Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Pear and goat cheese salad with staying power
Q: I’ve been a longtime fan of Café Chardonnay. I love their pear and goat cheese salad. Can you please ask the chef for the recipe? I’d like to try and make it for my next dinner party. — Stewart Auville, West Palm Beach
A: Apparently there are a lot of longtime fans of Café Chardonnay (4533 PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens, 561-627-2662, cafechardonnay.com). Now in their 32nd year, husband and wife partners Frank and Gigi Eucalitto opened their doors in 1986. Frank started out in the kitchen as executive chef developing recipes based on local ingredients and seasonal flavors. In the early days Gigi wore many hats, keeping tabs on the dining room, training staff and developing a successful catering department. Nowadays, the pair are still very hands-on overseeing the business, yet their longtime employees — some have been with them since the beginning — handle the day-to-day operations.
Frank shared his insight on the longevity of the restaurant: “A lot has changed in Palm Beach Gardens. We’ve weathered a few recessions over the years and watched the growth of area restaurants increase from 50 to over a hundred starting in 2006 with the opening of Legacy Place and Downtown at the Gardens. Consistency, dedicated staff and never compromising on quality has been our model for success. We are also very involved with the community — Chamber of Commerce, doing special events and charity work.”
Frank developed the salad recipe with one of his chefs based on flavors and textures. The pear and almond crusted goat cheese salad has been on the menu for the past 15 years. The combination of caramelized pears, creamy, tangy goat cheese, crisp almonds, sweet dried cranberries and an acidic bite of Champagne vinaigrette has been a favorite of many and stood the test of time.