By Rebecca Cahilly-Taranto
City & Shore Magazine
Set a place at the table for Delray Beach, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea and Wilton Manors as new South Florida dining destinations.
IN DELRAY BEACH:
Delray Beach’s Atlantic Avenue leads east from I-95 to the beach, dotted along the way with shops, art galleries, boutiques, bars – and an increasingly vibrant restaurant scene.
“The Ave.” – and its charming side streets – is equally home to old favorites PRIME, a modern-day supper club; and casual waterfront Deck 84; and relative newcomers Beer Trade Co Café & Beer Lounge and SALT7, a steakhouse and social lounge. But trendier concepts are catching Delray’s eclectic vibe and setting up shop here, too.
Dada, for example, on Swinton Avenue, impresses with a mix of creative cuisine and an artistic atmosphere. The Farmhouse Kitchen – a second location here for the Boca Raton original – serves farm-fresh, down-home-cookin’ American dishes, complemented by a healthy selection of lighter fare. Two blocks east, delightful aromas waft from the 1,000-degree wood-burning oven at Scuola Vecchia Pizza E Vino, where the (certified!) Neapolitan pizza with housemade mozzarella cheese is just one highlight in a menu of authentic Italian dishes and house-made desserts. Even the tried and true remains unique on Atlantic Avenue, where Subculture Coffee Roasters serves expertly prepared lattes with a side of community atmosphere. Jimmy’s Bistro, another just-off-The-Ave. gem, features fresh-caught fish, pastas and meats. It ranks among Delray’s most highly rated restaurants, like brunch favorite Sundy House, The Grove and Max’s Harvest.
Keep following Atlantic Avenue all the way east, where The Ave. ends at the ocean, and you’ll still have the famed Italian dishes at Caffe Luna Rosa and the fine dining experience at 50 Ocean to try.
Never short on nightlife, Atlantic Avenue is also home to hot spots Buddha Sky Bar, with its glass-enclosed rooftop arboretum; and Honey, an intimate space featuring handcrafted cocktails and ample room for dancing.
And for dessert, The Ave. can satisfy any sweet-tooth cravings, with Kilwins and It’s Sugar rubbing elbows with the made-to-order sweet or savory crêpes at Full of Crepe and the trendy popsicles at Popbar Delray Beach.
Afterwards, head west to I-95, make a U-turn, and repeat.
WHERE TO DINE IN DELRAY BEACH
50 Ocean
50 S. Ocean Blvd.
561-278-3364
50ocean.com
Beer Trade Co Café & Beer Lounge
145 NE Fourth Ave.
561-808-7304
Buddha Sky Bar/Garden
217 E. Atlantic Ave. #3
561-450-7557
buddhaskybardelraybeach.com
Caffe Luna Rosa
34 S. Ocean Blvd.
561-274-9404
caffelunarosa.com
Dada
52 N. Swinton Ave.
561-330-3232
sub-culture.org/dada
Deck 84
840 E. Atlantic Ave.
561-665-8484
deck84.com
Farmhouse Kitchen
204 E. Atlantic Ave.
561-266-3642
farmhousekitchenboca.com
Full of Crepe
632 E. Atlantic Ave.
561-562-8090
The Grove
187 NE Second Ave.
561-266-3750
thegrovedelray.com
Honey
16 E. Atlantic Ave.
561-270-7187
Sub-culture.org/honey
It’s Sugar
250 E. Atlantic Ave.
561-278-6772
itssugar.com
Jimmy’s Bistro
9 S. Swinton Ave.
561-865-5774
Kilwin’s
402 E. Atlantic Ave.
561-278-0808
kilwins.com/delraybeach
Max’s Harvest
169 NE Second Ave.
561-381-9970
maxsharvest.com
Popbar
411 E. Atlantic Ave., Suite B
561-450-6124
pop-bar.com
PRIME
29 SE Second Ave.
561-865-5845
primedelray.com
SALT7
32 SE Second Ave.
561-274-7258
salt7.com
Scuola Vecchia
Pizza E Vino
522 E. Atlantic Ave.
561-865-5923
scuolavecchiapizzeria.com
Subculture Coffee Roasters
123 E. Atlantic Ave.
561-318-5142
subculturecoffee.com
Sundy House
106 S. Swinton Ave.
561-272-5678
sundyhouse.com
DINING IN LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA
“Relax, You’re Here” is the slogan greeting visitors to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (LBTS). This once sleepy little town occupies just 1.5 square miles in northeast Broward, wedged between and along the Intracoastal and the Atlantic Ocean. Commercial Boulevard, like Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, leads east and ends at Anglin’s Square, a vibrant beachfront square surrounded by restaurants, ice cream parlors and boutiques, where kids can play oversized games of Connect Four and Jenga while parents look on from brightly colored Adirondack chairs. There’s free swing, tango and ballroom dancing classes for residents here, once a month.
