Kataifi is a pastry filled with crushed walnuts, simple syrup and butter. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post)

THE DISH: Kataifi, $3

THE RESTAURANT:
Mediterranean Market and Deli

Kataifi is among Mediterranean Market and Deli’s delicious specialty desserts, most of which are made fresh daily. The pastry is filled with crushed walnut, simple syrup and purified butter, and is then hand-rolled in shredded phyllo dough and baked.

The result is a fantastically sweet pastry that offers both nutty and buttery flavors, and a variety of soft and crunchy textures. It is best eaten warm, sprinkled with crushed pistachio. For $3, Kataifi is an indulgent and affordable treat.

Mediterranean Market and Deli has also recently expanded its bakery, and now makes a variety of healthy pitas in-house, including whole wheat, rosemary, pumpernickel and oatmeal.

Mediterranean Market and Deli, 327 Fifth St. in West Palm Beach, is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: (561) 659-7322.

Oriental Seafood Salad at The Boys Farmers Market is $10.99 a pound. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post

While The Boys Farmers Market may have built a reputation around fresh produce, its deli counters are similarly crowded with eager and hungry visitors most afternoons. The oriental seafood salad is a great example of The Boys diverse, flavorful, and well-priced take-out options.

Large pieces of tender squid are the primary ingredient and have a tangy sweet flavor derived from rice vinegar, ginger and sesame seed oil. Like many Asian dishes, this salad features Japanese kikurage mushroom, or wood ear fungus, which has a texture similar to tofu and absorbs much of the flavor present in the squid.

Bamboo shoots and lettuce stems complete this appetizing blend, and small bits of red chili pepper give it a mild and brief heat. Half of a pound is enough for a filling lunch entrée.

THE INFO: Boys Farmers Market, at 14378 S. Military Trail in Delray Beach, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Phone: (561) 496-0810.

Sala Thai's Bangkok Platter is $15.95. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post)

Sala Thai’s Bangkok Platter is a stir-fry comprised of broccoli, snow peas, baby corn, bell pepper, cashews, and a protein (we chose shrimp). Before sautéing, the shrimp are marinated in a yellow curry for several minutes, which adds a warm sweetness to the dish. The shrimp, veggies and cashews are stir-fried in the restaurant’s peanut sauce, which amplifies the nutty flavor of the cashews. This is delicious sauce, rich with coconut milk, peanuts, tamarind paste, onion and spices, and when cooked with the fresh ingredients, it creates a sweet and herbal zest with a very mild spice.

“The flavor from the fresh vegetables gives it that great combination of flavor,” said Amy Pitak, whose family has owned the Jupiter restaurant for the past 11 years. Like this dish, which is served with a side of rice, all the food at Sala Thai is cooked and spiced to order. For the beef or shrimp protein option (rather than chicken or tofu), add $3.

THE INFO: Sala Thai, at 103 S. U.S. Highway 1 in Jupiter, serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday, and dinner every night from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Phone: (561) 747-6944. | Directions, invite a friend

The Blind Monk's Chicken Satay is $8. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post)

Having been open for just under two years, The Blind Monk in West Palm Beach is quickly building a reputation for its relaxing atmosphere and curated wine selection. Wine and beer lovers will also enjoy the wine bar’s selection of tapas and meat and cheese plates.

The chicken satay skewers are marinated in soy sauce, lemon juice, curry powder, brown sugar, garlic, and hot red pepper. The dish is then layered with a savory peanut sauce and crushed peanuts.

The chicken satay is a featured item and is available roughly one week out of each month. Although the dish has more than enough flavor to stand on its own, manager Carol Viamonte recommends pairing it with a Riesling wine to cut through the pepper in the dish.

THE INFO: The Blind Monk, at 410 Evernia St., Suite 107, in West Palm Beach, is open from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday to Thursday, and from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Phone: (561) 833-3605. Website: theblindmonk.com.

Laskiaspulla is $2.75 at Palm Beach Bakery and Cafe in Lantana. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post)

Laskiaispulla (or semla) is a seasonal pastry that is one of Palm Beach Bakery and Café’s most decadent offerings, and pays homage to the bakery’s Scandinavian influence.

Bakery owner Jouko Vaskivuo’s description of this pastry as “creamy, almondy, and rich” is simply put, but apt. This plump pastry is made from sweet dough, similar to egg bread, but with a softer texture and a flavorful punch of cardamom. It is filled with a sweet almond paste and heavy whipped cream. Then powdered sugar is sprinkled over the top to finish.

Traditionally, Laskiaispulla is eaten in Scandinavian countries, particularly Finland and Sweden, during February and March as part of Christian Lent traditions. Vaskivuo said it is often eaten in a bowl of warm milk, and is most directly associated with snow-sledding festivals that predate Christian influences. Regardless, the pastry can easily be enjoyed alone or accompanied with one of the cafe’s many coffee or tea offerings.

