E.R. Bradley's Saloon is still a West Palm Beach Treasure

It’s strange that I am just getting around to reviewing E.F. Bradley’s Saloon in downtown West Palm Beach; I’ve eaten there more times than I can count. Bradley’s is such an institution in West Palm Beach that it almost feels that it doesn’t need a review because everyone already has an opinion.

When I lived in downtown WPB, I often enjoyed Sunday brunch at Bradley’s. I had never been there at any other time of day until recently. A Facebook tarot friend, Jenna Matlin, was coming to town, and I would get to meet her in person for the first time, with a few other friends. Where should we meet? She was coming from the cold northeast, so I wanted her to catch our South Florida vibe. E.F. Bradley’s was the perfect choice.

We ate outside, with a view of the water, entertained by the birds, lizards and even a turtle. There were four of us at the table, laughing, reading tarot cards and sharing stories. We didn’t even look at the menus for the first twenty minutes, but our waitress, Piper, was patient with us for our entire two-drink, three-hour lunch.

When we did finally crack open the menu, I was thrilled with the variety of choices. This is a place you can bring all your friends, whether paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan.

The food itself was fabulous. I took a risk and ordered the Tuna Tartare, with mango, avocado and plantain chips. It was beautiful to behold and even better to eat. My daughter is a connoisseur of South Florida fish tacos (it’s a thing) and loves the Baja Fish Tacos at Bradley’s.

Jenna was pleased that the fried pickles were chips and not spears. They were indeed a guilty pleasure!

E.F. Bradley’s is a saloon. This may not be the best place to bring your grandparents, a business meeting, or a first date, depending on the time of day and the tone you want to set.

For my special lunch event, the menu, food, location and service at Bradley’s couldn’t be beat. It was West Palm Beach at its finest, without a heavy price tag.

They offer valet parking as well. I forgot this fact and fed the meters. One of our group got a parking ticket. Learn from our mistake and valet your car, but don’t let the hassle of coming downtown keep you from this iconic West Palm Beach treasure.

Jenna carefully explained the importance of the shape of fried pickles to Piper.

Jenna approves of these pickles.

Capital Tacos: A Local Treasure

Photo: "01 Tacos al Pastor" by William Neuheisel - Flickr: Tacos al Pastor. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

In a land where corporate restaurant chains and franchises rule, you never know when or where you might find a unique restaurant that does something different and special.

I found a real treasure in a very unlikely place. On Land O’Lakes Boulevard in Land O’Lakes, tucked in a corner of a strip mall (easy to miss) is Capital Tacos.

Capital Tacos is a small restaurant with a big menu. Most of its business is take-out, but there are a few tables both inside and outside if you want to eat in. As tiny as the place is, the atmosphere is fun and friendly.

With all the taquerias in Florida, you have to make a great taco to be viable competition. Capital Tacos offers fresh Tex-Mex style tacos with a variety of fresh, creative fillings.  The entire menu is available as tacos, burritos, wet burritos, bowls, nachos or salad; even the breakfast tacos!

A few things set Capital Tacos apart from other taco joints.  First, the menu is exciting and extensive, with something for every taste, including the adventurous and the vegetarian. The food is fresh and healthy, but if you want, you can try something delicious that will make your doctor cry, like hand-cut potato chips with a bucket of queso dip.

Capital Tacos takes pride in cooking fresh ingredients from scratch, and making them available for a low price. I paid under thirty dollars for lunch for four hungry people. You can bet we’ll be back!

 

Cha Cha Japanese Café - A Hidden Treasure

Cha Cha Japanese Café
155 South State Rd 7
Wellington, FL

Cha Cha Japanese in Wellington, FL is a very special hidden treasure. It is small, and in the back of a plaza. Boxes of Pocky are available at the counter and the TV in the corner is tune to an all-Japanese station. Your anime-loving teen will be in heaven here.

If you like real Japanese food, you will be in heaven, too. The prices are reasonable and the service is fast and friendly. Cha Cha is family-owned and serves the local Japanese community.

We ordered tea which turned out to be a traditional teapot of smoked green tea. The miso soup and seaweed salad were amazing. My friend and I split a bowl of hot and sour Ramen. It was super spicy but really delicious.

For our main course my friend got teriyaki chicken, which came with broccoli and sprouts. It was a lovely presentation, and delicious.

I got the Ten-Don, which is tempura and rice. I also couldn't resist a vegetarian sushi roll.

With everything we ordered we had a feast of flavors and textures. Everything was beautifully prepared and presented.

My favorite was the sushi, which was fresh and inexpensive. The next time I want to eat a sinful amount of sushi I know exactly where to go!