It’s that time again, resolutions made but not yet broken, retrospection of another year you may want to forget, and probably time to start a new diet. Like cream that rises to the top of fresh milk, the best restaurants stay top-of-mind, warranting return visits and a Top Ten spot. Our goal, as Bing Crosby sings, is “to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.” Favorites do change over time, of course, because no restaurant seems quite as wonderful as the “first tim.” So here are our favoritas as we look back at this past year…
#10 Bagels with Deli (American) Bagels With Deli:
Don’t miss this shiny new penny. Go for the bagels, flagels, bialys, muffins, super-fresh salads (sandwiches, platters and by the pound), make-your-own salad bowl, house-roasted roast beef, and generous breakfasts-all-day. Robert Bloom, late of Detroit institution Bloom’s Kosher Catering, has gifted us with two Delray shops, most recently on Lyons & Atlantic. Aside from 16 varieties of bagels and specialty spreads including cinnamon honey walnut and NY Peppered Nova, choose from: Omelet platters, griddle specialties, creative egg sandwiches, and lunch wraps big enough to share. (Favorite: Turkey Cobb, with turkey breast, Swiss cheese, chopped egg, red onion, avocado, tomato, romaine and bleu cheese dressing.) Deli sandwiches include Cranberry Lemon Dill Tuna; House Rare Roast Beef; and Hot Pastrami & slaw on a Kaiser. Love iced coffee? Try Salted Caramel French Roast; when the ice melts, it still tastes like coffee. (Dog-friendly patio)
#9 Sicilian Oven (Italian Casual)
Fifteen years ago Ralph Disalvo and Andrew Garavuso created Sicilian Oven, a wood-fired pizzeria with fresh, delicious, affordable food. Eight locations now include Delray, Wellington and Boca, where Sicilian Oven consistently replicates good food, attentive service, and low prices. Bargain of the day: From 11:30-3, generously-portioned specials include wood-fired pizza with a family-style garden salad (Sicilian Oven salad, add $3) made with fresh dough (gluten-free available), Italian tomatoes, quality mozzarella and Locatelli Romano cheeses, and extra- virgin olive oil — “no additives – just like in the Old Country.” Try the four-cheese “Bianco” white pie or “The Corleone,” with sausage, roasted mushrooms, basil, spicy tomato sauce and a touch of white truffle oil. Wood-Fired Wings & salad; Sicilian Lasagna; Chicken Mateau (prosciutto, mozz and brown sauce) with pasta; and grilled Panetta sandwiches, like “The Fughedaboutit,” with eggplant, prosciutto, fresh mozz, roasted peppers, arugula and tomato, are all specials. (Dog-friendly patio)
Themed to Dia de los Muerto (Day of the Dead), a huge celebratory holiday in Mexico honoring ancestors with shared family dinners, the focus here is on…tacos. A dozen kinds come soft, hard, naked or on Chop Chop (salad). Crispy Tempura Shrimp tosses Key West Shrimp in toasted coconut, with spicy aioli, jalapeno and black sesame. Duck Birria Taco combines duck confit with Oaxaca cheese; dipped in the duck broth, the taco is then fried. OMG!! And then, there’s buttered Maine Lobster Taco…And try the Chicken Verde Enchiladas (baked tacos) with green sauce, Chihuahua cheese and lime crema.
Fusion dishes aren’t Mexican but use authentic components: Mexican Fried Rice (blackened shrimp, diced chicken, bacon, pineapple, avocado, carrot and scallion, topped with a sunny-side-up egg); Creamy, Crispy, Cheesy Chicken, a crispy cutlet with roasted garlic cream sauce, tomato sauce and Chihuahua cheese; and Tikka Burrito rolled with chicken, cilantro rice, tikka masala sauce and mango, with cucumber yogurt raita dip. (Dog-friendly patio)
La Cigale – “cicada,” that noisy insect a longtime symbol of sunny Provence – offers a “Taste of the Mediterranean,” encompassing the French Riviera, Morocco, Greece and Italy, and a staff from every corner of France. Classic starters include Fresh Foie Gras, pan-seared on brioche with blackcurrant reduction; Escargot & Wild Mushrooms Cassolette, sautéed in garlic butter cream sauce; pan-seared Veal Sweetbreads with chanterelle mushroom sauce; Frogs’ Legs Provençal braised in white wine, garlic butter and a touch of Pernod, the distinctive anise spirit; and Char-Grilled Jumbo Artichoke with a side of rémoulade, an herbal mayonnaise-based dip. Great entrée options include Braised Milanese Osso Buco (veal shank) with creamy polenta; Traditional French Coq Au Vin with bacon, pearl onions and mushrooms; Roasted Half Duck with blackcurrant reduction, sweet potato mash; Provençal Bouillabaisse; Mediterranean Branzini, skin-on with braised fennel, roma tomatoes and black olive tapenade; and Dover Sole, deboned tableside. Dessert? Try Peach Melba or apple brandy-flamed apple Tarte Tatín. The joie de vivre and friendly service can’t be beat!
#6 Le Colonial (Upscale Vietnamese)
France occupied Vietnam for about a hundred years before the Vietnam War but left its imprint in style rather than substance. Vietnamese food didn’t change much (even during a previous thousand-year occupation by China) but French rule infused it with a romantic, nostalgic sensibility. New Le Colonial evokes that turn-of-the-[20th] century tropics style with curated presentations that make every dish a work of art. Small plates: Crispy Shrimp & Pork Roll (jumbo shrimp, heritage pork, Asian mushrooms, mint and cilantro) with chili lime sauce; or chargrilled Baby Back Ribs prepared with a Vietnamese dry rub and lemongrass. Pho Bo – classic Hanoi Beef Noodle Soup – is rich with beef tenderloin, rice noodles, bean sprouts, scallions and herbs. Roasted Half Lemongrass Chicken with a sweet & sour dipping sauce; Shaking Beef, a traditional dish of caramelized Heritage Angus beef, onions, watercress, greens drizzled with lime pepper vinaigrette; and grilled Halibut “La Vong,” drizzled with lime butter, toasted peanuts, mustard seed and dill. Warm Vietnamese Coconut Tapioca Pudding with banana, coconut and custard sauce, and luscious La Noix de Coco, banana-coconut cream custard in a chocolate shell with toasted peanuts and coconut chips, are beautiful desserts!
