Johnny Longboats' seafood soup unites a variety of meats with a tomatoey broth. (J. Gwendolynne Berry / Palm Beach Post)

On the breezy night I visited Johnny Longboats on Singer Island, I couldn’t see the ocean – but I could feel it. The restaurant seems to float amid the salt and sea, like a cruise ship. In fact, the music alone is poolside cruise ship-ready, calypso fugues mingling with the breeze from open windows.

The place was packed like a cruise ship, too, with a happy bustle at the bar and a brisk shuffle of servers in the dining room.

But, unlike a cruise ship, islandy Johnny Longboats serves pretty terrific dishes. We glimpsed this fact upon sampling the homemade conch fritters ($8.95), hot and crispy and abundant fritters served with a bright key lime sauce.

Further confirmation came from a bowl of crab bisque ($5.50, one size), a sherry-laced cream thick with fresh blue crab. I do have to note, however, that I found a couple of small bits of crab shell in the bisque. It wasn’t enough to send it back, nor did it change the fact that the soup was delicious. But it does indicate a bit of haste in the kitchen.

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Like in any self-respecting island spot, the menu here is seafood-centric, with an emphasis on fresh grouper, snapper and mahi mahi. (Of course, there are also nightly specials, grilled steaks, Caribbean chicken dishes and a variety of wings, as well as a hefty breakfast menu that’s served daily from 7 a.m. to noon.)

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Ancient Love Potion from Buddha Sky Bar in Delray; Adult milkshakes from Burger Bar in Palm Beach Gardens.

Mixologists across the county will be shaking, stirring and pouring the romance for Valentine’s Day devotees. Here are some of the flirty drinks they’ll be offering:

III FORKS steak house is serving a a Black Raspberry Passion cocktail. What’s in a a Black Raspberry Passion cocktail, you ask? That would be Ketel One vodka, black raspberry liqueur, passion fruit syrup and apricot nectar. Shake with ice until chilled, then strain into a martini glass, and you’ve got a passionate sip.
III Forks: 4645 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens; (561) 630-3660. | Directions, invite a friend

BURGER BAR BY CHEF ALLEN is whipping up decadent milkshakes for grown-ups, shakes like the Nutella Bourbon Adult Shake (Wild Turkey Bourbon, Nutella and Vanilla Ice Cream). For the pairing, the Palm Beach Gardens eatery is offering a $14 Truffle Burger, topped with a red wine demi-glace.
Burger Bar: 4650 Donald Ross Rd., Palm Beach Gardens; (561) 630-4545. | Directions, invite a friend

BUDDHA SKY BAR is concocting an “Ancient Love Potion.” The spell comes from one part chocolate vodka, one part white chocolate Godiva liqueur and three whole crushed strawberries, all shaken with ice and sieved into a martini glass.
Buddha Sky: 217 East Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; (561) 450-7557. | Directions, invite a friend
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Seasons 52 is unveiling a great new mini-dessert for V-Day, the Chocolate Raspberry Valentine. This is an indulgent chocolate cake layered with chocolate syrup, raspberry mousse and raspberry puree, topped with whipped cream and a chocolate “kiss” – all tucked into a square shot glass. The petite treat is offered until Feb. 15.
Seasons 52: 11611 Ellison Wilson Road in Palm Beach Gardens (561-625-5852), and 2300 N.W. Executive Center Drive (on Glades Road) in Boca Raton (561-998-9952) | Find a Seasons 52 near you

Philippe Chow Boca has given its homemade red velvet cake a heart shape for sweet noshing on Valentine’s Day.
Philippe Chow: 200 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton; (561) 393-4666 | Directions, invite a friend

The Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach offers oceanfront cabana dining for Valentines, a sumptuous four-course dinner that’s capped with a decadent chocolate trio (chocolate souffle, chocolate crème brulee and chocolate molten cake). There’s a fire pit for after-dinner sipping as well.  The cabana dinner, served from 6 to 10 p.m., is $600 per couple, plus tax and tip. Reservations are required.
Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach: 100 South Ocean Blvd., Manalapan; (561) 540-4924 | Directions, invite a friend

Chef Dean James Max at Swank Farm in Loxahatchee. (J. Gwendolynne Berry / Palm Beach Post)

LOXAHATCHEE — Here is Dean James Max, the acclaimed South Florida chef, in his most fitting context: at a farm, amid the newly sprouting crops.

