Food Editor: Celebrate a great cheese melt, from fancy fromage to swoon-worthy Swiss
Who doesn’t love a melted cheese moment, be it in a toasty sandwich, atop macaroni or a crispy cutlet, in a skillet of queso that begs for tortilla chips, scraped tableside from a warm block of raclette or as the ultimate golden crown that seals a bowl of French onion soup?
Of course, cheese can be lovely even when it’s not melted. But on National Cheese Lovers Day, which is today, my whims are all about the cheese swoon.
Here’s one cheese-pull opportunity to put on your radar: Pistache bistro in downtown West Palm Beach will bring back its popular Raclette Night on Wednesday, Jan. 25. You can order the raclette as a small plate with fingerling potatoes, cornichons, pickled pearl onions and watercress ($20), as a larger Mediterranean-inspired plate with grilled broccolini, zucchini, marinated tomatoes and watercress ($33) or as a meatier big plate with prosciutto, saucisson sec, jambon de Paris, fingerlings and other fixings ($37). Pistache is at 101 N. Clematis St.
Speaking of oozy cheese, have you tried Le Grand Macaroni and Cheese gratin at Almond bistro? Kicked up with prosciutto and truffles, it’s a fixture on the menu at lunch ($29), dinner ($32) and weekend brunch ($19, $29). Almond is at 207 Royal Poinciana Way in Palm Beach.
Want a fancy French onion soup? Maybe try La Goulue’s decadent rendition in Palm Beach. It’s made with beef broth, topped with melted Gruyere toast ($18). La Goulue is at 288 S. County Rd.
If a decadent quesadilla or quesa-birria is more to your liking, find a particularly melty one at El Rucon food truck (quesadilla de birria, $11.50) or its related restaurant. This is where taco chef Mauricio Lorenzana makes over-the-top creations, many of them lavished with melted cheese. El Rucon’s truck is parked at 3593 S. Military Tr. in Palm Springs; the restaurant is at 1099 N. Military Tr. in Haverhill. Visit ElRucon.com for more details.
Those who prefer the cheese-platter route may enjoy Elisabetta’s and Louie Bossi’s Formaggio plate. Your choice of cheese ($7.50 per ounce, $39 for various cheeses) is served with dried fruit, honey and almonds. Both restaurants also offer mozzarella tasting options. For location details, visit Elisabettas.com and LouieBossi.com.
City Cellar in downtown West Palm is celebrating today with its impressive selection of cheeses. They’re served with a batch of accoutrements (think Marcona almonds, pickled vegetables, Italian olives, truffle honey) and priced at $5.50 per cheese, $15.50 for three and $24.50 for five. City Cellar is on the second floor of The Square plaza, 700 S. Rosemary Ave.
Did you see what’s new?
The always bustling Benny’s on the Beach has grown in space and ocean views along Lake Worth Beach’s Pier area. Partners Lee Lipton and chef Jeremy Hanlon closed their Viva La Playa restaurant, just steps away, and turned it into a second Benny’s. Here’s why they took that plunge.
The brothers behind Pumphouse coffee have opened a hub for their caffeinated enterprise. Their new Pumphouse Pouratorium in West Palm Beach is more than a coffee shop. As my colleague Eddie Ritz explains in his story: “It’s a cafe, roastery and lab offering coffee roasting, fresh ground and brewed-fresh coffee, iced coffee, specialty teas, scratch-made food, smoothies and locally-brewed craft beer.” Read all about it here.
Eddie also wrote about the locally raised NFL players who opened a waterfront tavern on Lake Okeechobee in Pahokee. Here’s his story on Muck Tavern.
Coming up…
Remember Double Roads Tavern, the Jupiter spot with good burgers and live jazz, blues and rock jams? Its long-awaited reopening in a new location has been delayed some days due to a bit of bureaucracy, according to owner Vince Flora.
When it does open, it promises to be a rare space that goes beyond your typical restaurant/bar. That story is coming soon.
Have a delicious weekend!
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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: Best restaurants in Palm Beach County for mac and cheese, grilled cheese
