Best food news: A favorite destination restaurant finds a big, new home in Palm Beach County
In central county, an outstanding indie restaurant leaves its home of nearly seven years and moves to a new city. In north county, two neighboring restaurants with contrasting menus and personalities merge. In south county, a talented fine-dining chef takes over the menu at a casual waterfront spot. And there's a sweet new Mexican ice cream shop to know about.
There’s much to report in the local food-and-dining world this week. Call it the bustle before the Thanksgiving bustle.
Let’s catch up!
New digs for Oceano Kitchen restaurant
The big move for James Beard Award semifinalist chefs Jeremy and Cindy Bearman just wrapped up. The husband-wife team behind the stellar Oceano Kitchen debuted the restaurant’s new home Wednesday night in Lake Worth Beach after leaving the cozy Lantana bungalow they called home for 7 years.
That new home, former site of the Social House co-working and events venue, is considerably more spacious. But in a way, it’s only temporary. The Bearmans, who purchased the building, plan to overhaul the place extensively next summer after the close of season.
The restaurant will take up the entire building, including the outdoor areas, Jeremy Bearman told me last month. The executive chef, who works alongside his wife, who serves as Oceano’s pastry chef, says there’s plenty of space for al fresco seating and private dining.
“It’s going to be fantastic,” he said.
Read more about the new (and original) Oceano Kitchen here!
Linked by more than golf course views
In terms of menu and vibe, the two restaurants at the North Palm Beach municipal golf club were quite different from one another. But on Monday, they became one.
The upscale, healthy-minded Farmer’s Table and the casual tavern NPB Public House have merged at the North Palm Beach Country Club.
My colleague Maya Washburn covered the story and found the merger was prompted by customer requests. Some wanted Farmer’s Table dishes while others craved tavern menu items — while seated at the same table.
Now they’ve found what one manager termed as “a middle ground.”
You can read Maya’s story here!
Meet the talented new chef at Deck 84 restaurant in Delray Beach
The new executive chef at Deck 84 in Delray Beach comes to the casual waterfront restaurant with quite a résumé.
Fernando Marulanda’s career includes a job at New York’s Michelin-starred Per Se, where star chef Thomas Keller was his mentor, the chef de cuisine position at Manhattan’s former Tavern on the Green and, most recently, the executive chef role at La Goulue French bistro in Palm Beach.
Marulanda, who was born and raised in East Harlem, will work alongside the popular restaurant’s chef de cuisine Katt Dreyfuss. (You may recognize Dreyfuss from her February win on Guy Fieri’s Food Network series “Guy’s Grocery Games”.)
“We are thrilled to welcome Chef Marulanda to our team and are excited about the fresh culinary perspective he brings to Deck 84,” restaurateur Burt Rapoport said in a news release. Rapoport, who is president of Rapoport’s Restaurant Group, which owns Deck 84, praised Marulanda’s “experiences and dedication to delivering exceptional dishes”.
• Deck 84: 840 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561-665-8484
Sweet news
I stopped by the new Mexican ice cream and paleta shop, recently opened by the owners of Taco Chula, the hidden-gem taquería in Palm Beach Gardens. They named the new sweet shop Chulados, which is a play on a Spanish term for cute and ice cream (helados).
I sampled a few flavors, handmade by Jupiter ice cream confectioner David Hoyuela, but that didn’t help me decide what I wanted. I wanted them all — the deep chocolate, bold coffee and decadent banana praline. If I were to choose today, it would be the banana praline. It’s one of the best sweet treats I’ve had all year.
But that day, I ordered the coffee ice cream with a pour of hot espresso and a halo of whipped cream (affogato, $9). The double-down of the espresso and the coffee ice cream proved to be delicious and gave me the boost I needed to return to my desk and write the story that follows.
Here’s the story I wrote about the new Chulados ice cream shop!
Farm market debut
Indiantown’s beloved Kai-Kai Farm will bring back its Saturday farm market this weekend. The market, hosted by farmers Diane Cordeau and Carl Frost, runs throughout the growing season.
Farm market vendors include Indiantown’s Valley Line Ranch poultry and egg farm and Circle Bar C goat dairy farm, Jupiter’s Bread by Johnny, Stuart’s award-winning Castronovo Chocolate and others.
Starting this Saturday, Kai-Kai’s farm market happens every week from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The farm also hosts chef-driven dinners throughout the season. The first one, on Dec. 3, is headlined by one of the area’s best chefs, Jimmy Everett of Driftwood restaurant in Boynton Beach.
• Kai-Kai Farm: 8006 SW Kanner Hwy., Indiantown, 772-597-1717
Read all about this season’s farm dinners at Kai-Kai Farm and Loxahatchee Groves’ Swank Farm here!
Have a delicious weekend!
Liz Balmaseda
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Liz Balmaseda is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network. She covers the local food and dining beat. Follow her on Instagram and Post on Food Facebook. She can be reached by email at lbalmaseda@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: James Beard recognized Oceano Kitchen restaurant moves to Lake Worth
