Jan Norris: Food and Florida » The Eat Beat: Restaurant News

EatBeat: Wine Dinner Sept. 13 at Caffe Luna Rosa for ‘Locals’

Jan Norris — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:52:42 +0000

Some of the restaurants in town appreciate those of us who dine all year long – and so we’re rewarded with neat deals like Caffe Luna Rosa’s (Delray Beach) wine dinner Monday, Sept. 13.

Chef Ed DiBlasi teamed up with sommelier Nikola Stijack and created a five-course meal for $39 (plus tax, tip).

Here’s his menu:

Appetizer: Fresh lump crab salad - crab meat tossed with avocado aioli and layered with tomato, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts and greens with a citrus emulsion. Drink: Pink Moon Aperitivo Proscecco Fusion Liquor
Pasta: Pappardelle alla Matriciana -Pancetta sauteed with onions, stewed with white wine and tomatoes, tossed with wide noodles. Drink: Masseria Pietrosa ‘07
Salad: Portabella and Arugula Salad -Roasted Portabella mushroom and peppers, with arugula and balsamic vinaigrette. Drink: Rose, Alan Combard ‘08
Entree: Grilled lamb chop lollipops – Lamb chops, lollipop style, over vegetable and polenta cake with Chianti reduction and warm asparagus salad. Drink: Villa Monticelli Barberani ‘04
Fish course: Yellowtail Snapper Almondine – Pan-seared yellowtail with toasted almonds, shallots and chardonnay/lemon butter over rice pilaf. Drink: Guado al Melo Bolgheri ‘07
Dessert: Tiramisu – housemade. Drink: Moscato d’Asti

Caffe Luna Rosa

34 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach
561-274-9404; www.caffelunarosa.com

EatBeat: In Lake Worth, Modern Italian, Fiorentina – in Former Prime 707 Space

Jan Norris — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:00:24 +0000

Joshua Santangela is making the leap from restaurant manager to chef/owner (with partners) at the new Fiorentina in Lake Worth. It’s on the site of one of the restaurants Santangela managed, the old Prime 707, in downtown Lake Worth.

He describes the cuisine as contemporary regional Italian. “We’re like Paradiso but with a lower price point,” he said. He’s quick to say he is a fan of Paradiso, located a block away on Lucerne Avenue. “My cooking is all over Italy – seafoods are Southern Italian, but a lot is from Northern Italy, too.”

“I grew up in the restaurant business in northeast Ohio, started at Albarini’s when I was 14, cooking. I’ve been running restaurants in Florida and New York City for the past 13 years,” Santangela said. The time and opportunity were right for the opening of Fiorentina here, he said. “I like Lake Worth, it’s a cool city.”

Pastas, pizza and entrees under $35

Fresh ingredients go into traditional Tuscan bread soup, ribollita, and cippolata, an Emlian style onion soup thickened with egg. Pollo alla mattone – chicken under a brick, is a butterflied fowl, marinated in rosemary, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. It’s then splayed on a grill, and weighted by a brick for even cooking. Traditional pastas like spaghetti carbonara, and rigatoni with sausage and pea puree, gnocchi Bolognese, and lasagna al forno – with both bechamel and a ragu sauce – are on the menu.

Prices run from $7 for appetizers and $10 grilled pizzas and pastas; entrees range from $18 to $35.

They’re open for lunch and dinner daily, with a late-night menu and special Sunday family-style suppers.

Fiorentina

707 Lake Ave., Lake Worth
561-588-9707
Open Monday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. for Sunday Supper, from 5 p.m. to close with regular menu.

Rosh Hashana – New Year’s Dinners at Pavilion Grille and Le Bistro; Order in from Ocean Avenue Greenmarket Cafe

Jan Norris — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:23:56 +0000

The Jewish New Year rings in Sept. 8 at sunset, and with that, special dinners will be served at area restaurants.

Pavilion Grille, Boca Raton

For two nights, Sept. 8 and 9 (see editor’s note), Boca Raton’s Pavilion Grille offers comfort foods like brisket and roast chicken, salmon and all the trimmings at a special Rosh Hashana dinner – while their regular menu also is served. Dinners are $19.95, served at 6 p.m. on Sept. 8 and 9. Reservations are strongly suggested. Call them, or book on the web site.

