Thinking about doing a low key anniversary this year (weekend of Feb. 16) by just driving over to Boca from home in Naples for a couple nights. Haven't been in years. Dining ideas? I've heard of Six Tables, but not sure how hard it is to score a reservation there or if it's even worth it -- anyone? Other places -- we're very open to anything probably more fine dining -- but not excited about those trendy super loud places? Things to do -- other than shopping? We'd probably stay at the Hyatt Place -- we have lots of free nights.

I've eaten at Six Tables. I thought it middling food and not worth the price tag.

Patrick would you consider West Palm or Palm Beach instead of Boca? Or even Delray, which you could, of course, access easily from Boca. I am here for four months now every year, north of Boca, and we go to Boca very rarely and never to eat. Many restaurants are jammed, loud, and priced equivalent to Manhattan with food that is way below asking price in quality.

West Palm has some historic areas and some good places to eat. Palm Beach has the Norton Museum and the restaurant, Buccan, whose owner/chef is a James Beard winner and an all around nice guy and terrific cook. We have a more or less standing reservation for one night a week. Never mind all the reviews that talk about how trendy the place is. My partner goes in shorts, I usually go in jeans, each and every one of the staff we have met is super friendly. Food is modern, varied, and very fair in price. they also have Imoto Japanese next door.

And that is not the only restaurant in the area, by any means. We like Regional, near Kravis Center, and there are many we have not tried due to our connection with Buccan. Pistache, Avocado Grilll, etc

I know next to nothing about 6 Tables but it might, or might not, tell you something that I have not had a desire to eat there in my more than 4 winters here, and we could easily drive there. If we are forced to eat in that area, we go to 50Ocean in Delray which is quite good without that "snazzy" Boca vibe which I just do not care for.

I don't know about hotels, sorry, but if you need more info on restaurants, feel free to ask as that, along with cooking at home, is my main interest while down here. I did get good reports about a French place in Deerfield, just south of Boca. MInd you, this is a favorite of a relative who is in her 80s, but knows a bit about area restaurants; take a look if you do end up in Boca. I have never been there, though, and doubt if I will make the trip.

Le Val de Loire - French Restaurant

If you end up in West Palm or near there, apart from Buccan and Regional, both having James Beard chefs on site, you might look at Grato (Italilan,same owner as Buccan, but very noisy, good lunch deals; in the heart of Antique Row along Dixie Highway). Okechobee Steak House has lots of local fans.

Just to the north, there are some good places in Jupiter including Coolinary Cafe and Little Moirs.

If a main interest is food, I would avoid Boca. And I would steer clear of Atlantiic Avenue in Delray, again, far overpriced for food that does not quite measure up in my book. Although I do have Delray Goodies on my list, a new northern Chinese biang place (pancakes with a Chinese twist) but not what you are seeking, I'm pretty sure.

Hmmm. Well since part of the idea was using up a couple free Hyatt nights -- and they aren't available in West Palm, that's kind of out. There is a Hyatt Place in Delray I didn't know about, so maybe that's a thought. Of course one thing keeps coming up from my other half. "Wait a minute. We live in Naples with hundreds of really good restaurants. Why are we going to the East Coast for more of the same". Good question. I guess as usual I'm still living in the past. La Vielle Maison in Boca was my favorite Florida restaurant of all time and we used to go spend the night just to eat there, but it's been gone for ages -- guess I have to face facts. You can't go back again. And no one seems to want quiet, elegant, fine dining in Florida anymore.

The NEW Vielle Maison in Boca. Agree that the old one was a favorite. Waiting for a special occasion to try it.

LNM Boca | A French Resturant

Wow. Had no idea. It does look great. I just find it hard to believe there aren't some really fine restaurants in Boca Raton. How would that be possible? But I am aware living in Naples that some say "I'd never go to Fifth Avenue in Naples -- it's all so snotty and overpriced". I couldn't disagree more with that.

How would that be possible?

Depends on what you call 'fine' I suppose and given the well-documented history of TG and the absolute disdain for Florida I'd be wary of that recommendation.

Are you hearing the folks down in Miami asking, "Boca where?"

Yes, I dislike Florida, but am happy to acknowledge that there is some really good food there. It just isn’t at Six Tables, or really in Boca generally. Miami, on the other hand, has lots of good restaurants and even some great ones, like NAOE. Boca (and the other tertiary cities in that area) suffers, IMO, because it is too close to Miami. Most ambitious, skilled chefs are going to want to be in Miami, not Boca.

Six Tables charges $100 for a pedestrian menu. By their own admission the concept is designed to be a chain. The food is uninteresting and tired. Frankly, any half-decent steakhouse would be a better choice, unless the conceit of one seating per night really excites you.

I’ve been to the art museum in Boca Raton. Don’t recommend it, either, unless they’ve got a good temporary exhibit — found their permanent collection to be of no interest.

