1. Corner Café And Brewery
City: Tequesta, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (561) 743-7619
Address: 289 North US 1
Description: Lisa Hill, owner of the Corner Café and Brewery, has 25 years of experience as a dietitian, specializing in diabetes. So you won’t find any processed foods or trans fats on her menu. And Jim Hill, her husband and co-owner, has been in the restaurant business since he was a boy; he can often be found in the kitchen or serving customers. This is a warm, attractive little place with creative cooking, excellent wine, and hand-crafted beers.There are close to 20 different appetizers, among them baked brie, fried ravioli, and lobster cigars (lobster, goat cheese, and toasted pine nuts baked in phyllo dough and drizzled in a raspberry merlot sauce). For entrees the potato encrusted grouper comes with a dijon butter sauce. The seafood newberg has shrimp, lobster, scallops, clams, and mussels, tossed with pasta in a Newberg sauce. The country platter has clams, shrimp, and sausages in a Cajun cream sauce, with cheese grits and collard greens. And the desserts are all homemade.Then, of course, there’s the brewery. Matt Webster crafts his unique beer recipes on his own custom-designed 1.5 barrel system. In 2008, his home-brewed Kolsch won bronze in the National Home Brew Competition, and his Dunkel won 5th place in the Samuel Adams Long Shot Competition. One of his staples on tap, Gnarly Barley, won Gold in the 2009 Best Florida Beer Championship.
2. The Bayou
City: Tequesta, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: 561-746-6636
Address: 235 South US 1
Description: This is a classic Cajun/Creole bar and New Orleans-inspired restaurant. The atmosphere is definitely kick-back-and-relax, with recessed lighting, period-furniture, and a French Quarter feel. The food is excellent. And it’s got one of Palm Beach County’s great culinary characters. Chef Joe Ronan cut his culinary chops under the legendary Paul Prudhomme in New Orleans. He can keep you listening raptly all night with his stories. Don’t miss out on his shrimp étouffée, grits and lemon zest shrimp, smoked chicken pot pie, or his fantastic finger food, like Creole-style wings with mango sauce, or fried oysters. And for a really unusual drink, you’ve gotta try the Guinness hot chocolate. Have it with a beignet, the wonderful fried dough covered with powdered sugar that melts in your mouth.
3. Evo Authentic Italian Cuisine
City: Tequesta, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (561) 745-2444
Address: 626 US 1
Description: Evo sees itself as “a walk back in time” to when the smell of Italian cooking filled your home, and all your relatives gathered in the kitchen to watch the goings-on. This restaurant’s a popular, family-friendly place with a touch of elegance, and it’s newly expanded. The new Wine Lounge has become a popular evening gathering spot, with candles and vases making for an intimate atmosphere. Evo is short for “evolution,” and long on evoking the classic music and movies of an earlier period.The appetizers get your meal off to a good start at Evo. Definitely try the calamari arrabiata, with calamari fried in flour, tossed in an Italian cherry-pepper-plum tomato sauce, and served on toasted crostini. Also good is the caprese di bufala, buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes, basil, and baby arugula, topped off with olive oil and a balsamic glaze. Pastas, as you might expect, are tender and tasty. Try the spaghettini alle vongole, pasta with little neck clams sautéed in garlic and olive oil, or the spaghettini carbonara, with caramelized onion, pancetta, and sweet peas, sprinkled with romano and cream. For an entree, consider the pollo saltimbocca, pan-seared chicken topped with prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella, served over baby spinach and topped with a marsala wine mushroom sauce. Or, consider the braciole di vitello, veal filled with prosciutto, raisins, pine nuts, parmiggiano, and herbs, then pan-seared and braised in San Marzano tomatoes, roasted garlic, and onion. There’s an extensive wine collection.
4. Pep’S Island Grill
City: Tequesta, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (561) 575-5977
Address: 1556 North US 1
Description: Pep’s features great seafood with a Caribbean touch. It’s a kid-friendly place, with a laid-back tiki bar outside for those who like fresh air and good drinks with their food. Appetizers include coconut shrimp, mussels, “drunken” shrimp, and margarita flatbread. The grouper quesadillas are highly recommended. The filet mignon is juicy and very tasty, laid atop coconut rice, island slaw, and garlic mashed potatoes. The soft shell crabs get kudos from guests, as does the chicken jerk flatbread. The sauces and garnishes add a special flavor—and, sometimes, a special kick—to the dishes. The food comes with a lot of extras—mango salsa, black bean dip, flatbread, and Bimini salad.
5. The American Gourmet
City: Tequesta, FL
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (561) 744-1660
Address: 257 US 1
Description: The American Gourmet is actually a restaurant. But it’s also a retail store, with wonderful baked goods and gift baskets. Everything is baked fresh on the premises, including aromatic (and very tasty) pies, cakes, pastries, and muffins. Cakes are custom-made; you can even get one with flowers on it. The gift baskets are great; the breakfast gift basket, for example, has smoked salmon, fresh fruit, scones, and tea or coffee. The presentation of the gift baskets are so attractive.