An Ode to Anthony’s Runway 84, South Florida’s Iconic Italian Restaurant
Great Italian restaurants abound in South Florida, but few ever reach the status of local legend. The rare exception is Anthony’s Runway 84, an iconic Italian-American red sauce joint in Fort Lauderdale that’s drawn athletes, movie stars, and loyal regulars since it opened in 1982.
Just short of its 40th anniversary, the legendary Runway did something almost unthinkable for a landmark restaurant — it completely changed its look. While that could be a sign of trouble down the road for some places, it’s made Runway more popular than ever, with a glamorous new décor to match the old-school Italian-American food and service.
Additionally, Anthony’s has added live music in a glamorous new Supper Club setting, and new dishes on the menu to cement itself as South Florida’s favorite Italian restaurant and bridge the old with the new.
The kind of lore that Runway has earned isn’t just about the food, nor is it about famous guests or even great music. There’s an intangible magnetism to Anthony’s Runway 84 that makes it beloved by almost everyone who passes through its doors. We chatted with owners, iconic staff, and a couple of regulars to see what makes Anthony’s Runway 84 so special.
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Anthony Bruno, Founder and Owner
Anthony founded Runway with his father in 1982, and has been in the dining room almost every night since. A fixture around Runway, he’s the face of the restaurant and a big reason people keep coming back.
Resy: Why do you love this restaurant?
Anthony Bruno: I’m the luckiest guy you’ll ever meet because I’m doing exactly what I wanted to do when I was a kid. I love to watch people eat. I love to turn ’em on to a good dish. I love to watch ’em around the bar. And it’s a cool thing to change people’s feelings. You know? A husband and wife could have a big fight before they came in, and at the end of the night, they’re loving and hugging each other, right? And that’s a cool thing to be able to do that. It’s a great business — other than being a rock and roll star or an athlete, where else do you get the wave of affection?
What made you want to totally change a restaurant that was already a legend?
COVID came along and we had an empty restaurant for a while, and I just felt that it was a sign. Then Pat and Marc [Pat Marzano and Marc Falsetto, Bruno’s business partners] came to me. They had some ideas about doing something with the music and redoing the place, enhancing the menu a little bit, and really enhancing the whole place. It sounded like a good idea. And that’s where we are now.
How did you retain your old customers after re-doing Runway?
It’s very rare that that happens. But we did it by making everybody feel the same way they did before we renovated it. Honestly, just make them feel special when they come in, have a table ready for them. Just acknowledge them, it’s not that hard. And gotta give them the great food. We didn’t skimp on the food.
They’ve been here for me. They’ve been here when I was slow. They’ve been sending people in, they were my social media.— Anthony Bruno, Founder and Owner
A lot of customers that have helped me over the years, I always feel obligated to. So when they call for a reservation or call for a table, I give them a table no matter how busy it is. They’ve been here for me. They’ve been here when I was slow. They’ve been sending people in, they were my social media. So if I can accommodate them with a reasonable request, it gets done. It’s simple.
What’s the best compliment you’ve gotten about the restaurant?
The best compliments I get aren’t about the décor. It’s when somebody tells me when I eat here, it reminds me of some of the dishes that my mother made or my grandmother made. Once, this guy was dying, somebody’s uncle. And they came in for food and said, “He wants it to be his last meal.” Geez. You know, I mean, it doesn’t get any better than that.
What’s your favorite dish on the menu?
I like a lot of the old-school stuff, like chicken scarpariello. I love all the fish, I love the way we make the Bruno with the lemon caper sauce on it. Nice and simple. Nothing crazy.
Marc Falsetto, Partner
Marc Falsetto is the man behind TacoCraft, Pizza Craft, and numerous other Fort Lauderdale-area restaurants. Earlier this decade, he joined Bruno and Pat Marzano as part of the ownership team at Runway after years as a regular.
Resy: How did you end up getting involved with the latest iteration of Runway?
Marc Falsetto: I’ve been a customer since I lived in Florida. I spent many birthdays there. Spent my 21st birthday there. I went there on my 30th birthday. I had my bachelor party there. And my wife has been going there since she was two. So, I got to know Anthony and Pat, and we became partners in some other ventures. And during COVID we decided to partner up and work together and refresh the dining room and do some programming and focus on the Supper Club component.
What’s special about Runway to you?
It’s everything that I grew up with. My dad’s from Calabria, Italy, and grew up with a big Italian family: eight uncles, 40 cousins. Runway is the epitome of family — family-style service, family-style hospitality. We make everybody feel like family, and it’s literally just like everything Italian from the food to the vibe. It’s like being at an Italian wedding every night.
Tell me about the first time you walked into Runway.
It was seeing that really old-school, Italian vibe. The guy at the door, seating people, the bar, the bartenders making martinis. It’s just that whole kind of aura of “Goodfellas.” I felt like I was walking into a set of a movie, back in the day, and it had the airplane theme, it was just very unique. Something I’ll never forget.
We’re in the age of the internet and anything can be copied. But people can’t copy what happens within our four walls. What they can’t copy is how you make people feel.— Marc Falsetto, Partner
How has Runway endured with so many great Italian restaurants in South Florida?
Right now, we’re in the age of the internet and anything can be copied within 30 seconds. And basically, people can’t copy what happens within our four walls. What they can’t copy is how you make people feel. So, they can copy the dish, they can try to copy the décor, they can try to copy the music. But what you can’t copy is that real hospitality that’s been there for 40-something years and you cannot copy how you make people feel. And that’s the secret sauce.
