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