall, and Little Ruby’s Café, which has locations in Soho, the East Village and the West Village, is slated to open at CityPlace in 2027.The food festival will be held at CityPlace with more than 30 local restaurants participating, including Estiatorio Milos, Harry’s, Felice, Malka, Eataly, Moody Tongue Sushi, Moxies West Palm Beach and PopUp Bagels.When Los Mochis launches, it will be in an 11,500-square-foot space that seats 280 people and also includes a 2,000-square-foot terrace.“West Palm Beach is emerging as a premier culinary capital, backed by record Michelin recognition and major brands expanding into the market,” said Related Ross President Kenneth Himmel, who spearheaded the drive to bring chefs li...