What are your go-to dishes?
My go-to dish on the menu is our most famous dish and our number one selling dish, and it’s named after my wife: The veal chop Danielle. It’s a 16-ounce first cut milk-fed veal chop. It’s pounded thin, lightly fried. And we do a parmesan-style, but instead of tomato sauce, we do our spicy vodka sauce, and then we add prosciutto and peas and homemade mozzarella on top. And that is the off-menu item that we serve every night.
How did you maintain success after a total renovation?
We kept all the team members, everybody in the kitchen, all the servers, the bartenders, anybody that worked at that restaurant was given the opportunity to stay on board. And so when we reopened it, it was familiar to the customers. So to keep the core customers, the old Runway customers earlier in the evening, the music’s low, and people like that, they can talk. And then as the night goes on, say 8:30, 9 o’clock, it turns into the full-on supper club vibe. So that’s the way we balance both old and new customers.
Rick Andrews, Runway Regular
“My wife and I started going 30 years ago, we were newly married, and enjoyed it. We started going on all the holidays — Easter, Mother’s Day, Christmas Eve, and enjoyed the authentic Italian food they had. And then we started bringing our infant children. They were raised in the restaurant.
“It’s just such a fun, family atmosphere. Anthony and Marc, they make you feel at home. I’ve known them for 30 years now, and they always come by, make sure everything’s OK, whether you’re a regular or not. It gives you this warm, culpable feeling of, ‘I want to come back.’ It’s kind of like you’re at your grandmother’s, eating a good Sunday meal.
“I’ve met so many superstars — a lot of the Dolphins, Marlins, and the hockey team. It’s a mega attraction for the South Florida elite, but not so elite you can’t have moms and pops and grandparents and run-of-the-mill people like me, too.
“My go-to dishes are the baked clams, they’re amazing. I have them every time I go. The veal chop, chicken parm, zuppa di pesce. But it’s not just a plate of pasta, it’s great entertainment, the décor is amazing. It’s out of a movie, very upscale, and it’s for everybody.”
Cindy Anderson, Bartender
Cindy Anderson is Runway’s longtime bar manager who’s become as much a draw for regulars as the food. She’s recently taken a step back to bartending, with more fun and less responsibility. She remains one of Runway’s most recognizable faces.
Resy: How did you get your start at Runway?
Cindy Anderson: It was 1995, I think there was 17 snowstorms back-to-back in New Hampshire and I was like, ‘That’s it.’ I packed the bags, moved down here. I met Anthony through a gentleman who owned a restaurant in Massachusetts that I worked for. And he was like, ‘You need to hire this girl.’ I was a waitress here for, I’m gonna say a year, and it was really rough. So I was gonna go work at this other place. And Anthony looked at me, like, ‘Really? Why don’t you just stay here and work behind the bar?’ So I did. I took the chance and 29 years later, I’m still here waiting on customers and hanging out, making great money.
What do you love about Runway?
The nostalgic part of it. Just the whole family-oriented feel, and good food. And now we have entertainment, so now it’s totally stepped up a whole other notch.
30 years is an eternity to stay bartending in one place. What’s kept you here?
Making people happy, you know? Just making a cocktail, people liking what I make, or the food that we have here. It’s definitely an experience; it all wraps up together with the food and the cocktails.
What role do you think you have in this restaurant’s history?
[“The queen!” interrupts current bar manager Christiano Souza. He’s one of several staff to brag for Anderson as she attempts to stay understated.]
It’s kind of funny that people come in and they still yell my name. The fun part is when someone wants me to make a drink, and basically, they just want a vodka soda. And the other bartenders are like, ‘Really? We can’t make a vodka soda?’ And the regular is like, ‘No, we want Cindy to make it.’ Sorry guys.
What are some of your favorite stories from working here?
Dan Marino and his family, I’ve known them for years. Super cool. Super nice. And he knew that I was a big New England Patriots fan, so he brought in Tom Brady, back when he first started. He was just a rookie. And he came in with his Red Sox hat on, and I was like, oh my God. But he ended up leaning over and giving me a kiss. And I said, if I would’ve just tugged him, I would’ve been Cindy Brady. Gisele who?
What’s your favorite dish?
The zuppe di pesce. It’s all seafood, and being from New England, I guess that would be pretty much it. The lobster, the shrimp, the clams, the mussels over pasta.
Jamie Maitland, Runway Regular
“It’s one of those places where your nerves just feel good. Aside from the fact the food is amazing, it doesn’t feel corporate, it’s just a cool restaurant and there’s nothing like it. It’s funny, I’ve worked in the restaurant industry at some legendary places, and something they all have in common is this intangible quality — you either have it or you don’t. It’s something you can’t replicate.
“It’s the ambience that sets it apart, I don’t know anyone that has live entertainment with the style they bring. There’s a live singer with a band, there’s a couple times where he’s singing Proud Mary and the whole restaurant sings along. You can’t repeat that, it’s magic.
“It’s also nice to have healthier options, because I’m a holistic nutritionist, I like a piece of clean fish, and they don’t use seed oils when they cook the fish. Grilled shrimp Runway-style is another one of my favorites. Sometimes I’ll have a Pellegrino and a piece of fish, sometimes I’ll have a wine and a pasta. It’s a nice balance for people who want the best of both worlds.”
