Portobello - Italian in Jupiter Florida

As a final entry on my trip to West Palm Beach back in September (!), on Saturday night of the visit, we headed up to Jupiter to have dinner with some of Nick's mother's friends at Portobello.  While we had reservations for our group of five, we really did not need them as it was still the off season during our visit.  It was amazing to see how many places were closed for the season, but after dealing with the heat and humidity for a long weekend, I am not surprised - it's HOT!

Upon sitting down, we ordered some wine for the table to share.  I really enjoyed this Malbec and would definitely consider getting it again.  In general, I feel like you get a nicer wine for less money with a Malbec

Dinner Wine

To go with our basket of bread at dinner we had some nicely roasted garlic cloves sitting in olive oil - is there anything better to put on bread than this?!  Good thing we were all friends here though, because I had more than my fair share of garlic.

Roasted Garlic

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.

Buccan - Tapas, West Palm Style

On our first night in the Palm Beach area, Nick's mother made reservations for the three of us at Buccan, a really fun small-plates restaurant in Palm Beach.  When you walk in you are immediately struck by the relaxed white-washed style with a contemporary flair.  We had looked at the menu before we even left Massachusetts and knew we were in for a treat.  However, before we even got started on the food we ordered some cocktails - they were too delicious looking to resist.  Nick's mom ordered the watermelon martini which was garnished with real watermelon.  That is how you know that you are in Florida!

Watermelon Martini

I went immediately for the Rose, St. Germain and a lemon garnish!

CHUCK - best burgers in Palm Beach!

Nick and I went to visit his mother recently in South Florida.  Last year we went to Florida in December and had a great time enjoying some sunshine and comfortable temperatures.  This time however, it was September and humid and HOT and rainy, but we still had a good time!  For lunch one afternoon we headed across the street to Chuck, a new "burger joint," within walking distance from Nick's mom's house.  Good thing we don't live there permanently because I might be over at Chuck at least once a week!

Double Burger!

When you walk into Chuck, you are welcomed by an open dining area with concrete floors and beamed ceilings - not your typical "burger" style decor.  The menu is small, consisting of burgers, fries and hot dogs, but it really doesn't need more because the burgers are delicious!  I ordered a single and Nick went with a double burger, and we got a side of fries to share.