Pelican Cafe, Lake Park, Palm Beach County, Florida

On our second night in Palm Beach Shores, Nancy and I went to the Pelican Cafe, “Where Nantucket Meets the Florida Keys.” The Pelican Cafe sits on US 1, or the Federal Highway in this stretch, in what had been a home.

There are two dining rooms, and a covered porch that has a roof and, in winter, heaters and plastic screens.

You’ve noticed the blue lighting. It’s very pronounced in the photographs, as you can see. There may be a way to fix that, but there aren’t any 10-year-olds around to teach me how. The effect actually was very subdued in person, and hardly noticeable.

The Pelican Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The breakfast offerings are varied, familiar, and appealing. The menu begins to trend Italian at lunch, and the Italian character is fixed at dinner, and very appealing.

Nancy and I were seated and met Rafael, our well informed, charming, and accommodating server. I ordered my usual highly complex cocktail ($16), and received an impressive version,

probably the most impressive I’ve had since La Ferme, with the perfect balance between the Maker’s Mark and the frozen water. We looked over the menu. Nancy and I had enjoyed a generous lunch at the Sailfish Marina, and Nancy was feeling a bit under the weather. We ordered a bosc pear salad to share ($15), and for Nancy just a bowl of butternut squash soup ($12). After a discussion with Rafael, who explained the kitchen’s responsiveness to the whims of customers respecting sauces, I settled on an off-menu special, mixed seafood over spaghetti with a Fra Diavola sauce.

First to arrive was the bread service, warm bread with a generous serving of hummus.  The bread had a pleasing flavor and texture, and the hummus had just a hint of cumin.

The kitchen split the salad for us, and it arrived in a pretty presentation. 

The salad had butter lettuce, ripe pears, roasted beets, and a generous amount of excellent blue cheese. The salad was a hit. Nancy also enjoyed her butternut squash soup. 

Last but certainly not least, my seafood.

Now that’s a whole lot of seafood, so much that I didn’t finish the dish. Well, I only left some spaghetti, but I’m not one to leave pasta. All of the seafood was fresh, and nothing was overcooked. The Fra Diavola sauce was down there at the bottom with the spaghetti, and I spooned some over the dish. The sauce was sensational, a huge mouthful of flavor.   One thing I noted was that the garlic slices still had texture. They hadn’t been cooked through, as I’d been doing. The result was not an overpowering garlic flavor but rather a depth of flavor from the various well-balanced seasonings.

This was a wonderful meal. I should note that my entree was pricey at $48, as I discovered when I got the bill. Don’t be alarmed, however. The menu offers a wide range of much more gently priced entrees, and the pizzas at 12 inches or more, are a tremendous bargain. This will not be our last meal at the Pelican Cafe, and it should be one of your first meals if and when you get to the Palm Beaches. The talented and accommodating kitchen is one you need to try.

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