A recent beautification project has enhanced Anglin’s Square and the Bridge Walk, which leads on freshly paved sidewalks from the beach along Commercial Boulevard west over the Intracoastal. T-shirt shops, dingy offices and kitschy beach product peddlers have given way to new dining concepts that retain LBTS’s laid-back charms while satisfying discerning visitors and residents. At the west end, the iconic Blue Moon Fish Company remains an unrivalled option for fresh seafood and fine waterfront dining, mirrored across the Intracoastal by Kaluz, on the southwest side of the bridge. On the east end, The Village Grille and Anglins Beach Café round out a variety of breakfast options while Aruba Beach Café and 101 Ocean draw regular crowds for their nightly happy hours and live music on the weekends.
But, like a tasty sandwich, the dining options in between these two points are what inspire me to walk this “most walkable” town.
Let’s start with the authentic, from the recently opened Parisienne by the sea, a French bakery where the croissants and pâte à choux are baked fresh daily; to Edith Barthelemy’s Frenchy’s Table (formerly SEA restaurant). For Italian, look no further than La Cucina, a transformed Italian market that is now a romantic café and pizzeria serving homemade pasta and fine wine or Pronto Café where the bread is baked fresh daily and the pizza comes from a wood-fired oven, or the newly opened Giannino Restaurant & Café, a truly authentic, family-run restaurant quickly gaining a loyal following. Newly opened Pan’e Dolci brings fresh sandwiches, cappuccinos, Italian pastries and homemade gelato to the scene and Pod offers a taste of Milan. Basilic Vietnamese Grill has the most delicious pho in town, and, for Mediterranean platters, Keese’s Simply Delicious is just as its name suggests.
LBTS’s offerings don’t end there, as diners, cafes and ice cream shops add to rising stars like Get Reel Ceviche and healthy alternatives like raw juice bar Dr. Juice.
Good things come in 1.5-square-mile packages.
WHERE TO DINE IN LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA
101 Ocean
101 Commercial Blvd.
954-776-8181
101oceanlbts.com
Anglins Beach Café
2 Commercial Blvd.
954-491-6007
anglinsbeachcafe.com
Aruba Beach Cafe
1 Commercial Blvd.
954-776-0001
arubabeachcafe.com
Basilic Vietnamese Grill
218 Commercial Blvd.
954-771-5798
Blue Moon Fish Company
4405 W. Tradewinds Ave.
954-267-9888
bluemoonfishco.com
Dr. Juice
222 Commercial Blvd.
954-369-5869
drjuicehealth.com
Frenchy’s Table (formerly SEA)
235 Commercial Blvd. #105
954-533-2580
frenchystable.com
Get Reel Ceviche
238 Commercial Blvd.
754-200-6467
getreelceviche.com
Giannino Restaurant
& Café
218 Commercial Blvd.
954-530-8270
giannino.us
Kaluz Restaurant
3300 E. Commercial Blvd.
954-772-2209
kaluzrestaurant.com
Keese’s Simply Delicious
450 N. Ocean Drive
954-771-5732
keeses.com
La Cucina Café
Italian Market
256 Commercial Blvd.
954-229-1947
Pan’e Dolci Bakery
207 Commercial Blvd.
Parisienne by the sea
235 E. Commercial Blvd. #102
754-701-0155
parisiennelbts.com
Pod
257-B Commercial Blvd.
954-689-6639
Pronto Café by-the-sea
222 Commercial Blvd. #103
954-648-9889
The Village Grille
4404 El Mar Drive
954-776-5092
villagegrille.com
DINING IN WILTON MANORS
Wilton Manors continues to attract quirky restaurants and seekers of all-things-culinary to its downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods. While “The Island City” boasts its share of great restaurants, a few stand head and shoulders above.
For handmade Vietnamese and decadent desserts, for example, What the Pho? is worth a trip to Wilton Drive. Everything here is excellent – let your server recommend something new and save room for the puffy Thai doughnuts. Sozo Sushi Bar is quickly gaining a reputation for its family-run atmosphere, stellar service and unique raw fish creations. Authentic tapas rate highly at Spanish restaurant Candela, where Mediterranean and Cuban influences complement a terrific wine list and family-style service. Le Patio, purveyor of French comfort food, calls itself the “tiniest, cutest restaurant in South Florida.”
Mind Your Manors, with its outdoor patio and al fresco bar, is a favorite gastropub for leisurely lunches and happy hours on the Drive while Naked Grape Wine Bar and Tapas gets rave reviews for its atmosphere, service and wine selection.
And just off Wilton Drive, in space dually referred to as Eucalyptus Gardens or The Yard, you’ll find amazing food and drink at the Alchemist, as well as gourmet coffee and tea, French-style bistro dining, Mexican fare and a fresh market amidst flea market finds and artsy crafts — truly a hidden neighborhood gem.
WHERE TO DINE IN WILTON MANORS
Candela
2909 NE Sixth Ave.
954-563-8088
candelarestaurant.com
Le Patio
2401 NE 11th Ave.
954-530-4641
lepatiowiltonmanors.com
Mind Your Manors
2045 Wilton Drive
754-223-2172
Naked Grape Wine
Bar and Tapas
2163 Wilton Drive
954-563-5631
nakedgrapewinebar.com
Sozo Sushi Bar
2362 Wilton Drive
954-630-1916
What the Pho
2033 Wilton Drive
754-779-7769
The Yard aka
Eucalyptus Gardens
2430-2449 NE 13th Ave.
The Alchemist, 954-673-4614
thealchemist.cafe