Current Issue
Volume III, No. 3

 

The following restaurants are Clematis Magazine’s ‘must check out’ Millennium picks. There is an establishment in this guide for all occasions from lunch to a fabulous dinner.

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MORTON’S, The STEAK HOUSE
First impressions are important. From the valet parker to the hostess we were warmly greeted with smiles. GM & Maitre’d Kelly Manning escorted us to a great center booth with a full view of the main dining area. Our waiter recited the entire menu from memory using exact replicas of the dishes as props, which I found quite amazing.

There is a wide range of delectable appetizers and salads to choose from. I settled on the Lobster Bisque, and was very pleased with its light creamy texture and large chunks of lobster bits. My friend Julie Anne opted for the Blue Point Oysters on the half shell served on a bed of ice and the Colossal Shrimp Alexander, sauce beure blanc.

It was hard to decide on which steak to order as Morton’s features a variety of USDA prime aged beef cuts. I settled on the 20 ounce New York sirloin cooked medium. Julie Anne went for the broiled center cut Swordfish Steak, sauce béarnaise. For side dishes I ordered the steamed fresh jumbo asparagus lathered in hollandaise sauce, the mashed potatoes and the sautéed wild mushrooms. Executive Chef Chris Brown has the cooking temperature of both these steaks down to a science. Both steaks melted in our mouths and were washed down by a glass of the house Merlot. For desert, we shared a chocolate velvet cake and the Hot-Upside down Apple Pie followed by an espresso.

The average dinner for two is about $145.00 w/out tax & tip, this may seem a bit pricey but I assure you it will be a memorable dining experience. Serving Mon-Sun 5:30 to 11:00 p.m.

Located : 777 South Flagler Dive, West Palm Beach (561) 835-4806 $$$

AMERICA
God bless this America…the food that I love. Located on a premier chunk of downtown waterfront real estate, America has both indoor and outdoor seating. Outside, guests can gaze at the spectacular view of the intercoastal waterway. My feast began by ordering one of the 30 odd-martini choices. I had the Mudslide. Executive Chef & partner Bruce Feingold has put together a great menu that appeals to anybody’s palate. I ordered three apps consisting of the French Onion Soup served in a steaming croc with melted Swiss cheese dripping over the sides, the Tuna Tartare & fried wontons, and a Tomato, Mozzarella & Avocado Salad doused with a thick vinaigrette. For my main course I ordered the Friday special 2-4-One 1.5 pd. Lobsters. All meals come with two-sides. I went with the Brussel Sprouts & the Sweet Potato/Butternut Mash. My friend Alex, the anti-vegan ordered the Steak Au Poivre, his 2 sides were String Beans & Whipped Potatoes. The Lobsters came with pre-cracked shells and were cooked so tender that they soaked up the butter and melted in my mouth. Alex’s steak served medium was cooked to perfection, soaked with pepper sauce. As we devoured our surf n’ turf we washed it down with 2 more martinis. To cap things off, we ordered the Crème Brulee and the Banana Foster.

Serving lunch from 11a.m. to 4p.m. / Dinner M-F 5p.m. to 2a.m. Sat-Sun till’ 3a.m
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Located : One North Clematis Street, West Palm Beach (561) 835-1633 $$

DaDA
The best word to describe this dining abode is dadadadadelicious. When partners Rodney Mayo & Scott Frielich decided on doing a restaurant in Delray they didn’t want it to be your average cookie-cutter venue. They instead took a two-story old school Florida home and converted it into a loungey culinary wonderland.

Its variety of seating indoors & outdoors includes standard 4 tops, vintage sofas and love seats. The menu at DaDA is unique and has a wide range of choices. For my starters I ordered the Grilled Brie served on French bread with fruit and honey-garlic butter and the Chicken Satay served with a sugar cane glazed spicy peanut sauce. My friend Andrea wanted something a little lighter and went for the Tuna Tartare, which is sushi grade tuna served with avocado and asst. bread. I was in the mood for pasta so I ordered the Chicken Gorgonzola Penne served with sun dried tomatoes, Andrea was in the mood for some…uhhhm meat, so she ordered Scott’s Beefy Grilled Tenderloin medium rare. My meal came out in a large bowl and was very satisfying, Andrea had more meat than she could handle and her plate was surrounded by sautéed spinach with a brandy black peppercorn Au Jus served over horseradish mashed potatoes. For desert we had the ‘Chocolate Fondue To Finish’, this is a large bowl of melted chocolate with bits of brownie, strawberries and marshmallows, that you dip into the chocolate with a spike. It was so rich we began to melt.

Located: 52 North Swinton Avenue, Delray Beach (561) 330-3232 $$