Restaurant news, summer sips and farewell to the green market

A whirlwind of restaurant news, sips of summer and goodbye to the green market
The Falcon flies away. A month after Delray Beach’s Death or Glory bar closed, its vintage space is reborn as The Falcon, a bar and restaurant serving globally-inspired sharing dishes and creative cocktails with cheeky names (dreamed up by the designer). team behind Boynton’s trendy Sweetwater whiskey bar).
The Falcon brings to life the ghosts of the former Falcon House bar, one of the former residents of the historic 1925 house. In fact, this new version is partly the brainchild of former Falcon House bartender Sean Inglehart, which then opened Sweetwater. He’s teamed up with Death or Glory owner Annie Blake, who helped dream up the new spot, which she describes as “a local haunt with a sexy atmosphere, great cocktails and global street food.” .
The Falcon’s kitchen is in the hands of veteran executive chef Mike Stuhlmuller, whose dishes have international echoes. They include Puerto Rican mofongo with crispy pork belly, handmade drunken Thai noodles, Cypriot fried halloumi, Indian curry cauliflower, Lebanese lamb kofta and other bites.
Hours: Open Tuesday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to midnight. There is a daily happy hour from 5-7 p.m. On Sundays there is a “Bathrobe Brunch” from 11am to 3pm with live music – wear a kimono or bathrobe and you’ll get free booze for brunch. Reggae night takes place after Sunday brunch. (Closed on Mondays.)
The Falcon: 116 NE 6th Ave., Delray Beach, 561-808-8814
Meet Ben’s New Grand Chief
It’s veteran chef Marc Rosen, whose 40-plus-year career includes stints at Midtown Manhattan’s famed Russian teahouse, The Capital Grille, and, in recent years, as executive chef at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. , PGA National Resort and Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort. Plus decades of experience and many famous customers in between.
As executive chef of boutique hotel Ben, Rosen runs the kitchens of the boutique hotel’s main restaurant Proper Grit Whiskey Library and Supper Club and the popular rooftop Spruzzo Lounge. At Proper Grit, Rosen’s menu is steakhouse-inspired as the restaurant returns to its chophouse roots after a gastro-pubby period.
Rosen is an impressive cook who can turn even a simple burger or cheesesteak into a truly memorable bite. I can’t wait to try his dishes at Ben.
The Ben: 251 N. Narcissus Ave., West Palm Beach, 561-655-4001
swirling summer
Technically, it may not be summer yet, but my blender has been working overtime, as it would in the sweltering August sweltering. In the morning I will make a healthy agua fresca by adding fresh aloe pulp, a stalk or two of celery, blueberries, water and a drizzle of honey, mixing over high heat and straining into a large jar for a refreshing sip.
When stormy afternoons make me crave soup, I chop up all the fresh vegetables my heart desires (zucchini, cauliflower, collard greens, maybe some spinach), add them along with rinsed cannellini beans, a dollop of batter of fresh sofrito (garlic, onion, coriander stems, maybe bell pepper, olive oil, mixed) and seasonings in a pan and stir a bit, add water to cover and simmer until until they are tender. Many times I blend the soup until smooth. A luxurious sip at dinner.
And sometimes I make an easy oatmeal horchata for lunch or an afternoon snack, adding a quick little scoop of oats to the blender with some protein powder, cinnamon, a splash of oat milk, water, ice and honey and blend until completely smooth. Would I like it to be an old-fashioned mango shake, made with garden fruit and Farm Stores vanilla ice cream in my mom’s vintage Osterizer in Hialeah from the 1970s ? Totally. But those batidos from my childhood – I’ve talked about them in this story – now live on in my memories, and they’re just as delicious as ever.
Speaking of sips…
Today is National Iced Tea Day, which reminds me of some of my favorite sips of iced tea:
Refreshing ‘Hivebiscus’ tea from Hive Bakery and Café. The newly opened Hive does it with hibiscus flowers, honey and orange bitters and it’s my new favorite sip. (1603 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, 561-360-2196)
Khartoum Hibiscus Iced Tea from Joy Noodles. He mixes green tea with the flower of Khartoum grown on the Nile. It’s delicious with lunch at Joy Noodles. (2200 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, 561-655-5212)
Ethiopian spiced tea from the Queen of Sheeba. The restaurant’s owner/chef, Lojo Washington, serves this tea primarily hot, but it’s a dream come true when iced. Its blend of spices – like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and other spices – makes it a flavorful tea that doesn’t need sugar. (716 N. Sapodilla Ave., West Palm Beach, 561-514-0615)
It’s the last Saturday of Swank Farm Market
Until October, that is. Tomorrow (June 11) is the last day of the season for the popular Swank Farm Green Market, where more than 25 vendors gather at the Loxahatchee Groves Farm’s pole barn.
The market, which offers a good variety of local and regional produce grown or made, runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. If you’ve never been there, here’s some info on a local road closure and alternate routes. (14311 North Road, Loxahatchee Groves, 561-202-5648)
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Have a delicious weekend!
Liz Balmaseda