From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Best International Grocery

September 21 2005

Fernanda's International Gourmet Food Market
3045 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, 954/566-3104

How do we love Fernanda's? We won't count the ways because we're trying to keep this brief, and Fernanda's is the sort of place that inspires relationships, not mere flings. Suffice it to say, we love Fernanda's most for its stock of gourmet goods: artisan pastas and rich sauces, dried mushrooms and peppers, aged balsamic vinegars and virgin olive oils, boxed chocolates and fine wines. We also love it for the quiet way it lets the quality of those goods do the talking. To shop here is to be left alone in what amounts to a library of culinary discovery. No one pushes anything on you or at you; no colorful promotional displays or giveaways demand your attention, just shelf upon shelf of specialty items from every corner of the planet. If you don't have time to do the cooking yourself, takeout meals are prepared daily, and the deli sandwiches, especially the prosciutto with fresh tomato and mozzarella, are as good as any.