Vegan Planta comes to West Palm Beach
Planta vegan restaurant opens new location in Rosemary Square
Burgers, tater tots, tacos and sushi, all without a single trace of meat or fish, have come to West Palm Beach via upscale vegan eatery Planta at still-buzzy Rosemary Square.
The 7,000-square-foot Planta comes from executive chef David Lee (Ouzo Bay in Boca Raton, Sushi Garage in Miami Beach) and Steven Salm’s Chase Hospitality Group, which operates Planta’s glitzy South Beach location south of Fifth Avenue. It’s Planta’s first Palm Beach County restaurant.
Planta showcases all-vegan, plant-based versions of comfort food — for now a white-hot trend in South Florida — including truffle burgers, coconut ceviche, meat lover’s pizza and creamy bucatini pasta with mushroom Bolognese.
Chef David Lee’s sushi bar is stocked with plant-based fish: Dehydrated watermelon, for example, mimics the texture of fatty tuna. Coconut ceviche is crafted with raw coconut meat scooped from the shell to re-create the texture of fish, with corn nuts, date guajillo and pickled cucumber sprinkled on top.
The majority of Lee’s menu typically uses vegetables, fruits
and whole grains to imitate dairy and meat ingredients; a layer of cashew-based mozzarella, for example, blankets Planta’s eggplant lasagna. Instead of sausage as a pizza topping, Lee layers protein-filled farro, or dried wheat grains.
“Planta is not an alternative to anything, and diners here say there’s been no sacrifice with plant-based dining,” Salm says. “It’s just a good restaurant that’s better for the planet and better for your health.”
Being a celebrity magnet certainly helped Planta’s growth. A critically heralded jewel from the moment it debuted in March 2018 in South Beach, Planta was brought over from Toronto with clout and backing from restaurateur-club impresario David Grutman. Grutman’s Groot Hospitality (LIV, Story) know-how quickly courted famous faces including Pharell and DJ Khaled, and models Hailey Baldwin and Bella Hadid, who hyped the eatery to social-media followers. (Grutman isn’t involved with Planta West Palm Beach, Salm says.)
For now, Salm is keeping mum about new additions to Rosemary Square’s menu, saying it will include two new entrees, two new salads, two new sushi rolls and a pizza.
Tiled, white-washed walls brighten Planta’s dining room, adorned in white-oak flooring, while garage-style doors roll up for streetside alfresco dining. Herbs, microgreens and vegetables are handpicked from Planta’s patio garden and used in most plates and even some cocktails, he says.
Planta arrives as downtown Rosemary Square rebounds from the pandemic with a wave of new restaurants opening by summer, including True Food Kitchen, specializing in health-conscious fare; Bonito’s, dishing tostadas and tacos; and Barrio, serving classic Latin street food.
Planta West Palm Beach is at 700 S. Rosemary Ave., Suite 142. Hours of operation is 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, with brunch 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.