Beside him sprouts a row of green-tinged cauliflower, almost ready for harvest. And just down the way are Swank Farm’s hydroponic beds of emergent baby greens, cress, peppers, radishes, broccoli rabe, bush beans, you name it, blooming with possibilities.

Max, born and raised a farm boy, knows these vegetables well. They fuel his inspiration at his five restaurants, including 3030 Ocean restaurant in Fort Lauderdale (and until recently at 3800 Ocean in Singer Island, which Max opened last year but departed weeks ago).

Like many of South Florida chef disciples of farm-to-table cookery, Max is quite familiar with this beloved boutique farm.

Photos: Chef Dean James Max’ luncheon at Swank Farm

"Chefs love coming here. We just walk around, picking and tasting," says Max, 44, on this recent Sunday, addressing a casual gathering at Jodi and Darrin Swank’s family farm. The lunch guests, mostly city-dwelling foodies in farm-chic attire, nibble on cornmeal scones with sweet tomato jam and sip spicy Bloody Marys garnished with a sprig of Swank parsley.

Max has come to Swank Farm, along with pastry chef Jennifer Reed, to create an al fresco lunch using farm-fresh ingredients, such as lamb from Deep Creek Ranch, just north of Deland, pork from Palmetto Creek Farms, near Sebring, and, of course, glorious baby greens from Swank.

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The lobster roll ($25) is one of Kabuki's signature dishes (Thomas Cordy / Palm Beach Post)

The Japanese art form of kabuki tells vivid stories through dance and theatrical performance. On Clematis Street in downtown West Palm, the new sushi and Thai tapas spot named Kabuki expresses its theatrical storylines on the plate.

Fresh, decadent sushi rolls — with names like Sugar Mama, Lava Drops and The Chick — are vibrantly presented. Soul-satisfying Thai noodles and curry dishes arrive in abundant portions. The bar pours some sexy cocktails, in addition to a selection of sakes, wines and beers.

Opened just two months ago, Kabuki is enjoying a well-deserved amount of Clematis Street heat, with its weeknights bustling and weekends remarkably busy. On my first visit to the stylishly set eatery, I found the place hopping. It was one of those very chilly nights during a recent cold snap, a Tuesday at that. Yet the place was alive with diners chattering against up-tempo tunes.

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On that night, it was love at first bite for me — first bite, that is, of a 561 Ocean roll ($8, half roll), fresh diced tuna, cucumber, avocado and Japanese omelet in a light soy paper wrap. When dipped in the accompanying spicy ponzu sauce, the super-fresh, clean flavors just popped.

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Rocco Mangel may do his trademark 'Tequila' dance on the bar at the opening of Rocco's Tacos in Palm Beach Gardens. (Post file photo)

The long-awaited grand opening of the Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar on PGA Boulevard happens Wednesday, Feb. 1, in full frenzied Rocco’s style.

There’s an open bar from 7 to 10 p.m., pouring Patron and Milagro tequilas, Stoli, Grand Marnier and Dos Equis. And there’s live music by DJ Jeffrey Michaels and Mariachi Pancho Villa.

Word has it owner Rocco Mangel will be doing his trademark "Tequila!" dance on the bar and pouring free shots of Patron into revelers’ mouths.

It’s the fourth Rocco’s location for the string of popular Mexican eateries owned by Mangel and Big Time Restaurant Group.

Rocco’s PGA, with indoor and outdoor seating, will open for dinner only this Thursday through Sunday nights. On Monday, Feb. 6, the restaurant and bar will open for its regular business hours, serving lunch and dinner.

Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar: 5090 PGA Blvd. (PGA Commons), Palm Beach Gardens; (561) 623-0127; RoccosTacos.com. | Directions, invite a friend

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Chef Aaron Sanchez calls pozole, a hearty Mexican soup, 'table-slapping good'. (Photo by Michael Harlan Turnbull/Courtesy of Atria)

Aarón Sánchez, chef, restaurateur, author, Food Network star and human heat-seeking missile, knows his pozole.

He can go on about the qualities of the long-simmering stew, how it finds its richness in pork and hominy, chiles and Mexican oregano, the kind that grew wild in his family’s ranch in northern Mexico. Pozole is soul food.

