Restaurants – Page 71 – West Boca News

A Day in Davie

A few days ago we took a day trip to Davie. We started with Ally’s Comfort Cafe which will soon open another spot in Sunrise.
This is one of the best breakfast places in South Florida. We were there for lunch and it was packed. Here’s a panorama shot attempt.

And more conventional photos.

The staff were pleasant and Ally’s mom roams the room, obviously proud of her daughter.
Far and away the best item was the regular pancakes. They were unbelievably light and fluffy.

We also had the weekend special banana bread pancakes with maple cream cheese. These were also excellent though the cream cheese was a little on the sweet side.

We also had French toast and a special portabella mushroom omelette. They were good.

It’s a bit far if you’re just going for breakfast but if its on your way or you’re going to that area it’s worth going out of your way.
For the second part of our trip we went to the Young At Art Museum. It’s a long and impressive structure (panorama alert).

We went for the Maurice Sendak exhibit but that turned out to be a small part of it. There are many hands-on activities for kids and ours had a great time.
For example they had a Make a Monster table related to Sendak.

And a make your own zoetrope that was fun for at least one adult.

It’s a big place with a lot to do.
Last, here’s a video from a Wonderlandish part.
We meant to go roller skating at Kaboom but that’ll have to wait until next time.

First Watch in Mission Bay

We visited the relatively new First Watch in Mission Bay Plaza today for lunch. It’s more of a breakfast place but has a strong lunch menu as well.
It looks typical of Mission Bay shops and is located between Tijuana Flats and Dr. Perman’s office (near the gas station).

The interior is spacious and clean.

Today’s specials included a Bruleed Banana Waffle which looked tempting but none of us ordered it. There is a “Pick Two” option for lunch similar to Panera’s You Pick Two.
One of us had a chocolate chip pancake, enjoying it without even bothering with the syrup (which was served warmed – a nice touch). The whipped butter on top did disappear. I had a taste. It was a good pancake, about as good as at Original Pancake House.

We also had a BLTE which is a BLT with egg. The sandwich was good and came with a spring mix salad that had a nice light dressing.

Last was the Veg’d Out Omelette, which came with the same salad. The eggs were good and were overstuffed with tasty veggies and cheese. I took an extra pic to show how stuffed.

Overall it was a good lunch for three, $25 before tip. There is also a kids menu for $4.99 with both breakfast and sandwich options.

Lucky Palace in West Boca Square

We visited Lucky Palace for lunch last week. It’s a sit-down Chinese restaurant in West Boca Square. The plaza is on the northwest corner of 441 and Palmetto Park Road.

Unlike many Chinese restaurants, which focus on delivery, the interior is spacious.

One minor nice touch for lunch that you don’t see as much these days, we were served a bowl of fried noodles with mustard and duck sauce.

Our lunch combos included soup. One of us had Hot and Sour, and the other had Wonton. Both were good. As you’ll see in the pictures below, the entrees also came with an egg roll and fried rice.
For the main course, one of us had Mongolian Beef (aka beef with scallions), which had a sweet flavor. We both liked it.

Next, we had Honey Garlic Chicken and Shrimp. It was also sweet, almost too sweet but that perhaps should be expected with honey in the name. The chicken and shrimp were both breaded. The shrimp was particularly good, with breading that was thick and almost fluffy, kind of like what you would find on a corn dog. The chicken was okay but nothing special.

Overall it was a good meal at a reasonable price. About the worst we can say is that the decor is nothing special and could use an upgrade.

Parking at Delray Marketplace

Open a few months now, Delray Marketplace seems to be a success. The restaurants are busy. The Frank Theatres Cinebowl & Grille is a fun place and also seems packed. Here’s a panorama shot from inside.

There is, however, a big problem. The parking stinks. It’s completely inadequate. We don’t know where the blame lies, whether on the developer or the county. Probably both.
We’ve been here four or five times and parking has never been easy. If you come on a Friday or Saturday night for a movie, expect to park a quarter mile away near the Publix. In the photo below you get some idea how far that is.

Even the valet parking is problematic. Below is a photo of the line waiting for the valet in front of Burt & Max’s.

The parking problem will get worse. There are several places opening soon. The added traffic will exacerbate the situation.
We are hopeful that something will be done. We’ve heard rumors of a parking garage but nothing official.
Delray Marketplace is already great (other than the parking problem). Some, like Jeff Eats, wrongly predicted failure. He mocked the It’s Sugar candy store which was packed tonight.

With The Bridges filling up and more developments on the way, it’s not a stretch to picture another plaza like this in the not to distant future.

And hopefully the next one will get the parking right from the get go.

Chamber Happy Hour at Tijuana Flats

The West Boca Chamber will have a networking happy hour this evening at the new Tijuana Flats in Mission Bay Plaza.
Register on the West Boca Chamber events page.