Michelle Bertstein's!

As it starts to get cooler here in Boston, it is hard to believe I was complaining about the super hot and humid weather in Florida a month ago!  On our last day in Florida, before we needed to be at the airport, Nick's mother suggested getting brunch at Michelle Bernstein's restaurant at the Omphoy.  Chef Michelle Bernstein  is one of the guest judges on Top Chef that the contestants always fawn over so I could not wait. Although, I must admit it took seeing a picture of her before I remembered who she was.  They do bring in a lot of talent on that show!

The View!

The other reason that this was a good pick is because of the location.  The Omphoy is a sleek and modern boutique hotel on Palm Beach island, and the restaurant has a patio that is right on the beach looking out directly on the water.  Unfortunately, when we arrived it was a downpour, so we opted to sit inside in the terrace room, but we still had incredible views.  There was a great contrast between the dark wooden tables, chairs and floors and the beautiful blue cushions.

Upon sitting down we were given a basket of crispy bread thins and long and soft pretzel sticks.  For spreads, we were given some butter as well as a fish salad spread.  These pretzel sticks were incredible, such a perfect start!

Bread Basket

The brunch menu has tons of delicious looking bites to order.  Lucky for us they offered an appetizer, entree, and side or dessert plus a drink for an extremely reasonable price so obviously we HAD to do that. To begin, Nick and his mom each ordered a bloody Mary, which were hot and spicy just the way Nick likes it.

Bloody Mary

I went for the more traditional mimosa - how could I go wrong!

Mimosa

After a few sips of our drinks the food started coming and basically did not stop!  First to arrive were the deviled eggs.  Each bite was delicious, and the garnish of crispy prosciutto had so much flavor and texture.  The combination was perfect and the color of the prosciutto offered a lovely contrast to the egg.

Deviled Eggs

Nick went with the ceviche, which was fresh and full of citrus that really awakened the mouth.  To boot, this was garnished with some popcorn that I thought would be totally weird.  Instead it added a fun texture and a bit of whimsy to the dish!

Ceviche!

Nick's Mom ordered the best option (in my humble opinion), the crispy artichokes.  Somehow these were crispy and soft all at the same time.  I loved the flavor of the artichoke in this.  All in all, there could replace french fries!  I totally stole most of these.  While not my thing, the aioli accompanying the dish provided some nice cool flavor to the hot fried food.

Fried Artichokes

For the main meals we had a great combinations of flavors.  First to arrive was the chicken and waffles.  The little honey jar and Tabasco bottle completed the look of the plate - too cute!  This was just a delicious meal with all the comfort foods on one plate.

Chicken and Waffles

Nick got the Croque Madame - a grilled ham and cheese with a fried egg on top.  However, a Croque Madame done well is so satisfying and flavorful, and this one knocked it out of the park.  I loved the berry troughs that accompanied the first two orders.  Is there anything better than blackberries and strawberries?

Croque Madame

Since I saw them on the menu I had to order the biscuits and gravy.  These were light and fluffy - perfect to pull apart and dip in the gravy or any other yumminess left by some of the delicious food.

Biscuits and Gravy

For my actual meal I got the poached eggs, with some hash browns and a lovely topping of guacamole.  This was just a great tasting breakfast dish.  I loved the guac and tried to make it last for every bite (it almost worked!).  The poached eggs were beautifully cooked and had just enough soft yolk that when you broke it open it flowed over the potatoes, adding some delicious flavor.

Poached Eggs

For desserts, we first ordered a key lime pie - one of Nick's favorite desserts!  The tartness of the lime was fresh and perfect.  The consistency of the pie in contrast with the crunchy crust was spot on.  In the plate there was a little depression that the group of strawberries sat in that made the perfect addition to the presentation.

Key Lime Pie

Finally, we got a trio of mini red velvet cupcakes that were soft and the perfect cap to the meal.  Not too sweet, just enough to leave you wanting more.  The small depression on this plate was filled with raspberries,  YUM!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Overall this was a great way to wrap up our lovely weekend in Palm Beach.  The pacing of the meal was a bit slow, but really we were comfortable and had plenty of time.  Given the amount of food it was good to have some time between the courses!

If you are headed to Palm Beach I would highly recommend a trip to the Omphoy for a delicious brunch right on the beach.