Discount dining in Delray Beach
Summer dining deals have broken out across South Florida, and budget-conscious diners will find some of the deepest discounts on Delray Beach’s restaurant row, Atlantic Avenue.
As with other restaurant destinations, Atlantic Avenue – even with recently expanded patio seating – has struggled to entice skittish customers to fill half-empty dining rooms amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Which is why this year’s summer promotion, Downtown Delray Beach Restaurant Month, needed to dramatically evolve, says Laura Simon, executive director of the city’s Downtown Development Authority.
“It’s a scary time,” Simon says. “You look at our vibrant downtown, and the customers aren’t there. It’s quiet. Every day there are new rules about curfews and in-room dining. And we were like, ‘What little can we do to help them survive?’ ”
The solution: Better deals, more breath
To obtain winning numbers of payouts from other drawings, or for game information and data on how lottery dollars are spent: ing room. Formerly called Dine Out Downtown Delray, the 2020 edition expands from a week to a full month from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31. At least 40 restaurants along the bustling Atlantic Avenue and Pineapple Grove corridors will take part in the feeding frenzy, offering multi-course lunches and dinners for $18 and up – with most in the $25 to $40 range – not including tax, drinks or tip. (Some restaurants won’t offer the deal on Fridays and Saturdays.)
Last year’s Delray Beach promotion set fixed prices on dinners ($40) and lunches ($15), but this year restaurants have more “wiggle room” to charge what they want, Simon says. For example Rose’s Daughter, featuring scratch-made Italian food from chef Suzanne Perrotto,
is doing a $58 fourcourse prix-fixe, while off Atlantic Avenue, City Oyster and Sushi Bar will dish a $49 three-course menu. Some deals are cheaper than in previous years, such as Johnnie Brown’s $18 two-course lunch and dinner.
Other big changes: Most participating restaurants will honor takeout and delivery, but diners should call ahead to confirm. Many of the promotion’s culinary events have gone virtual, including classes devoted to pizza making, sushi rolling and cocktail making. In-person classes can accommodate up to 10 people. (Note: Mask-wearing is mandatory in Palm Beach County.)
Where to dine out in Delray? To give readers more options, we highlighted four restaurants offering deals for takeout, delivery and dine-in.
Taru at Sundy House
106 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach; 877-439-9601 or SundyHouse.com
Chef James Strine (Buccan, Grato, the Breakers) debuted his new “New Florida Cuisine” menu in late June inside the historic Sundy House, dishing an unexpected collision of seafood and comfort food. Taru’s $35 Monday-Saturday deal starts with steamed carrot bun with barbecue rabbit and cabbage slaw; brioche-crusted swordfish on a bed of garlic potato puree and dark beer jus for entrée; and churros with guava-cheesecake ice cream for dessert. Takeout or dine-in only.
Caffe Luna Rosa
This oceanfront Italian mainstay, open since 1993, offers its $35 prix-fixe dinner deal for daily takeout only (no dine-in or delivery), and the menu rotates weekly. Dinner specials available this week begin with eggplant rollatini topped with San Marzano tomato sauce; braised boneless short rib in a red wine demi-glace; and tiramisu with espressosoaked ladyfingers.
Wine Room Kitchen and Bar
Its spacious cheese shop and wine wonderland (200 wines, 100 cheeses) is already enticement enough to visit. But stop admiring the charcuterie boards for a second and order the $35 wine dinner from executive chef Blair Wilson. Supper begins with red or white wine-by-the-glass, followed by baked Cedar Key clams in black garlic, Sambuca liqueur and herb butter; cava-brined pork chop with sweet potato and Brussels sprout hash. Want dessert? It’s $5 more for housemade ricotta doughnuts. Takeout or dine-in only.
Dada
52 N. Swinton Ave.; 561-330-3232 or SubCulture.org
A quaint culinary gem one block north of the Atlantic Avenue hullabaloo, Dada (from Sub-Culture Restaurant Group) boasts inventive American fare and a fine perch for al fresco people-watching. Its $35 prix-fixe dinner starts with black pepper baconwrapped dates with goat cheese and sherry gastrique; jalapeno agaveglazed salmon with Mexican quinoa and asparagus for main course; and dark chocolate mousse with whipped cheese and chocolate pearls for dessert. Dine-in only.
For more information, go to DowntownDelrayBeach. com/RestaurantMonth.