Editor’s note: Sept. 8 and 9 are the correct dates for the dinner offered; changed from an earlier post that was a reporter’s error.

Pavilion Grille

301 Yamato Road, Boca Raton
(561) 912-0000; www.paviliongrille.com

Le Bistro – Lighthouse Point

Also serving for two nights, Sept. 8 and 9, Le Bistro in Lighthouse Point has on its menu choices of beet salad or chicken soup, slow-braised beef ribs, or garlic and rosemary roasted chicken, or salmon Wellington. Veggies, dessert are included; price is $35 for adults and $15 for children 12 and younger. Reservations suggested.

Le Bistro

4626 North Federal Highway, Lighthouse Point
(954) 946-9240; www.lebistrorestaurant.com

For those who want to eat with family at their homes, you can order a full kosher meal now from the Ocean Avenue Greenmarket Cafe available for pickup during Yom Kippur. Dinners are $25 per person and include choices of chopped liver or matzo ball soup; roast chicken or sliced brisket – all served with kasha varnishkas, apples with honey and challah. You may choose two desserts from the list. Orders must be placed by Sept. 15 in person at the Cafe for pick-up on Friday or Saturday, Sept. 18 or 19. No phone orders are accepted.

Ocean Avenue Green Market Cafe

400 E. Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach
561-752-8598

EatBeat: Flavor Palm Beach Kicks Off Tonight with Party on WPB Waterfront

Jan Norris — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:10:42 +0000

To jump-start the party that celebrates the start of Flavor Palm Beach, the restaurant month with good deals for dining, a tasting party will be held tonight along West Palm Beach’s waterfront. A group of chefs representing the restaurants will be on hand with small plates and wines; a string band is set to play. It’s from 5:30-8:30 p.m. -look for the check-in tent near the fountain on Clematis at Flagler.

Cost is $30 in advance or $35 on site.

Flavor Palm Beach starts September 1 and continues through the month with more than 30 restaurants participating in the fixed price menus. For $20, diners get a three-course lunch; for $30, a three-course dinner at most participating restaurants.

Here are the restaurants initially signed up for Flavor – others may be added. To get a complete list or tickets for tonight’s party, visit flavorpalmbeach.com.

Flavor Palm Beach Restaurants
North Palm Beach County

III Forks – Palm Beach Gardens
Cafe Chardonnay – Palm Beach Gardens
Cantina Laredo – Palm Beach Gardens
Capital Grille – Palm Beach Gardens
Gazebo Cafe – Jupiter
Ironwood Grille- Palm Beach Gardens
Ruth’s Chris – North Palm Beach
Season’s 52 – Palm Beach Gardens
Solu at the Marriott Resort – Singer Island
Talay Thai – Palm Beach Gardens

Central Palm Beach County

CITYPLACE – West Palm Beach
BB Kings – (VIP Ticket included)
City Cellar
Il Bellagio
Kona Grill
McCormick & Schmick’s
Ruth’s Chris
Saito’s Japanese Steakhouse
Thai Jo
Morton’s The Steakhouse- West Palm Beach
Off the Hookah – West Palm Beach
Top of the Point – West Palm Beach (dinner only $35pp)
Pistache French Bistro – West Palm Beach
Reef Road – West Palm Beach

Southern Palm Beach County

III Forks – Boca Raton
Cucino Mio – Delray Beach
City Fish Market – Boca Raton
City Oyster – Delray Beach
LOLA Restaurant and Ultra Lounge – Delray Beach
Morton’s The Steakhouse- Boca Raton
Ruth’s Chris – Boca Raton
The Melting Pot – Boca Raton

EatBeat: The Blind Monk Wine Bar Opens in Downtown West Palm Beach Today

Jan Norris — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:57:17 +0000

Be among the first to check out The Blind Monk, a wine bar on Evernia in downtown West Palm Beach that opens at 3 p.m. today.

The smallish spot (950 or so square feet) is the concept of Ben Lubin, a former Marine who did grad studies in international affairs before deciding to launch a wine bar. And why?

“I am from West Palm Beach, and when I came back (after tours of Asia, Afghanistan and Iraq), I couldn’t find anything around that I really liked to go to. There was something missing – something low-key and sophisticated. So I decided to open my own place.

