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March 12, 2010

Best of Boca

Welcome to our annual celebration of the best South Florida has to offer, from dining and dressing to deals and drinks. Even in a year like this one, we found fun and fabulousity and learned, once again, that there’s no place like (our) home.

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Food

New restaurant in Palm Beach County no one’s heard of:
Dolce de Palma in West Palm Beach has been described as “gourmet peasant food,” but it is a consistent winner among most of the food critics we know, with a dinner menu that changes daily. This affordable little spot is not fancy, but the food is sublime and the menu adventurous, as evidenced by a recent dinner. Starters that night included grapefruit and smoked trout, plus an exotic mushroom and fennel tart; among the entrées were chicken green curry, grilled venison and homemade pepper fettuccine. Most main dishes are in the $16–$22 range, and there’s homemade gelato to boot. But call first for directions; it can be hard to find.

New glam restaurant
Zed451 (what’s with all the numbers in names these days?) is a good-looking new entry into the Mizner Park dining scene, with a fresh, upscale spin on the prix fixe dinner (all the meat you can eat!) in a drop-dead gorgeous contemporary space (formerly the Cartoon Museum). For $39, you get it all this summer: fire-grilled steaks, ribs, poultry—and access to “harvest tables” featuring seasonal soups, salads, artisanal cheeses and charcuterie. And the wine-tasting room is its own reward.

New restaurant in Broward County
Todd English (inset), the handsome chef and restaurateur—known for his iconic restaurant Olives in Charleston, Mass.—has become his own brand. One of his latest forays is Da Campo Osteria by Todd English in the boutique luxury hotel Il Lugano in Fort Lauderdale. This regional Italian gem offers homemade pastas, inventive flatbreads and a signature mozzarella menu, from which diners can choose different toppings for their fresh cheese. Yummy Italian and a gorgeous Intracoastal view gets our vote this year.

New restaurant in Miami-Dade County
Señora Martinez is James Beard Award-winner Michelle Bernstein’s (inset) latest Miami outpost, a very handsome tapas restaurant in the picturesque former Buena Vista post office building. With an eclectic menu of small plates from pork belly and oxtail to fish cheeks and foie gras—even a sea urchin sandwich—this charming restaurant is one of the latest must-try spots in Miami and is everyone’s new fave.
Addition to Atlantic Avenue. Vic & Angelo’s makes its way to Delray, ushering in a whole new era of great pizza and stylish Italian in a very chic atmosphere. We even like the occasional train going by.

Little steak house with a big following
It’s been open less than two years, but Cut 432 is one of Delray’s major hits. They try hard—and it shows.

New seafood spot
City Fish Market in West Boca is brought to us by the same people who (happily) delivered Chops downtown. And are we glad! This breezy place with a seaside feel has fish so fresh it ought to be slapped, plus Maine lobster, king crabs, iced oysters, scallops, shrimp—and broiled steaks, chops and chicken for the carnivores in the group. Let’s face it: We cannot get enough good seafood here. Bring it on.

New French accent
If you can’t forget Paris, head to West Palm’s Pistache for incredibly authentic French cuisine with a downtown view and a bistro atmosphere.

Restaurant for romance
The Addison’s outdoor courtyard with its banyan trees and ocean breezes is the city’s prettiest dining venue. In the 1930s, the building housed a restaurant and Addison Mizner’s real estate office and apartment. Today, it features a central courtyard, intimate dining rooms and a handsome bar. Plus some of the best food in town, such as this fruit Napoleon dessert (inset).

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