Fritz Cassel, executive chef at Gratify in West Palm Beach, shows off two of his creations -- the 'bacon and eggs' dessert and his twist on the BLT. (Photo by Libby Volgyes)

Bacon lovers, you have a new shrine.

Gratify, the downtown West Palm Beach gastro pub with a culinary kick, wants to lure you in with smoky, delicious bacon. Homemade bacon, that is.

"We’re big pork fans around here. We like pork in all forms," says executive chef Fritz Cassel, Gratify’s resident Baconator.

He sizzles up barbecue sliders, sage-seared pork chops and ever-popular baby back ribs.

And then there’s his house bacon.

"I don’t even really remember what inspired me to make it the first time," says the 36-year-old chef. "It just hit me one day. I just felt like making bacon."

So the young, innovative chef with the sparkling eyes, a lifelong lover of bacon, grandson of a Southern chef who cooked biscuits in bacon fat, and father of a 6-year-old bacon fanatic named Ava decided to make his own, decadent, smoky, taste-bud-screeching bacon.

He starts with 8 to 10 pounds of pork belly, delivered fresh from his local purveyor, Bush Brothers Provisions. Then he cures it with his own blend of spices that weave together the toasted cinnamon stick and star anise flavors of his childhood star anise cookies and hints of allspice inspired by a former Jamaican sous chef ("He really loved that allspice").

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Ersilia Moreno has always loved olive oil. Now she sells it at the West Palm and Palm Beach Gardens green markets. (Libby Volgyes / Palm Beach Post)

Olive oil is like wine. Everyone’s palate is different.

Ersilia Moreno’s reinvention started with a single bottle.

It was a tiny, unassuming bottle of dark, shimmering liquid that beckoned Moreno, whispering to her promises of a world just beyond reach. Its contents, a smooth and seductive elixir, caused her to question life as she knew it.

It was 12-year aged balsamic vinegar, and it reminded her of an aged vinegar she had tasted long ago. That one bottle caused Moreno, the practical-minded owner of an accounting practice and mother of two college-age kids, to follow her heart down a new path, one that would end in travel, friendship – and olive oils from around the world.

"I wasn’t doing what I wanted to do. I was doing what I was good at and what would feed my family," says Moreno, who spends winters in Palm Beach Gardens. "Something just clicked and it catapulted me into it."

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Tuna tartare is $15 at Ironwood Steak & Seafood. (Libby Volgyes / Palm Beach Post)

Many restaurants serve a tuna tartare, all with many of the same ingredients. But I’ve never had one complete with a dropper of ponzu sauce to sprinkle over each bite.

Ironwood Steak & Seafood at PGA National Resort & Spa has a new menu intent on taking classic steak house dishes and reinventing them with a delicious twist.

Take the tuna tartare, beautiful cubes of fresh tuna, bites of avocado, pickled onions, citrus, jalapeño and crispy wontons, all served on a bibb lettuce cup.

“It’s a classic steak house item, but done in a modern way,” explains Executive Chef Gordon Maybury. “It almost becomes a tuna lettuce wrap.”

Sprinkled around the plate is a drizzle of soy and drops of sriracha. And the most eye-catching detail — a dropper filled with ponzu sauce.

THE INFO: Ironwood Steak & Seafood at PGA National Resort & Spa, 400 Avenue of the Champions in Palm Beach Gardens, is open for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Phone: (561) 627-4852. Website: PGAResort.com. | Directions, invite a friend

Juju Armenia and her cousin, River Schnirman, decorate a tray of cookies. (Libby Volgyes / Palm Beach Post)

This Christmas, baking means a little bit more to West Palm Beach mom and food blogger Lora Giorgi as she reflects back on last year’s Christmas break, when she was diagnosed with cancer on the first day her kids were out of school. She remembers turning to baking to help her get through it.

"It’s the most dark part of anyone’s life," she remembers. "I baked every single day. It was insane – I didn’t stop baking. I took out my fears on my dough."

After two months of a painful recovery, she spent the summer in Italy with her family, living and eating and trying to heal the emotional scars, as well as the fear. While there, her baking blog, cakeduchess.com, celebrated its first birthday. She had started the blog months before her diagnosis. In fact, it was a friend’s minor health scare that gave her a reality check and set the blog into motion.

"I always wanted to (start the blog) – to put my recipes in a safe place. You never know, life is so short. If I don’t start writing these recipes, how will Gabriella (her daughter) remember we did it?"

And there are so many recipes to record. The daughter of a Hungarian mother and a Sicilian father who had a restaurant in Boynton Beach, Giorgi spent part of her childhood in Sicily. Her husband, Italian-born Fabrizio Giorgi, is the co-owner and executive chef at Café Sapori.

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Hollis Tidwell

WHO: Hollis Tidwell III, local wine lover and designer at Bridges, Marsh & Associates, Palm Beach

CURRENT SIP: 2005 Jacopo Biondi-Santi Braccale, Maremma Toscana IGT, Sangiovese/Merlot
“Over the past few years I’ve found that, for my palate, values in wine are from France and Italy, with this IGT being no exception. A dark rustic nose, with a rich mouth of sour plums, cranberries, roasted tomatoes and some forest floor — you know, leaves, dirt and earth — this wine keeps me pouring more, and smiling big. To boot, it drinks better the next day.”

PAIR IT WITH: “The earthiness of this wine makes me think of winter, with a creamy mushroom ragout on polenta or some white bean soup. This wine has the acidity to rip through cream. More simply, grab your favorite patty melt/burger/sliders and make it a night. Done.”

WHERE TO FIND IT: “This one came from winelibrary.com, my favorite online retailer for wine, due to a friendly staff and awesome deals on slightly older vintages. This wine retailed at $24, yet I bought it for $10. Yep. $10.”