“I’ve always enjoyed tasting wine and the whole experience – you drink it with good food, good friends or loved ones, and are in the moment. The cares of the day are left behind for a while,” he said.

Bubble glass for lights and ‘motion’ art

The decor is tongue-in-cheek chic. Above the bar are spheres of glass, symbolizing Champagne bubbles. On the wall, old black and white films are shown – these are “motion art.” Leather seats and walls of wines fill out the comfortable room.

By the glass or bottle

More than 90 wines will be poured by the glass, and there are more than 300 bottles on a list that encompasses wines from around the world with what Lubin calls a “robust selection.” Prices start at $6 a glass, or $24 per bottle.

Cheese plates and other small wine-friendly plates are served – cold cuts, cold seafood, fresh fruits, crackers and dark chocolates are among the offerings. Both wine and food specials will be available on a weekly basis.

“We’ll start with Dom Perignon specials,” he said. The wine bar’s name references the noted Dom, a Benedictine monk who is said to have tasted grapes blindfolded to determine the best for his now infamous Champagne.

Non-wine selections will include 13 microbrews, a coffee bar with espresso and cappuccino, and sparkling juices.

The Blind Monk

410 Evernia St., West Palm Beach
561-833-3605
Open daily, 3 p.m.-1 a.m.

Microbrew Lovers – A Cook-Off Just for You in Miami Beach and a Wisconsin Beer-Cheese Soup Recipe to Start

Jan Norris — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:59:00 +0000

If you cook with microbrews, head down to Lou’s Beer Garden (Miami Beach’s alleged first gastropub) for the first MicrowBrew Cook-Off this Sunday.

It’s open to anyone who wants to cook – just sign up. Attendees get a vote, and get to taste all the dishes while drinking more beer.

Rules are easy: Cook a dish with a micro or craft beer. Bring enough of what you cook to provide 100 tastings in Dixie-cup serving sizes.

Bring people with you – the more people who vote for your dish, the better your chances. A panel of five judges will have one vote each, and the popular vote counts for one vote.

Winners gret $100 in beer at Lou’s Beer Garden, plus a 2-night stay at the New Hotel and bragging rights – the winning dish will be on Lou’s menu for a week with the winner’s name on it. Second prize is $50 in beer at Lou’s; third prize is $25 worth of beer.

Here’s a recipe for Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup for the stay-at-homes. Don’t go with any recipe for beer-cheese soup if it’s not from Wisconsin, where beer and cheese rule the culinary world.

Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup Recipe

1- 1/2 cups diced carrots
1- 1/2 cups diced onion
1 -1/2 cups diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dash (or to taste) hot pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (cheese will be salty)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups beer
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups milk or half-and-half
6 cups good quality shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon or spicy mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
popped popcorn or cheese-toast, for topping

In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. Stir in hot pepper sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Pour in chicken broth and beer; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Stir in flour with a wire whisk; cook, stirring until the flour is light brown, about 3 or 4 minutes. Gradually stir in milk, whisking to prevent scorching, until thickened. Remove from heat, and gradually stir in cheese. Keep warm. Stir beer mixture into cheese mixture. Stir in Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and dry mustard. Adjust for hot pepper sauce. Bring to a simmer, and cook 10 minutes. Serve topped with popcorn.

MicroBrew Cook-Off

When: Sunday, Aug. 22, 5-8 p.m.
Where: Lou’s Beer Garden, 7337 Harding Ave., Miami Beach (behind the New Hotel)
Cost: Free
What to bring: Your dish, cooked with beer (keep it at correct safe temperature), enough to serve 100 small tasting portions
For more info or application: email Ann@thenewhotelmiami.com for a sign-up sheet

EatBeat: Crystal Tree Plaza Gets Pepe O’Reilly’s and Kubo; Testa’s and Others Close for Summer

Jan Norris — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 14:58:02 +0000

A little “all natural” Caribbean-themed eatery has opened in North Palm’s Crystal Tree Plaza, but it has big aspirations. It’s the caterer to the G-Star movie studio that just opened the state’s largest sound stage in Palm Springs.

The menu that has no salts or sugars offers up good looking sandwiches (“spiced Lucayan pulled chicken,” Browdog’s Pulled Pork Kaiser” and “Cannonsport Meatball Roll”), and a couple of salads. Entrees include pork and rice and baked chicken, or meatballs and pasta, with some Caribe sides such as sauteed yucca, zucchini with brassicaceae (bitter greens) and a mashed potato “paddy.”

