When the Breakers transformed its staid and formal French lobby restaurant L’Escoffier to the ’60s-themed small bites bar HMF several years ago, there was a sea of change at the legendary hotel, which suddenly became a center of Palm Beach nighttime activity. The resort is now taking another step in dining dominance: last season it unveiled Seafood Bar, which has huge windows overlooking the Atlantic. The design by Adam Tihany makes diners feel as if they are aboard a yacht, with oversized windows affording an inspirational view of the Atlantic. Dayboat catch is displayed on a white marble–topped open kitchen, and an impressive selection of wines is available by the glass.
In December, Hamptons restaurant Osteria Salina opened an outpost in Delray Beach. “We’ve had a house here for many years,’’ explains Tim Gaglio, who, along with his wife, Cinzia, owns the restaurant and previously had Coho Grill in Boca and the Polo Grill in Palm Beach Gardens. Look for the same authentic
Sicilian fare that the couple offers on the East End, including local fish and homemade pasta.
Another Hamptons (and New York) favorite, Sant Ambroeus, which opened last season in Palm Beach’s Royal Poinciana Plaza and was an overnight sensation, has added live music on Wednesday nights, which has made the place even more of a scene. In addition to the regular menu, smaller bites are offered at the bar.
Just before Thanksgiving, Restoration Hardware in West Palm Beach opened a restaurant called RH Rooftop, in partnership with Chicago-based Hogsalt Hospitality. Though it only serves until 8 p.m., it draws crowds for its simply prepared food. “There was a 70-minute wait the other day, but there is a glass atrium and at sunset it’s beautiful!’’ shares one local. While waiting you can always shop—everything you are sitting on or eating off is for sale.
It’s the rotating art pieces on the walls that are for sale along with the food at Avant, which opened this October in Delray. Owner Steven Dapuzzo overhauled the space formerly
occupied by Solita. Retractable doors now open onto a courtyard that faces a small park, and global dishes run the gamut from Korean barbecue short ribs on top of creamy mushroom risotto with peas, to grilled octopus with wilted greens and cauliflower puree. “Whether it’s the art, the food or the cocktails, everything here is hand-crafted and set in a very social environment,’’ says Dapuzzo.
Delray’s newest status symbol? Monogrammed steaks. The town’s popular hybrid, Prime Steak Sushi and Seafood, reopened in November as Prime Tuscany Steakhouse, and diners can now have their names branded on the Tomahawk steaks they order. (You can probably even order a few ahead in case you’re planning a party and want something more creative than the usual place cards!)
Mediterranean cuisine is on the menu at Oliv Pit in Boca Raton, so named because it uses olive pits instead of wood in its burning oven. “The pits impart a smoky flavor, and they are wonderful from a conservation standpoint because we aren’t burning trees,’’ explains owner Emmanuel Vlahos, who spent 24 years in Athens. The focus is on family-style sharing, and there are plenty of appetizers. Four different kinds of salads can be topped with skewers of lamb, chicken, beef or fish. A designer from Athens has given the room authentic flair using whitewash and rustic wood.
Former Wolfgang Puck partner and TV personality Sherry Yard, who worked at Spago for 19 years and then became COO of iPic Entertainment Group’s Restaurant Division, is also cooking in Boca. The chef stepped in and redesigned the menu at the theater’s restaurant, Tanzy, adding such dishes as gluten-free beet agnolotti with mascarpone potato filling, poppy seeds, black winter truffle and parmesan; and yellowtail crudo with passion fruit splash, crispy shallots, radish, micro cilantro, grapefruit and herb oil.
Back in New York, many people flocked to Restaurant at Rose Hill over the holiday season. The latest from Frederick Lesort, long a favorite of the New York social set, is in Murray
Hill, new turf for the dapper restaurateur. “I was hesitant about the neighborhood but recognized that it’s in between uptown and downtown, and I fell in love with the physicality
of the space, which feels like it is in London or Paris,’’ explains Lesort. Located within the boutique HGU hotel, it has a cozy, 46-seat dining room, along with an elegant little bar upfront and a bigger lounge with a fireplace in the back. “In the summer, we will open a rooftop,’’ he reveals.
Seafood Bar
1 South County Road
Palm Beach, FL 33480
855.435.5747
thebreakers.com
Osteria Salina
9 Southeast 7th Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33483
561.330.1237
osteriasalina.net
Sant Ambroeus
340 Royal Poinciana Way #304
Palm Beach, FL 33480
561.285.7990
santambroeus.com
RH Rooftop
560 Okeechobee Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
561.804.6826
Avant
25 NE 2nd Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444
561.921.8687
avantdelray.com
Prime Tuscany Steakhouse
29 SE 2nd Ave.
Delray Beach,FL 33444
561.865.5845
primedelray.com
Oliv Pit
6006 SW 18th Street, 6B,
Boca Raton, FL 33433
561.409.2049
olivepitgrill.com
Tanzy
301 Plaza Real
Boca Raton, FL 33432
561.922.6699
tanzyrestaurant.com
Restaurant at Rose Hill
34 East 32nd Street
New York, NY 10016
212.448.1302
rosehillrestaurant.com