The Norton Museum in West Palm Beach however is well worth visiting, and they apparently will be reopening on February 9 after having been closed for several months worth of renovation.

Have fun, whatever you decide to do.

Especially if you are a photographer, otherwise just stroll and relax.

https://morikami.org/

Travelgourmet, how many of the over 200 major restaurants in Boca have you eaten at to know that there just isn't fine dining generally in Boca? Maybe half of them -- 100? Just curious. I still remember when I dared suggest that Naples had some "world class dining" you ranted that the very idea was absurd, but never mentioned a single visit to Naples or any comments on where you ate if you did. Of course dining is very personal, but when restaurants have been listed in the top 100 in the US by several sources (as the NML in Boca), they are rarely places I would discount as being pedestrian. When you ate at La Nouvelle Maison, what didn't you like about it?

If there are really good restaurants in Boca, they keep them hidden. No, I haven’t eaten at all of them, but I’ve done a fair amount of searching to find those considered the best and have never been impressed. For example, most every list includes Farmers Table. It isn’t bad at all, but if it is making a top ten list (and it routinely does), well it ain’t a dining paradise.

As for LNM... Personally I found it beyond pretentious and wildly overpriced. It is the sort of place that is gratuitously expensive because, well, the clientele thinks that makes the food better. Better than Six Tables, though, and by quite a lot. It actually might be a good choice (though it can be loud) if you are committed to Boca. If you wanted a steakhouse (and if you liked the menu at Six Tables, you could get most of it at a steakhouse) Abe & Louie’s is also a very good choice.

yes, your information is really nice which is really good for us.

Travelgourmet, one more question. How recently did you eat at LNM?

adamfrizzer, thanks for registering on Fodors just so you could post on this thread.

A couple years ago. I believe they changed the chef, but the menu is basically the same.

Well that does it then. We all know that the chef has nothing to do with the quality of the food.

1) It actually depends on the restaurant and chef.
2) I am not certain that they changed the chef and I can’t seem to find any current information as to who is running the kitchen, which suggests that it isn’t someone with a remarkable pedigree.
3) This was never a truly chef-centered restaurant and was really started as a concept by a larger corporate group.
4) As noted, the menu hasn’t appreciably changed from what I can see, which makes sense for a concept restaurant, without a notable chef.

This thread has gotten so out of control. Sorry if I suggested from the start that I only wanted to go somewhere that had one of the finest restaurants in the world. We love good food. We love a nice atmosphere. We love some civility and sense of peace and quiet. We are not looking for the dining experience of a lifetime. Thanks, anyway, travelgourmet. Your opinions and mine about dining are worlds apart. And after reviewing the menu and the prices, I'm astounded that you seem to indicate for those prices (which seem fair and moderate) we should expect a world class chef, and that their prices are considerable "wildly overpriced" because of some imagined " the clientele thinks that makes the food better." But my favorite thing is that YOU tend to put down places because they are "pretentious". That's really rich.

The problem with Boca that I see is that there are scads of old-ish people from the NE suburbs who are not the people I would trust for dining recommendations. I know which places are popular with some of that crowd and I would not eat there. I'm not talking about the French places cause that's not my thing and I've never been to any down here. But take a look at some of the supposedly high-end "fine" Italian ones..oh my goodness, the menus are so outdated and the mispellings and frankly, lies on some of those menus would mean you could not drag me in there for free. "Wild Scottish salmon??"
"Wild branzino (Chilean sea bass)??" I could go on and on and on......of course not ALL of the restaurants are like this but for snobs like me who look to James Beard-nominated chefs, have traveled widely, would rather go to a dump in Elmhurst with "real" Indonesian food to some kind of fake "Continental" dining in south Florida (And I exclude Miami here cause they do have some great places) and would rather cook at home than have mediocre, overpriced food out, most of the places down here are just not very good in my opinion. Believe me, I've been looking every winter for about 6 years now and the only great meals I've had are either at BBQ joints, in restaurants in Palm or West Palm (there are two JB chefs there that I like) or in restaurants in Miami. In Delray, as I said, 50 Ocean is good for seafood. And in Lantana there is Oceano Kitchen which is superb but not for everyone and certainly not fancy. That's my kind of place.


OceanoKitchenMenu.pdf

Look at some reviews in the Palm Beach Post if you want more info. Looks like just one place in Boca, a Haitian restaurant, got a mention in this summary:


https://www.palmbeachpost.com/entert...m-beach-county

This is the menu I referred to, above. We have great shrimp in coastal Florida. Tell me what you guys this of this and see if you agree with me about some of the points about the menu I made, above.

https://www.arturosrestaurant.com/menu/

When I first came down here about 6 years ago I had dinner at a "top rated" fish place. I asked about the salmon and was told that it was local. That is the kind of thing I'm talking about here...as I said, I am a tough critic and do not expect anyone to share my thoughts...

Here is another favorite of the locals I know..note the "Asian shrimp."


https://keegrillbocaraton.com/menus/