Also in the store are racks of foods for sale – hot sauces, rubs, spice mixes, bloody Mary mixes, and more.

It’s for take-out or delivery to the North Palm area, or they’ll cater your star dinner, too. Open Monday-Saturday for early lunch and early dinner; closed Sunday.

Pepe O’Reilly’s

1201 N. U.S. 1 (Crystal Tree Plaza), North Palm Beach
561-398-3003
Open: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Expect Kubo opening this week

Kubo is nearly ready to open its doors. “We’re only waiting on the final CO (Certificate of Occupancy), and we expect that Monday,” said Roy Villacrusis, chef/owner of the Asian eatery that takes the former Lanni’s spot in Crystal Tree Plaza.

It’s an eye-appealing eatery, with indoor-outdoor seating — room for the live entertainment that’s planned. The menu will be Asian themed, with Villacrusis’ creative sushi and other dishes on the menu.

Villacrusis is the former sushi chef for Mark’s at CityPlace, and his followers have been anxiously awaiting while he created this restaurant on his own. He was hands-on in construction and decor; he’s known for artful plates and creative twists on traditional foods.

Kubo

1201 N. U.S. 1 (Crystal Tree Plaza), North Palm Beach
561-776-2748
(Opening soon for dinner)

Closed for Summer in Palm Beach, elsewhere

Testa’s, the oldest restaurant on the island of Palm Beach, is closing for the summer.

It’s been a hard hot season over there for eateries, with many restaurateurs telling me off record that they’re barely squeaking by this summer. Economic conditions, the detritus of the Madoff brouhaha still seeping, and the road work on Worth Avenue all are blamed for a downturn in hotel stays and dining on the resort island….

Also closed for summer there is Eggsotic Bistro, formerly on Okeechobee and now in the 140 Sunrise building. The creative tapas menu from the brothers from Venezuela will return in the fall, we hear….

Cafe des Artistes in Jupiter’s Riverwalk also has closed for vacation. Looking forward to seeing them return with their French menu that’s oh, so civilized for lunch…

Marcello’s La Sirena in West Palm Beach will return in the fall, too – Marcello takes off to be with his charming daughters and wife and spruces up the cozy family-run Italian restaurant a little each year.

EatBeat: Free Vodka Tasting at III Forks, Tastemakers Upcoming in Delray Beach, Mai-Kai Sells Chairs

Jan Norris — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:26:59 +0000

Free cocktails at III Forks tonight

The first Tuesday of every month features a free vodka tasting at III Forks in Midtown, Palm Beach Gardens – this month’s free tasting features Tito’s Handmade Vodka used in Tito’s martinis and Tito’s Texas tea. Free hors d’oeuvres, too, from 5 – 6:30 p.m.

III Forks, 4645 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens; 561-630-3660; iiiforks.com

Tastemakers in Delray – Get Tickets Now

The big summer food event in Delray Beach, the Tastemakers dine-around, features two dozen samples from eateries in Delray Beach representing an international plate of foods. Tickets for the “passports” – diners get them stamped at each restaurant – are $25. Drinks and wine pairings and extras are part of it. It’s Aug. 13 and 14 and a limited number of passports will be sold – you can buy them at any of the participating restaurants. For more info, go here.

Have a seat: Mai-Kai chairs for sale

No, the Mai-Kai isn’t closing – it’s just selling off its old chairs. Tiki lovers may want one for decor or just to have a retro rattan seat from the kitschy Polynesian eatery in Fort Lauderdale – one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in Florida and an homage to an era when Hawaii was the It place. The restaurant replaced its chairs last year and stored these; they’re now having a garage sale of sorts for the seats that first appeared in 1981 when the restaurant, which dates from 1956, was refurbished. Go to the Mai-Kai’s site to get info on the chair sale.

Bits:

Today, Wellington’s California Pizza Kitchen is donating 20 percent of the bill to the cancer patients group, Hugs N Kisses when you print out and bring in the flier below. CPK is in the Wellington Green mall. You get a free bracelet, too…On Aug. 28, Wine and All That Jazz is a wine/food tasting at the Boca Raton Resort. $50 gets you in to sample a bunch of food with wines. For more info, go here.