“It’s our Vietnamese pho. It’s coddled and taken care of. If there’s one word to describe it, it’s ‘nourishment,’” Sánchez, co-star of the Food Network’s Heat Seekers and Chopped, says by phone.

But it’s also party food, best served community-style, alongside small dishes filled with cool, crunchy and vibrant toppings. The steaming hot soup, swimming with pork chunks and hominy puffs, is topped with contrasting garnishes like crisp radish slices, raw, diced onion, fried corn tortilla strips, a pinch of dried oregano and a squeeze of lime.

“I have a lot of fun with it. I put pickled red onions in mine,” says Sánchez, 36, who comes to South Florida later this month for several appearances during the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. “I love the briny-ness of the onions with the richness of the pozole.”
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The biggest day in football involves more than the country’s two top teams facing off at the Super Bowl – it involves the great spectator sport of viewing while chewing. Here are some local spots to catch the game and a bite:

• VIEWING BASH AT DECK 84
If you view Sunday’s big game at Deck 84, the popular waterfront eatery in Delray Beach, you can get copious amounts of football-friendly grub, live entertainment and the chance to meet a few current and former NFL ballers.

Hosted by Prep and Sports, a Delray-based nonprofit that provides academic guidance and athletic training to underserved youth, this second annual viewing party will raise funds for the organization’s youth programs.

Dine on deck or join the floating VIP party aboard two yachts docked at the restaurant.

Find a Super Bowl event near you

General tickets, which include a buffet, are $60 in advance and $75 at the door. VIP tickets for the party aboard the Lady Atlantic cost $150 in advance or $175 at the door, and buy you access to a buffet, unlimited drinks and a chance to mingle with players.
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Some guests are seated around 'The Tree' at Beef Wellington Steakhouse. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post)

Beef Wellington Steakhouse and Social Club inhabits a space that once served as a movie theater. The old Silver Screen Cinema closed nearly two years ago, but the cinematic essence of the space has not been lost.

It soars in the form of a lifelike oak tree – which is lifelike because it was living not so very long ago. The steak house’s owners "rescued" the tree from a construction site on Forest Hill Boulevard.

"They cut it apart and banded it together again," general manager Cheryl McNamee told me days after I dined at the restaurant. "And they attached 80,000 little silk ficus leaves to it."

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A meticulous undertaking to be sure, but one conducted in the name of ambiance. In the main dining room, customers can now dine beneath the twinkle of lights that spread across the tree’s branches. Or they can choose a spot in the "social club" area near the bar, a table in the loft area where the cinema’s projection booth once beamed 35mm film images, or a spot outside on the patio near the eatery’s fire pit.

There are lots of options here and, as I found on a recent visit, the management does its best to let diners know that, although the same menu is served in all areas, they can tailor their dining experience by choosing where they sit. We chose a spot near The Tree and within moments our server, Frantz, appeared to welcome us. Efficient and knowledgeable on the menu, he charmed us with his recollections of the old cinema and gave us a sense that this was not simply a cavernous restaurant with big, ranch-style décor and oldies spinning in the background – it was a place with a cool previous life.

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Chefs in new places: Giordano Tonelli is chef/owner of La Scaletta in North Palm Beach, while Julian Gremaud is executive chef at PB Catch on Palm Beach.

What’s cooking at the county’s new batch of eateries? Here’s the dish…

In Palm Beach:
PB CATCH, a seafood restaurant and raw bar opened last month by the team behind Pistache in downtown West Palm, is off to a buzz-worthy start on The Island. The menu is as sexy and polished as the place itself (think seared Florida yellowfin tuna with a pineapple-cucumber-jicama slaw and a sesame emulsion).
PB Catch: 251 Sunrise Ave. (next to Publix), Palm Beach. Phone: (561) 655-5558. Website: pbcatch.com

In Wellington:
BANNASTROW’S CREPES AND COFFEE, a creperie serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition to build-your-own crepes, the menu includes smoothies and specialty coffees. This is the first Palm Beach County location for the Miami-based franchise.
BannaStrow’s: 9108 Forest Hill Blvd. Wellington. Phone: (561) 318-8256. Website: bannastrows.com
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