Restaurant news: The joy of finding new treats at old neighborhood favorites

In a local dining scene that’s popping with lots of “new” (new restaurants, new chefs, newcomers), it’s always nice to discover the new in a neighborhood favorite spot. And there’s plenty of it to find on some newly polished menus.

Here’s what’s new:

Lewis Prime Grill’s new weekend breakfast

Great news for brunch lovers in the western communities: This new favorite Loxahatchee dinner-and-drinks restaurant kicks off a sumptuous new breakfast/brunch service Saturday (April 1). And by sumptuous I mean one can order a 6-ounce New York strip steak ($17.99) as a breakfast side dish.

Then again, such meaty details are to be expected at this restaurant, which is a sister establishment to the iconic Okeechobee Steakhouse.

The morning menu, which will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays, is all about the classics: Eggs Benedict on a buttermilk biscuit with sugar-cured ham, cheddar and hollandaise ($17.99), breakfast sandwiches layered with ham, eggs, cheddar and smash browns on a brioche bun ($13.99), biscuits and sausage gravy on buttermilk biscuits ($11.99), among other breakfast favorites.

In addition to fresh juices and coffee, there are bottomless mimosas for $18 and a Bloody Mary cocktail that’s made with bacon-infused vodka for $14.

Weekend breakfast hours: Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

•   Lewis Prime Grill: 7040 Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd., Loxahatchee, 561-619-5115

More: Yelp’s ‘Top 100 Places to Eat in Florida’ highlights 6 Palm Beach County restaurants

Best restaurant news: What to eat at Guy Fieri’s local ‘DDD’ picks? Some favorites!

Deck 84’s new sushi bar (and more)

Restaurateur Burt Rapoport’s freshly revamped waterfront restaurant has introduced a sushi bar and a bright, new tropical look for its inside dining areas and bar. There’s also a new chef de cuisine helping to spice up the kitchen at the downtown Delray Beach mainstay. You may recognize chef Katt Dreyfuss’ name from her big win last month on Guy Fieri’s Food Network series “Guy’s Grocery Games.”

Dreyfuss, together with executive chef Addam Actis, has added a creative touch to the sushi menu. New dishes include a wahoo tiradito with ají amarillo, charred scallion oil, corn salsa and crispy rice pearls ($20), a ceviche roll with wahoo, shrimp salad, pickled red onion, coconut leche de tigre, avocado and spices ($26), and a tuna poke bowl with diced tuna, passion-miso vinaigrette, gochujang, curry-pickled bean sprouts, coconut sticky rice and crispy shallots ($26).

The sushi menu is offered from Thursday through Sunday at lunch and dinner.

•   Deck 84: 840 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561-665-8484

Tavern Pi’s new burgers and rolled-back prices

This Abacoa pizzeria has not only added tempting new menu items and gluten-free pizza, it has lowered its prices. Chef/owner David Schroeder says customers deserve a break amid inflation. The nice prices include a variety of customizable, scratch-made pasta dishes offered for $8.99 for a half-portion and $12.99 for a full portion, both sizes served with garlic knots and a salad.

Schroeder, who also owns the neighboring Brick and Barrel Pub, has returned to the kitchen to carry out the menu update. And if you know the chef, you know that means some decadent burgers.

Among his new burgers are the Italian Job burger (ground pork patty, broccoli rabe, provolone, basil vinaigrette, $12) and, Schroeder's own favorite, the Pizza Burger (smashed, half-pound meatball, melted mozzarella, pepperoni, house pizza sauce, $15), both served on a brioche bun with crinkle fries.

‘Wich Wednesday deal alert: On Wednesdays, Tavern Pi’s sandwiches are half-price.

•   Tavern Pi: 1209 Main St. in Abacoa, Jupiter, 561-776-5448

Grato’s new bites

If you frequent the Norton Museum area in West Palm Beach, you may know this Flamingo Park restaurant, a sibling of Buccan Palm Beach, recently added a takeout window that offers Buccan’s popular sandwiches. I stopped by the window on Saturday and ordered a beef carpaccio sandwich (carpaccio, arugula, Parmesan, crispy and balsamic onions, lemon vinaigrette on a fresh baguette, $15.75). I loved the contrasts of flavor and texture and the lemony touch.

Chef/co-owner Clay Conley also has added new dishes to Grato’s dinner menu. They include a handmade orecchiette tossed with Florida rock shrimp, fennel, roasted cherry tomatoes and wine ($19 small, $38 large), a snapper ceviche with ají amarillo, leche de tigre and corn chips ($21) and a carrot hummus with carrot tabbouleh and pita ($17).

•   Grato: 1901 S. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, 561-404-1334

Quick Bites

Close, but no finalist slot. When the James Beard Foundation announced its chef and restaurant awards finalists Wednesday, it named just two Florida chefs/establishments, neither of them in Palm Beach County. In January, no fewer than five local chefs had made the semifinals list. While nationally the finalist ranks show tremendous diversity, they all but left out one of the most culinarily diverse and exciting regions in the country, South Florida.

Only Miami baker Zak Stern of Zak the Baker made the cut. He deserves to be there, but so do other talented chefs who had earned semifinalist positions earlier this year.

I believe Palm Beach County is long overdue a James Beard Award. It was due any of the times when chef Zach Bell earned repeated finalist slots during his Café Boulud years. It was due any of the times chefs Clay Conley of Buccan Palm Beach and Lindsay Autry of The Regional made the semifinals. It was due during years when no local chefs were named.

This year, the county’s rich food cultures shone through during the semifinals round:

•   Chefs Jeremy and Cindy Bearman’s local-farm-fresh cuisine at Oceano Kitchen in Lantana.

•   Chef Pushkar Marathe’s Indian-meets-global dishes at Stage Kitchen in Palm Beach Gardens.

•   Chef Rick Mace’s Florida-style barbecue at Tropical Smokehouse in West Palm Beach.

•   Chef Lojo Washington’s authentic Ethiopian dishes at Queen of Sheeba, also in West Palm Beach.

Perhaps to the country our semifinalists showed Palm Beach County’s breadth of talent. To us, the local dining enthusiasts, it was something we’ve known for years.

Yelpers have spoken. A new batch of local restaurants are among Yelp’s “Top 100 Places to Eat in Florida” list for 2023. Interestingly, the crowd-sourced review site did not list any of last year’s “Top” places from Palm Beach County. Yelp’s algorithm is a moody thing.

And in this week’s Guy Fieri news: He poured tequila at Rocco’s Tacos. That’s the tweet.

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: Lewis steakhouse, Tavern Pi Jupiter, Grato West Palm