Page 11 - Boca Exposure - December '21

Boca Exposure, Page 11
Dining Out: You’ll Want A Shot Of This Bourbon,

But It Won’t Come Cheap!

By Alan Serinsky of Bocaire as I have been taught, the old “red velvet rope trick.” bit selective. I don’t like them chewy (that’s a given), don’t
Country Club. Hungry Al’s love As a magician (true fact), I know this doesn’t take a lot of like them over-breaded, don’t like them over-fried, and don’t
for food started very young. study to understand the gimmick. If you have ever traveled the like to feel they came out of a bag from the food purveyor.
Never satisfied with his Mom’s nightclub scene in urban cities, you would often see hordes of These, unfortunately, checked every box.
dishes, he started to cook his young partiers waiting behind a velvet rope strung the along Next on our trial run, Hungry L and Hungry D gave way
way through her “Betty Crocker the side of a building. Like corralled steer, they impatiently to the well described Truffle Burrata ($18). In one small
Cookbook.” During the years forge their way to the front door only to realize the promised movement of the fork penetrating the outer casing of what
to follow he spent many hours land is no more exciting than the club without the rope. seemed a homemade Burrata was a volcano lava-like stream
working in restaurants, both as server and cook, attending Ok … I fell for the trick and hype. Now, hopefully, Warren of a watery milky flow that left us drowning in disappointment.
cooking classes and traveling the world in an effort to expand makes Hungry Al (and guests) happy and content with the Missing was the rich buttery texture of this treat.
his palette. As a professional writer, Hungry Al offers his food and drinks served. Straight From The Kitchen: As a steakhouse, Warren’s
perspective on current food trends and guides you through First Impressions: Warren’s seems like it’s squeezed has its share of options for meat lovers – from burgers to
your local restaurant options. into the middle of a new strip center that’s anchored with smoke prime short ribs or the expected ribeye, strip and filet.
a new Joseph’s Market. But once you enter the large doors Hungry Al was the only diner who went for a meat selection.
Warren’s (Bourbon & Steakhouse) you magically seem to be transported back to a New Orleans In choosing the 8-ounce Carrara Wagyu Filet ($56), my fingers
15084 Log Road “speak easy” bar. All that’s missing is the smoky fog and were crossed to have an exceptional piece of protein. I’m
Delray Beach, FL 33446 a trio of jazz performers playing Body and Soul. Within thinking my fingers were not tightly crossed enough, because
(561) 455-4177 moments after your eyes glance the room, you will wonder there were some hits and misses.
warrendelray.com who is obsessed with whiskey as they line the shelves like The steak requested as a medium rare leaned more to the
decorated wallpaper. middle temperature, but the steak had a beautiful finished
Food For Thought: I find my way to this new restaurant There is a huge circular bar, and outdoor dining that make taste. The sides were less impressive, with a token fingerling
called Warren’s on the advice of Hungry Doctor R. Not you think they would never run out of table or bar space. There mashed potato and two lonely small asparagus stalks.
because it was his favorite dining destination, but more as an is also an open view kitchen behind glass, and the staff is very Hungry D No. 2 had selected the Almond Crusted
explorer set out to discover hidden dining treasures, or the accommodating for huge party gatherings. Alaskan Halibut ($34). Remember when I noted a Tuesday
pitfalls of the unknown. Prime Your Taste Buds: Before I discuss the starters, night? After one bite I was wondering if Wednesday or
So, taking a familiar trail I go directly to Open Table and it seems fitting at this point to discuss the whiskey menu later would have met the fish delivery on a better day.
try to reserve a table (those points do add up); but, sadly, to for you Pappy Van Winkle drinkers. First, all of these Totally overcooked, and what seemed by the table as a
no avail. Nor did I have any more luck with my Resy app. carefully selected spirits are delivered in ounces. No “funky” taste, left us underwhelmed.
Finally, I surrendered to calling the restaurant three days early, country club pours unless you’re an oil tycoon or a recent Hungry L was not falling for this steakhouse concept
only to find out they are totally booked unless dining at 9:30 lottery winner. Whiskeys are mostly delivered in 1-ounce and went outside the box with a Lobster Seafood Bolognese
p.m. is my preference. It’s not. or 2-ounce flight glasses. ($34). You would have thought that utilizing fresh pappardelle
Undiscouraged, I waited a week to make a Saturday night Now for the high rollers, you can impress your friends pasta, Maine lobster, scallops, jumbo shrimp and tasty San
reservation five days early. You guessed right. No such luck. (but not your banker) if you grab yourself a 1-ounce drink of Marzano tomatoes, the result would have been like dining on
Relinquishing defeat, I just settled for a Tuesday evening with Macallan 50-year scotch for a mere $5,000. Yes … you read the Piazza Navona in Rome. Keep dreaming. Sadly, the pasta
their only available time at 6:15 p.m. it right! Or, if you’re one to toast to a good sense of monetary was completely overcooked (easy to do with fresh pasta) and
Upon arriving on a Tuesday night, we find our table value, you can feel just as important with a 15-year-old the fish stock used for the Bolognese sauce was overpowering
waiting for us among all the other two dozen tables sitting 1-ounce Pappy Van Winkle bourdon for an easy $60. as the salt of the juice resonated throughout the dish. The
empty. Now reality sets in and I’m realizing that Warren But let’s not forget that Hungry Al is here for … food! seafood did not fare much better.
has figured out the oldest trick in the hospitality book: Tonight, we started out our evening with a shared fried
simply an economic principle of supply and demand. Or, Calamari ($16). I confess that when it comes to squid I’m a Dining Out on page 12

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