Abe and Louie’s French onion soup
Q. I recently ate at Abe and Louie’s in Boca Raton. Would it be possible to get their recipe for their French onion soup? It’s the best I have ever had.— Steve Cherry, Coral Springs
A. Certain published recipes spark follow-up reader frenzy for their favorite renditions, as in today’s featured recipes for French onion soup andKey lime pie. Any classic American steakhouseworth theirweight in beef offers this soup on their menu. Abe and Louie’s (Glades Plaza, 2200 Glades Road, Boca Raton, 561-447-0024, abeandlouies.com) is no exception. Part of the Tavistock Restaurant Collection, Abe and Louie’s is one of the company’s 16 national, upscale dining brands spanning coast to coast. Closer to home youmay have frequented siblings Timpano, with locations in Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, or contemporary Orlando restaurants ChromaModern Bar + Kitchen and Canvas Restaurant& Market.
Abe and Louie’s got its start in Boston in 1998. The Boca Raton expansion took place in 2005 andwas soon tagged as one of Palm Beach County’s go-to steakhouses for prime cuts, an award-winning wine list and attentive service. Boca’s executive chef, Patrick Bouffard, was kind enough to share the French onion soup au gratin recipe and a few tips.
“This is our most popular soup. It has been on the menu for 12 years,” he said. “Be sure to sauté the onions until you get a rich, caramel color. This will bring out the sweetness and reduce the sherry until almost dry.”
Thanks to the cast and crew at Abe and Louie’s for bringing this recipe to print.
Q. The onlyKey lime pie I have ever loved came fromthe oldestwaterfront restaurant in Florida, The OldKey Lime House in Lantana. Can you get the recipe for it? --Eric Golub, Boynton Beach
A. The OldKey LimeHouse (300 E. Ocean Ave, Lantana, 561-582-1889, oldkeylimehouse.com) was built in 1889 and claims the title of oldestwaterfront restaurant in Florida. Some people visit the multilevel eatery for their crab cakes, conch fritters and, of course, Key lime pie. Others travel for the tiki bar, live music and cocktails. But everyone comes for the Intracoastal views. They don’t take reservations andweekends especially drawcrowds, so plan accordingly.
OldKey LimeHouse’sKey lime pie recipe is a Sun Sentinel reader favorite and appeared in the paper in 2012. Floridians have very staunch views on theirKey lime pie recipes, and this one always seems to stand up to the rest. I’ll let you be the final judge.