It takes a lot of neighborhoods to make up a city. Each of them are different. Each of them are worth checking out. Broward’s Oakland Park has a hip ‘hood that’s calling your name. Folks are buzzing about Oakland Park’s culinary arts district. It’s filled with exotic eats, cool comfort foods — and a pinball-pizza paradise. Dwight Slamp: “There’s no chain restaurants, it’s all cool, unique boutique properties.” You get the best of both worlds at the Satellite Pinball Lounge and the Moon Pizza Pie. Dwight Slamp: “Pinball on one side, pizza on the other.” It’s all food, fun, and games. Dwight Slamp: “When I opened this business, I was opening it because I was in love with pinball, and now my new passion is pizza. I mean, I still love pinball, but I focus on my pizza.” You’ll focus on flipping the silver ball around the bumpers while you show the world that you’ve got game. Dwight Slamp: “You can’t play pinball on your phone. You can play fake pinball on your phone, but real pinball is a real game with real mechanics.” Lunch and dessert. Two different delights under one roof. That’s how it is at BMC Smash Burgers and FMS Creamery. Jay Rok: “BMC is a smash burger restaurant, FMS is a soda shop, ice cream shop.” Bringing the two together was a no-brainer. Jay Rok: “Yeah, they both fit. Burgers and ice cream go together.” After your floats are made, you can float through the doorway, get your burger smashed, and your potatoes fried. Jay Rok: “Thin, crispy, juicy, lacey edges. We do beef tallow. We fry our fries and tater tots in beef tallow.” The district’s going through changes, and it’s all good. Jay Rok: “A lot of restaurants, hopefully, more foot traffic now that there’s new construction coming in.” Even Moses knew something special was happening at the Red Sea. Yoseph Kidane: “Red Sea Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine is the only of its kind here in Broward County.” The dishes from Eritrea and Ethiopia give you a true taste of East African cuisine. Yoseph Kidane: “Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine is completely separated by itself, even from the African continent; you’re not gonna get those two.” There’s a good reason for that. It’s all in the preparation. Yoseph Kidane: “The way they mix it and the way it’s done is completely different.” What’s made in the kitchen at Red Sea is sure to please any palate. Yoseph Kidane: “Well, we have the Kitfo, which is a beef tartar, and we have another one called Awayze Tips, which is a lamb dish with a little bit of mild spice.” Don’t want meat? Don’t stress. Yoseph Kidane: “Like on the vegetarian, the beets, the red lentil, the cabbage, and carrot, as well as the chick peas.” Red Sea Restaurant has found a home in the culinary arts district. Yoseph Kidane: “Downtown Oakland Park is the right place because of the diversification.” FOR MORE INFORMATION:Red Sea Restaurant3500 NE 12th Ave, Oakland Park, FL 33334WebsiteSatellite Pinball Lounge and the Moon Pizza Pie3501 N Dixie Hwy, Oakland Park, FloridaWebsiteBMC Smash Burgers and FMS Creamery3497 N. Dixie Hwy., Oakland Park, 33334FMS InstagramBMC Instagram ...read more read less