Ask Lois: The place are Boca Raton’s finest eating places?

Q: I cherished your Fort Lauderdale restaurant recommendations. Are you able to do the identical for foodies in and close to Boca Raton? That might embrace Deerfield Seashore and Pompano Seashore, because the solely public restaurant with a water view in Boca is the Waterstone Resort & Marina. We’re huge followers of Oceans 234 on the oceanfront in Deerfield Seashore. — M.S., Boca Raton

A: You’re proper, the choices for consuming with a view of the ocean in Boca Raton are virtually nil as apartment buildings take up a lot of the prime house. It’s important to head north to Delray Seashore or south to Deerfield Seashore for oceanfront eating.

The questioner final week requested me for Fort Lauderdale eating places serving meals that doesn’t taste mass-produced and shows lots of love from the chef. In Boca Raton, there may be loads of this assembly-line kind meals; the town and close by unincorporated space are residence to an abundance of chain eating places or eateries which have a number of South Florida outposts.

So should you’re on the lookout for modern meals in Boca Raton at a restaurant owned by locals, listed below are some choices, together with locations in Deerfield Seashore and Pompano Seashore. Be sure that to name forward as our native eating places are getting into their busiest season.

[ Ask Lois: Who are the great Fort Lauderdale chefs and what are the best ‘hidden gem’ restaurants? ]

DVASH, 8208 Glades Highway, Boca Raton; 561-826-7784; dvashboca.com

That is the place I carry company who’re visiting from out of city. When you like Mediterranean meals, you can feast on their to-die-for home made hummus, lamb chops, hen on a skewer, shawarma or majadara (risotto with mushrooms, onions and lentils). Dvash means “honey” in Hebrew.

La Nouvelle Maison, 455 E. Palmetto Park Highway, Boca Raton; 561-338-3003; lnmbocaraton.com

La Nouvelle Maison was amongst 4 South Florida eating places that made it on to Open Table’s list of “Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2019.” It’s old-school French, with dishes together with escargots, duck liver pâté, steak tartare and dover sole. For dessert, take pleasure in genuine crepes or my favourite, profiteroles, that are cream puffs with ice cream inside and chocolate sauce on high.

Luff’s Fish Home, 390 E. Palmetto Park Highway, Boca Raton; 561-609-2660; luffsfishhouse.com

Luff’s doesn’t take reservations, so you will have to attend, however you may take a stroll round downtown Boca as you fantasize concerning the restaurant’s contemporary seafood, which is ready merely and creatively. I like the coconut curry grouper on jasmine rice with stir-fried greens. That is one other spot the place I carry company. Be sure that to order the Key lime pie for dessert.

Corvina Seafood Grill, 110 Plaza Actual S., Boca Raton; 561-206-0066; corvinabocaraton.com

Corvina introduced chef Jeff Tunks, a culinary star on the Washington, D.C., meals scene, to Boca Raton a yr in the past. The meals is domestically sourced; the chef has established relationships with native fishers and farmers, reminiscent of Captain Clay and Sons Seafood Market in Delray Seashore and Swank Specialty Produce in Loxahatchee.

Right here’s what former South Florida Solar Sentinel restaurant critic Michael Mayo wrote earlier this yr about Corvina on Let’s Eat, South Florida, the Solar Sentinel’s foodie Fb group: “Dinner service begins with a basket of heat, gluten-free Brazilian popovers (made out of tapioca flour). Gentle, ethereal and scrumptious. The charbroiled oysters with chipotle lemon garlic butter and parmesan have been crispy and composed, with the oyster meat nonetheless succulent. A grasp of the shape. There are two forms of ceviche on the menu and we went with basic Peruvian with fish, leche de tigre, candy potatoes and enormous corn. Clear flavors and delish.”

Twenty Twenty Grille, 141 Through Naranjas, Boca Raton; 561-990-7969; twentytwentygrille.com

This little spot falls within the “hidden gem” class. There are many inventive gadgets on the menu, together with Duck Duck Taco, Thai Marinated Charred Octopus, Mole Spiced Grilled Prawns and Portuguese Bistro Steak and Eggs. This eatery will get persistently good critiques on Let’s Eat, South Florida. One reviewer praised the playful chef: “Previous to the primary course, the chef personally delivered a 4-item sorbet and challenges you to guess the substances. It seems the sorbet is exclusive from desk to desk.” Desserts are luscious; strive the molten chocolate cake or Tiramisu Creme Brulee.

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Because you stated Deerfield Seashore and Pompano Seashore have been OK too, listed below are just a few choices farther south.

La Vie, 281 S. Pompano Parkway, Pompano Seashore; 954-210-9818; lavieflorida.com

La Vie gives a basic Mediterranean menu with an attractive array of cold and hot mezza, grilled chops, kebobs and shawarma. There are a number of tagine choices, that are slow-cooked in a shallow dish with a conical lid that creates steam from the cooking liquid, together with hen, lamb, grouper and vegetable. Vegetarians gained’t have any downside discovering luxurious dishes right here. The cooks hail from Lebanon and Morocco. Be ready for stomach dancers who full the cultural expertise.

Gianni’s Italian Restaurant, 1601 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Seashore; 954-942-1733; giannisitalianrestaurant.com

Gianni’s has served Italian favorites to South Floridians for greater than three a long time. The family-owned trattoria gives conventional Italian fare, with hen cacciatore, linguini with clam sauce, pork bracciola, shrimp scampi and snapper francese. Right here’s what one beginner foodie stated about Gianni’s just lately on Let’s Eat, South Florida:

“We began with a Minestrone soup and Baked Clams. Dinner comes with salads and a home French dressing that was superior. For dinner we had Eggplant Parmigiana and a Hen Parmigiana, each with facet pastas. Oh, and the Garlic Rolls and bread sticks have been excessive. Completed up with home made Cheesecake and Tiramisu with Espresso and Sambuca. Good wine listing additionally. We’ll be again and can carry others.”

Delray Seashore’s energetic and artistic restaurant scene will not be removed from you, however there are such a lot of good locations to eat there that they might take up an entire different column. Within the meantime, try the Solar Sentinel’s intensive restaurant listings at SunSentinel.com/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars, in addition to the Solar Sentinel’s foodie Fb group, Let’s Eat, South Florida.

Received a query about life in South Florida? Write to Lois at AskLois @sunsentinel.com.