Rainy daze and good eats

We could tell it was gonna be one of those days.... Started early with a sky full of dark ominous clouds, a brisk north wind chilled the balmy morning quickly, then booming thunder followed by rain. But, the forecast was for it to pass early in the day so we decided to go into Palm Beach to pick up a few parts then Carmine's Deli just for the fun of it.
Carmine's is a world class deli and gourmet grocery store. Cheese, Sausages, Oils, vinegars, fresh seafood, top shelf meats, fresh pasta, just baked breads, and I could go on for hours. Carmines is a culinary destination, not just a deli and grocery store.

When we arrived the parking lot was full, it was raining buckets, and we were soaked by the time we got in.
The place was fully jammed with patrons scurrying around with their little carts, groping produce, gawking at the pre-cooked gourmet ready to eats, staring in awe at the enormous cheese counter, and hypnotized by the deserts in the bakery. And with all that, oddly enough, we did not see many of them actually buying anything. We were able to check out, with only one cashier, without standing in line. Interesting.

More on page 2.

So we picked up a few things we would never find anywhere else then waded back out into the rain and on to the Food Shack.  Which is another story.

The Food Shack is in Jupiter, just up US 1 a few miles from Palm Beach. It's in a strip mall, hidden away in the corner. Looking at the place from the outside, one wouldn't think that this is, yet, another culinary destination. Even walking inside you would think it's just a bar... but in fact, it's truly a fabulous yet funky little bistro.

Cut from one of their reviews in Off the Broiler

The restaurant’s chef and owner, Mike Moir, hails originally from Toronto, Canada, and has travelled across Asia and has been exposed to many international cuisines. He’s assembled a kitchen team from Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Italy, Greece, Mexico and Guatemala, all who contribute to the restaurant’s cuisine, resulting in an eclectic menu that looks like it’s completely all over the map. The result is absolutely delicious. Additionally, the restaurant is one of the prime consumers of fresh vegetables and fruit in the entire area — Chef Mike bragged to me that his daily produce bill is over $600. That number doesn’t surprise me, considering the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables the restaurant uses in every dish. You’re definitely going to get your veggies if you come here for dinner.

The place is always crowded and a wait is expected unless you show up early, I mean even earlier than the Early Bird Special crowd. 3 to 4 in the afternoon is usually our favorite time to go. We just order appetizers, or small plates, and a good beer or glass of wine... or two.

Culinary Jazz 

is how the Palm Beach Post food critic described it.

Always the freshest seafood and vegetables to be found in the area.
If you're close to Jupiter, this is a must go restaurant. Unless you don't like really good food at a reasonable price.

The menu changes daily.

So... this is how we came out of our rainy daze on this day... Good Eats.


Adios,

Istaboa