LUNCH AT 3800 OCEAN

Singer Island’s most delectable food isn’t just for dinner anymore.

The beachfront 3800 Ocean restaurant is now open for lunch at the Marriott Singer Island Resort & Spa.

That means the chefs of 3800’s collective kitchen are whipping up their fish-centric, seasonally inspired dishes from 11 a.m. each day. The menu isn’t short on tempting offerings:

Conch fritters with curry remoulade ($10), Caribbean beer-battered Mahi Mahi with crispy yuca, and mango-lime and mojo dipping sauces ($24), local mozzarella and tomato panzanella salad with a Chianti vinaigrette ($14), grilled peach and baby lettuce salad with crispy pancetta, candied hazelnuts and gorgonzola dressing ($14), Grilled Chicken Pretzel Club aged cheddar, arugula, bacon, tomato, garlic aioli ($15), orecchiette with house-made sausage, cannellini beans, rapini and San Marzano tomatoes ($22) – you get the idea.

For dessert, there’s our favorite: coconut ice cream soufflé in a half coconut shell, with layers of caramel and toasty coconut ($8).

3800 OCEAN: 3800 N. Ocean Drive, Singer Island; (561) 340-1795.

— Liz Balmaseda

PUB GRUB

The bar bites are worth lingering over at the warmly appointed Assaggio del Forno, restaurateur Dennis Max’s rustic-chic eatery in Boca. (Hello, gastronomes, there’s a salumi bar. Think house-cured sopressata, prosciutto, coppa and bresaola.)

But our favorite bite to pair with a happy hour libation here is the hot pepper Milanese ($5 each). This is a pepper stuffed with sausage and cheese, and fried to a delicate crisp. It has just enough spice to wake up the palate and the right texture to enhance the flavor.

Linger long enough and you just may be hungry again, which is just fine – in addition to its house-cured meats, Assaggio also offers a nightly polenta special. Delicious.

Assaggio del Forno: 3011 Yamato Road, Boca Raton; (561) 613-6460; AssaggioDelForno.com

— Carlos Frias