This bistro is tucked away on the bottom floor of an unassuming butterscotch-hued commercial building on George Bush Boulevard right before the bridge. Under its cerulean blue canopy overlooking lush verdant landscaping, you’ll find plush seating for either a relaxing cocktail or satisfying meal.
It opened late last year after taking over Patio Delray’s former location. Michael Holzheid, who also owns the nearby historic Sail Inn, teamed up with Chef Amy Lee to redesign the restaurant into a contemporary space. The menu has a steak and seafood house feel to it but without any stuffiness. Instead, you’ll find creative dishes that entice the palate.
We decided to start with the poached pear salad ($15), roasted Brussels carbonara ($16) and loaded baked potato eggrolls ($15). The pear salad’s baby arugula was topped with toasted hazelnuts and raspberries that, combined with the roasted shallot vinaigrette, had a wonderful balance.
The Brussels sprouts sounded interesting on the menu—crispy pancetta, Parmesan and a sunnyside-up egg—but left us wanting more, with the sprouts a bit soggy. The eggroll, however, delivered right out of the gate. Visually reminiscent of a childhood dish at TGI Friday’s, the eggrolls were an elevated, transformative dish. The potato stuffing was moist and cheesy and topped with crispy bacon, while the truffle sour cream added to the richness of the dish.
For entrees, we ordered the snapper oreganata ($36), herbseared scallops ($39) and Wagyu boneless short rib ($34). Both the scallops and short rib are indicated as house specialties on the menu, but our waiter told us the snapper is a fan favorite among regulars. The short rib was clearly the table’s favorite. An uber tender piece, it was paired with mashed potatoes that were both chunky and creamy. Taking a piece of the meat and dipping it into the potatoes was a highlight of the meal.
The snapper oreganata wrapped in breadcrumbs and herbs was served on a bed of fingerling potatoes and topped with well-cooked asparagus and a beurre blanc sauce. I enjoyed the moist, tender fish but would have liked to taste a bit more of the citrus in the sauce. The tender scallops were delicately placed on sweet pea risotto and topped with crispy shallots and a saffron beurre blanc. The scallops were well executed, but I would have liked the saffron to come out a bit more in the sauce.
Sharing grandma’s recipe, Chef Lee created Iz’s peach cobbler ($10), an explosion of warm, gooey peaches offset nicely with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. The Key lime sunset ($12) is Lee’s take on an ice cream sandwich that’s stuffed with Lily’s handmade Key lime ice cream.
The next time you wander off the Ave, a detour to Palm Trail will reward you with first-rate service and creative dishes.
IF YOU GO
800 Palm Trail, Delray Beach; 561/865-5235; palmtrailgrill.com
PARKING: Lot
HOURS: Tues.-Sat., BAR: 4 p.m.-midnight, DINING ROOM: 5-10:30 p.m.
PRICES: $10-$68
This story is from the April 2022 issue of Boca magazine. For more like this, click here to subscribe to the magazine.