U.S. Foodservice Celebrates New Boca Facility with Party

Jan Norris — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:21:04 +0000

The U.S. Foodservice is partying today – the organization that “feeds America” launches a new facility in Boca Raton and a number of top culinarians will be on hand to help celebrate.

At the invite-only affair, chefs cooking include Allen Susser, consultant to Taste in Delray, and owner of Chef Allen’s in Miami; Walter Scheib, former White House chef and chef at the Boca Raton Resort and Club, Johnny Rivers, former corporate chef at Disney World and renowned consultant – and a big proponent of feeding the needy; and Rudy Speckamp, senior culinary consultant at the Culinary Institute of America.

The Foodservice is one of the heads of the food supply chain to restaurants around the country. The Boca facility is state of the art, and will supply foods to eateries in four counties. Foodservice chefs frequently consult with and develop recipes for restaurants

Chef Mark Eggerding

We chatted with Mark Eggerding, top chef for the company about trends in the restaurant business, and about the U.S. Foodservice commitment to donating to food banks around the country.

Jan Norris: What are some of the food trends you’re seeing here and around the country?

Mark Eggerding: Obviously, local and seasonal foods are being emphasized, and chefs around the country are looking for ways to put their stamp on dishes utilizing them to make a difference and stand out.

They’re using innovative techniques and presentations. We’re also seeing innovations in presentations, as well – such as a return to family-style portions as well as smaller plates and portions.

JN: Portion changes have been a long time coming, in light of the obesity problem in the U.S. – it’s only logical the chefs should be on the forefront of that, right?

Eggerding: Definitely. The U.S. Foodservice chefs are working with school programs and have been involved in Jamie Oliver’s initiative to rewrite school lunch menus. We’re also involved in mentoring programs, having our chefs work with high school culinary students, such as the West Boca High School program, to give them the experience of working with professionals. We’re providing $2400 in scholarships to them at today’s event.

JN: The U.S. Foodservice has a big involvement in Feeding America (the former Daily Bread Food Bank). Are those donations growing?

Eggerding: Definitely. We’ve worked with the group for the last three years, and upped our participation a good deal over the last year. From July ’09 till now, we’ve donated 360 tons of food to local and regional food organizations. Paul Scheibel is the chef who coordinates our efforts locally, and he’ll be the chef in charge of the Boca facility.

JN: You’ve also produced a cookbook?

Egerding: Yes, and the proceeds from it go to promote the Feeding America program. The Recipes from the Heart book are the best recipes from all our employees; it’s sold online at fullplatesfulllives.com for $14.95 plus shipping and handling. We’re proud of the book and the money it’s brought to the hunger relief effort.

EatBeat: Sunday Brunch at Boynton’s Ocean Ave. Greenmarket a Hidden Find

Jan Norris — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:06:22 +0000

The Ocean Avenue Greenmarket Cafe in Boynton Beach offers breakfast, lunches, dinners and prepared foods to go, but the emerging star is Chef Patricia’s Sunday Brunch. A group of regulars has made the little indoor-out cafe their Sunday breakfast ritual – and probably are not going to be happy I’m tipping their hand.

On the menu this week (it changes weekly) are the Almond Ricotta Pancake Tower, Apple Upside-down French Toast Plate, a smoked fish plate, as well as a variety of other dishes like paninis, eggs Benedicts, quiche, a medley of potato hash – always a favorite – and more. It’s all served a la carte; main plates run $8 to $11.

The liquids also are the steals – $1.50 for teas and coffees, including the typically sold out Jasmine Flower Iced Tea, as well as freshly squeezed orange juice, mimosas, and more.

For those vegans and vegetarians, Chef Patricia has her number posted (561-606-1116) to accommodate the special diets, but does have several fruit and vegetable dishes (zucchini with maple syrup) that should satisfy as a meal.

Musicians covering several styles perform during brunch and on weekend nights.

The cafe has a following for its Friday night dinners, too (typically, $30 for five courses, paired with wines); pick up menus and more information when you go for brunch, and check out the bakery and other food stalls surrounding the cafe.

Ocean Avenue Greenmarket Cafe

400 E. Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach
561-752-8598
Sunday brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.