Foodies Take West Palm Beach
Sometimes, you just need a foodie adventure with your foodie friends. I recently got together with a group of those friends and we took our talents to West Palm Beach. I’ve been to West Palm before on account of the foodie life (you can find some more on that experience here) and decided It was time to come back and discover more.
This time, I headed North on the Brightline. You may be familiar with the Brightline, since the addition of the station in Fort Lauderdale was kind of a big deal. The train has made a big impact for commuters, who like me, would much rather be on a nice train for half an hour than being in traffic for 2. There are talks of expansion to Orlando and I am here. for. it.
For this particular occasion, we rode SELECT. The SELECT experience is truly first class as it includes a number of perks. Parking is included with your ticket, SELECT ticket holders get priority boarding and their own private SELECT lounge that has snacks and drinks. Speaking of drinks, they’re complimentary too. This includes anything from Illy coffee (which just so happens to be my favorite coffee brand, Hi Illy!), orange juice, beer, wine and champagne. Drinks are available and served both in the lounge and served on the train. This is a particularly fun way to pre-game if you ask me.
The seats are bigger and more spacious as those in SMART (although I do want to point out that this isn’t to say in SMART are tiny, they aren’t) and the exceptional service doesn’t stop here. On the train, you are offered more snacks and beverages of your choice AND you are given wet towels for your hands. Truly, something I didn’t know I needed until then. In all of about 35 minutes, we made it to West Palm.
First stop was at the Hilton West Palm Beach. You ever notice that nice hotels have that pleasant smell to them? The location is beautiful with large windows in the back showcasing the pool area and palm trees. We made our way to the Manor, Hilton’s onsite restaurant, for Brunch. The tables overlook the pool area and is VERY much a brunch vibe. The mimosas were great, and the food, even better. I ordered the fish tacos, which were very good. They had a nice kick to them, which in my opinion, fish tacos should have. Mimosas were drank, foods were passed around, the atmosphere was great. I definitely also recommend trying the milanesa. Its breaded (flattened) chicken with arugula on top. Wonderful!
Next stop was Lost Weekend. A very fun bar concept, great for a day or night out with friends or a date if you’re looking for a more laid back and entertaining experience. Really, it’s like an arcade bar, but with food you actually want to eat! There’re pool tables, skeeball, pinball machines and other games I’m not quite familiar with but still tried to play any way. I recommend the fish tacos and the nachos (add brisket, trust).
This next spot is a must for coffee and pastry lovers. Johan Joe’s is a Swedish coffee house. They have their coffee imported from Sweden and the space is inspired by the chic and minimalistic Swedish style. The space is bright and open, simple and relaxing, and that is intentional.
It’s the idea space for what the Swedish call “Fika”, a coffee break. We were told that this is common in Sweden, a break from work where you can enjoy a cup of coffee (or whatever they prefer), have a treat, and reenergize before you go back to work. You’re encouraged to separate yourself from your work, take in some fresh air from the outdoors, engage with others, or don’t. Whatever fits your fancy. This concept is lovely to me, and I really think we could all benefit from taking a Fika or two a day.
Needless to say, the coffee was delicious and the treats, even better. I had something called “Semla”, a sweet roll that had almond butter on the inside and delicious whipped cream. I could eat a box of these.
Image by @foodmamacita
We made a final stop at Coyo Taco. If you’ve been to Miami, I’m sure the name rings a bell, as they are notorious in Wynwood. Like in Miami, you may walk into Coyo for tacos, and later find yourself in a backroom slinging back shots of tequila. In this night’s instance, it was a flight of Casa Amigo shots. You read that right, a FLIGHT. This flight is very well priced ($25 for 4 generous sized shots) and man does it go down smooth. We chased tequila with a number of different tacos: lobster, al pastor, alambre and fried grouper. If there is one thing you NEED to get besides tacos when you go to Coyo, it’s the churros. Maybe I just really like churros, or maybe these churros are phenomenal, but one thing is for sure, you need to try them for yourself.
Check out my foodie friends that joined in the adventure
@FoodMamacita
@Fluent_In_Food
@Never_Not_Eating
@LunchWithLaur
@GlutenFreeGalPal
Special thanks to all the restaurants participating, to Brightline for partnering with me to get us there, and to Jess (FoodMamacita) for coordinating this day with me and making it possible! So much goes behind the scenes to make these days possible!