We had friends visiting Delray from up north, so we used that as an opportunity to haul our keisters out of the house and check out the recently opened Delray Beach Market, one of the new upscale food courts in the area.
Parking is plentiful and fairly cheap, with validation (even cheaper if you park on the next block south where it’s free!).
The cavernous building does its best to appear less imposing and cozier, all while housing a couple of dozen food outlets. If you want to be out of the fray, take your trays of food to the mezzanine level dining room, but even on the main floor, we were able to find a table, albeit with a few screaming toddlers nearby (the parents laughed each time the kid screeched like a banshee. Glad they thought it was cute.) We managed to ignore (and outstay them) and hung out chatting for a couple of hours.
I’ve been trying to do keto and thought I’d have a hard time sticking to my plan but found many options. Cellar & Pantry offered a cheese and charcuterie platter, Ferdos’ Grill had kabobs and salads, Incredibowl offered salads, and build your own bowls with the option of cauliflower rice in place of starch and Surry Company Smoke House offered some delicious looking smoked meats. Surry had so many choices that I couldn’t decide, and since they didn’t have a sampler platter I moved on to another vendor. I ended up going with Tiffin Box, which takes the Chipotle concept to Indian fare. I opted for cauliflower “rice” topped with shredded lamb and sauteed vegetables. My only complaint is that it didn’t taste like Indian food at all. There were no spices, no heat. I could just have easily been dining on the equally bland Chipotle!
Everyone else in our group opted for plates from Tanuki, which offers poke and Chinese steamed buns (baos) filled with chicken or roast pork. The cuts on the fish in the poke bowls of all the diners could have been a bit more precise, but it was fresh and otherwise tasty. We were going to grab a bloody Mary from Central Bar, but the only option was a 32 oz. mug, which seemed a bit excessive.
After lunch, they all visited Bona Bona, a joyful creation of chef Nick Di Bona, featuring small batches of a hybrid of Italian gelato and American-style ice cream. The menu features cups, cones, sundaes, and shakes, topped with a torched swirl of its signature meringue. I snuck one taste of my hubby’s vanilla ice cream studded with pieces of animal crackers- delish.
Delray Beach Market is run by Menin, a developer, and manager of commercial real estate properties and Clique Hospitality with operations in Las Vegas and San Diego.
Meanwhile, if you’re up in the Delray area, you may want to check out some of these other nearby spots that have just opened or are about to open.
Warren is an “American bistro with a world flair.” It will feature more than 1,000 bottles of hard-to-find scotch and bourbon. 15084 Lyons Road, Delray Beach; WarrenDelray.com.
Mystic Lobster Rolls brings a branch of the New Jersey eatery to the area. Featuring its well-known lobster bisque and lobster mac-n-cheese. 771 E Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton; mysticlobsterrolls.com.
P.F. Chang’s is opening the chain’s only “to go” location in Palm Beach County.
Meanwhile, Sabor Latino will offer a celebration of pan-Latin American dishes in the same mall at 1880 N. Congress Avenue, saborlatinorestaurants.com.
Proper Ice Cream, Boca Raton hopes to bring a “foodie” experience to the dessert crowd with scratch-made ice cream. Among the flavor offerings are blueberry muffin, caramelized fig, and chocolate-covered honeycomb. Plant-based options include Golden milk, peanut butter, and deep chocolate cookies and cream. 5560 N. Military Trail, Unit 312, propericecream.com.
Rick Karlin is SFGN’s food editor. Visit SFGN.com/Food to read his previous reviews. Have a culinary tip to share? Email Rick at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