The vegetarian lasagna at Howley's is $11.95. (Libby Volgyes / Palm Beach Post)

As vegetarianism or the concept of “meatless Mondays” grows, turn to Howley’s Restaurant for a delectable vegetarian option.

Listed on its menu, near the famous crab cakes, is a delicious and huge serving of vegetarian lasagna. The lasagna is layered with black beans, corn and ricotta, all on a bed of spinach.

“What makes the difference is the black beans and corn,” says managing partner James Brady. “When they try it, they love it.”

This dish is a delicious value and big enough for leftovers. The serving of lasagna is substantial and hearty with an extra kick of protein from the black beans. And it has all the cheesy goodness you expect from a big, steaming plate of lasagna.

THE INFO: Howley’s, at 4700 S. Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach, is open from Sunday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 a.m. Phone: (561) 833-5691. |

Cafe Cellini's veal chop with risotto is $38 as part of a three-course prix fixe menu. (Libby Volgyes / Palm Beach Post)

At its heart, the veal chop with risotto at Café Cellini in Palm Beach is a simple dish expertly prepared.

“This is old school,” says executive chef Eric Morales. “It’s simple – just five ingredients on one plate making a great meal. Nothing fancy, it’s simple but just perfect.”

The large, juicy veal chop lies on top of a bed of creamy, warm risotto that’s dotted with peas and carrots. The meat is oven-roasted, then allowed to rest until ready to serve. Cooked in a cabernet reduction, it’s hearty, rustic and filling. The veal is tender and plays perfectly with the buttery risotto, resulting in a great combination of flavors. The risotto is topped with a nice pecorino, which adds depth.

“Sometimes I think it’s better to just let the food be food,” Morales says. “You could add 100 things but it doesn’t make it better, just expensive.”

THE INFO: Café Cellini is open seven days, from 5 to 10 p.m., at 2505 S. Ocean Blvd, Palm Beach. Phone: (561) 588-1871. | Directions, invite a friend

Salmon 'Rockefeller' is $24.95 at Russell's Blue Water Grill. (Libby Volgyes / Palm Beach Post)

Chef Charles Coe at Russell’s Blue Water Grill in Palm Beach Gardens is known for taking a classic dish and turning it on its ear.

Take the Salmon “Rockefeller,” an item on the new menu that debuted the end of November.

“It’s not a classic approach,” says Coe, who stars in Lifetime’s Catch, Clean, Cook series. “I take classic ideas and I put my spin on it. Our clientele wants fresh food innovatively prepared. It’s fun for us, too.”

The Salmon Rockefeller features fresh wild salmon topped with sambuca creamed spinach, artichoke hearts, bacon and Romano cheeses. It’s served perched on top of melt-in-your-mouth, delectable Yukon gold mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus.

Coe says Russell’s Blue Water Grill prides itself on using only the best and freshest available ingredients. He uses organic spinach and long-stem baby artichokes that are flown in fresh from Italy. The bacon adds layers of flavor and depth and the fresh ingredients create balance and harmony while highlighting the freshness of the fish and ingredients.

THE INFO: Russell’s Blue Water Grill, at 2450 PGA Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens, is open Monday through Thursday

11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday

11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 5 to 10 p.m. Phone: (561) 318-6344. | Directions, invite a friend

Crispy calamari and Roman artichokes are $14 at D'Angelo Trattoria. (Libby Volgyes / Palm Beach Post)

It’s that moment you take a bite and your taste buds explode in happiness that sticks with you for a while. When you do experience it, well, it’s hard to forget. The first bite of a baby Roman artichoke, nestled in a sea of perfectly fried and shockingly light calamari elicits this “wowser” response. Zippy cherry tomatoes dot the plate of this appetizer dish at D’Angelo Trattoria, located on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.

The dish is fried in a combination of semolina flour and Caputo “00” Italian flour.

“It’s got a little kick when you eat the peppers,” says Executive Chef Rickie Piper. “That’s very Roman. We like a little fried vegetables with the calamari. It’s the perfect match.”

D’Angelo, which is a Roman-inspired, not Tuscan-inspired restaurant, serves this classic style of rustic Roman dishes.

The trattoria is owned by Chef Angelo Elia of the Casa D’Angelo in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and the Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island.

“In this day when everyone is coming up with the new dishes, we kind of stepped back and went back to our roots,” Piper says. The restaurant has been open since the beginning of the month. In addition to its extensive menu, the restaurant has many specials every night based on seasonal availability.

THE INFO: D’Angelo Trattoria, 9 S.E. 7th Ave., Delray Beach, is open Sunday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to midnight. Phone: (561) 330-1237 | Directions, invite a friend

The Malloreddus Sardi is $14.95 at Jupiter's Casa Mia. (Libby Volgyes / Palm Beach Post)

As the weather turns cooler, diners’ attention turns to heartier comfort fare and Casa Mia in Jupiter is debuting several new menu items designed to warm you up from the inside out. Don’t miss the Malloreddus Sardi, a delightful pasta dish made with semolina gnochetti, a slow-cooked sausage ragout topped with salty pecorino cheese.

“It’s got an anise flavor — like an Italian sausage should be, with a lot of fennel seed,” says Casa Mia’s new executive chef, Michael Brissey.

The homemade cayenne sausage is deglazed with a hearty red wine, then cooked slowly for two hours to impart a deep, satisfying flavor. The perfectly formed pillowy pasta is made at Casa Mia and the salty pecorino brings out the lovely flavor of the fennel. It’s a large, satisfying dish and an excellent choice for cooler nights.

“It’s pretty heavy with a down-home Italian feel,” Brissey says.

THE INFO: Casa Mia, at 337 E Indiantown Road in Jupiter, is open Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Phone: (561) 972-6888. | Directions, invite a friend