South Florida has been looking a little more California lately with farm-to-table style restaurants popping up all around town. This latest craze in cuisine promises to deliver locally grown produce, sustainable meats and seafood and the freshest of ingredients right to your plate. Locally sourcing product means that food spends less time on trucks, trains and boats. This translates into food that is of better quality and better tasting. Here’s a roundup of restaurants where you can get a taste of farm fare, plus some of my dish picks.
169 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach // 561/381-9970
Restaurateur Dennis Max may have started the trend in this area when he opened this Delray Beach eatery in 2011. Most of the ingredients come from the Palm Beach area and the menu displays the names of the farms and pastures the ingredients are sourced from. Max’s Harvest even grows some of its own produce on a rooftop garden, and the menu is ever-changing depending on what is in season.
Favorite Appetizer: Goat Cheese Croquettes
Coated in a marcona almond crust and stuffed with a robust goat cheese, these croquettes are great paired with the spicy-sweet red-chili guava jam.
Best Entrée: Wild Salmon
This sustainable raised salmon is free of hormones and antibiotics but is full of flavor. The fish is topped with a horseradish froth and has a buttery-smooth finish. It is served with Israeli couscous and a zesty brocolini that will have you cleaning your plate.
Most Delicious Desert: Crème Brulee
The flavor of this creamy desert changes seasonally, but it always leaves you wanting more. Served in a graham-cracker crust ramekin with rich layers of crème and fresh fruit you’ll be dying to crack into this crème brulee as soon as it hits the table.
1901 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton // 561-417-5836
Full disclaimer: I’m a server at Farmer’s Table
“Fresh, healthy and delicious” is the motto at this Boca hotspot. Not only does Farmer’s Table get most of its ingredients locally, but it also cooks them in the healthiest possible way. The chefs never cook with fryers or microwaves or use any butter or cream in their recipes. They also use two-thirds less sodium than traditional restaurants. As an employee of the restaurant, I can attest to these claims.
Favorite Appetizer: Roasted Mushroom and Goat Cheese Flatbread
This light and crisp flaxseed flatbread is topped with a porcini vinaigrette, roasted mixed mushrooms and caramelized onions. The balance of flavors makes a perfect appetizer to start off your meal.
Best Entrée: Braised Prime Short Rib
The grass-fed prime rib falls apart with the touch of a fork. Served over a black-skillet wine sauce with roasted Brussels sprouts and whipped garnet yams this dish will leave your mouth watering for more.
Most Delicious Desert: Key Lime Pie
Make sure you save room for desert. This twist on a Florida classic is worth the calories. While not vegan or gluten-free like the other desserts on the menu, this pie still uses locally sourced ingredients. The creamy key-lime custard and ginger-snap crust is the perfect end to a great meal.
777 E. Atlantic Ave. Delray Beach // 561/279-1002
This Delray Beach restaurant is doing it green. Its mission is to serve “big flavors with a small footprint.” DIG utilizes fresh, seasonal organic and naturally fed and ethically tended products in all of the food and support farmers in the community. The food offers the simple goddess that other restaurants have long forgotten.
Favorite Appetizer: Hummus Trio
A new spin on a classic favorite DIG serves up three bold flavor of this dip. The eggplant-pumpkin seed Hummus is earthy with a hint of fall flavor. Its black bean-chipotle hummus variety has a bit of a punch just enough to give your taste buds a thrill. Finally the basil sun-dried tomato hummus has a nice balance of savory flavors.
Best Entrée: Chicken Florentine
This plump chicken breast oozes out spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese. Its topped with a velvety roasted garlic and tarragon cream sauce and served over creamy garlic smashed potatoes and farm-fresh seasonal veggies
Most Delicious Desert:
With food this good, you won’t even miss the meat. Darbster in Boca Raton is 100 percent vegan, but the dishes mimic flavors of scallops, meatloaf and tacos so well that even the most die-hard carnivores won’t believe their mouths. You’ll leave this restaurant feeling great, not just because of the fresh food, but also because all of Darbster’s profits go to an animal-rescue foundation the owners founded.
Favorite Appetizer: Grapefruit and Avocado Ceviche
Bursting with fresh tropical flavors this ceviche mixes Florida grapefruit, avocado, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, cucumber in a fruity kiwi lime vinaigrette and is served with homemade millet chips.
Best Entrée: Bacon Cheeze Burger
This is not your typical veggie burger. The fresh herbs really give this sandwich a powerful kick. Topped with cashew cheese, dill cashew mayo, and eggplant bacon and served on sprouted buckwheat bread, this is quite the stack.
Most Delicious Desert: Raw Brownie
This chewy treat will melt in your mouth. Made with raw cacao and dates, the brownie is topped with hot chocolate sauce and served with fresh local berries.
Farmhouse Kitchen
We’re already excited for the newest spot on the block. Gary Racks recently closed his Table 42 Italian Kitchen in Boca Raton and announced plans to reopen as a farm-to-fork concept with a mantra of “just good food.” The menu will be crafted with fresh, local, sustainable, healthy dishes that will leave you delightfully filled without any of the guilt.
About Annie:
Annie is a senior at Florida Atlantic Univerity working on her B.A in Multimedia Journalism and Sociology. She loves writing about fashion, beauty and entertainment. She hopes to one day be compared to Carrie Bradshaw.