THE INFO: Palm Beach Bakery and Café, at 206 E. Ocean Ave. in Lantana, is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The café is closed on Sunday. Phone: (561) 585-0222. | Directions, invite a friend

Rhythm Cafe's fiocchi is $8.95. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post)

Although the Rhythm Café’s fiocchi is only one of the restaurant’s featured specials, its sweet and savory flavors are enough to make it a perennial favorite, according to co-owner Dennis R. Williams. The dish is comprised of bite-sized pasta purses, which are filled with Bartlett pear, ricotta and taleggio cheeses, and covered in a cinnamon beurre noisette.

The cafe’s chef, Ken Rzab, describes the dish as a “nice blend of fruit and cheese,” which is a bit of an understatement for a dish that is unexpectedly diverse with its subtle blending of sweet and buttery ingredients.

The taleggio cheese inside the purses defines this dish’s sweet buttery flavor, and chef Rzab enhances this sweetness further by blending orange zest and orange juice into the cinnamon beurre noisette.
Fresh chopped basil is added to complete the fiocchi, which can easily stand on its own or with a glass of white wine.

THE INFO: Rhythm Café, at 3800 S. Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach, is open Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. The restaurant is open Mondays only during season, so you may want to call before visiting on a Monday. Phone: (561) 833-3406. rhythmcafe.cc | Directions, invite a friend

John G's hand-breaded Gulf shrimp and fresh fruit combo. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post)

THE DISH: Hand-breaded gulf shrimp with fresh fruit, $16.95

THE RESTAURANT: John G’s

The long line of patient customers outside the recently migrated John G’s is a testament to a menu that has weathered 37 years of business.

The restaurant’s hand-breaded gulf shrimp and fresh fruit combo is a staple. The generous serving of fresh fruit is a great complement to the salty and savory flavors of hand-breaded gulf shrimp. (The fresh shrimp also can be prepared broiled in a lemon-wine butter.)

To top it off, the dish is accompanied by a homemade Maryland crab cake, which tastes sweet, fresh, and ends the dish with surprising and welcome hint of onion.

THE INFO: John G’s is at 264 S. Ocean Blvd. (in Plaza Del Mar), Manalapan. The restaurant serves breakfast daily from 7 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., and until noon on Sunday. Lunch is served daily 11:15 a.m. to 3 p.m., and from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. Phone: (561) 585-9860. Website: JohnGs.com. | Directions, invite a friend

The Grilla Thrilla ($20) combines filet mignon, shrimp and chicken on one plate. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post)

When Lee Harrison needed to add an item to his menu last year, he created the dish he now describes as a “menage a trois” and has become a favorite among regulars of his Blue Anchor British Pub & Restaurant.

The Grilla Thrilla, which Harrison says is quite a detour from the pub’s staple of fish and chips, features a trio of grilled entrees, including filet mignon, shrimp, and chicken breast, which are served on a bed of fresh sautéed spinach. The dish is then finished and served with the restaurant’s homemade shrimp scampi sauce.

“The filet sells well, and the shrimp sells well, so we put both on a bed of fresh spinach and tossed it to an unsuspecting crowd,” says Harrison, the owner of Blue Anchor. “They loved it.”

Harrison recommends pairing the dish with the house red wine, a Sterling Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, and said the English sherry truffle dessert, which is served with Devonshire custard, is a perfect complement.

THE INFO: Blue Anchor British Pub & Restaurant, which serves British and American dishes, Anchor is located at 804 E. Atlantic Ave. in Delray Beach. The restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and opens at noon on Sunday. Drinks are served until 2 a.m. seven days a week. Phone: (561) 272-7272. | Directions, invite a friend

The Cottage's salmon stuffed with crabmeat special sells for $21.95. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post)

The dish: Salmon stuffed with crabmeat dinner special. Paired with red skin potato garlic mash, sautéed asparagus and thinly sliced onion straws. The dish sells for $21.95.

The restaurant: The Cottage, Lake Worth

Although chef Alfred Gaymes revamped his menu at The Cottage in Lake Worth two months ago, it is the salmon stuffed with crabmeat dinner special that has been their biggest crowd pleaser.

“There was such a demand for it, so we just decided to do it as a special every night,” said Gaymes.

The crabmeat is sewn into the salmon and finished in the oven. Gaymes then covers the filet with a caper and lemon beurre blanc that adds a salty complement to the sweet crab. “The sauce is so strong, it really brings out the whole dish,” said Gaymes. “It’s rare to find a freshwater dish with such strong flavor.”

THE INFO: The Cottage, 522 Lucerne Ave. Phone: (561) 586-0080. Serves breakfast starting at 8 a.m. daily, and dinner from 5 p.m. to 12 p.m. Sun.-Thu. and from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fri. and Sat.