The Godfather
The Godfather ($12) has been on Carmine’s take-out menu since it opened in 1988. Arsenio Quinones, who runs the deli counter, builds the ciabatta panini with slices of prosciutto di Parma, fresh mozzarella, arugula, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, extra virgin olive oil, and aged balsamic vinegar and serves it with a side of gourmet potato salad. “It invokes a Little Italy feel,” says Shelby Giardini, the granddaughter of owner Carmine Giardini. “It has been in my family for generations—my grandfather’s father made it for his own family.” 2401 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens; 561.775.0186
Buffalo Fried Chicken
Chef Chris Garvin was working in the kitchen at Stage and had a hankering for buffalo chicken. He roped in his boss, owner/Chef Pushkar Marathe, and the pair concocted a version with an “India meets the tropics” twist. Bell & Evans chicken thighs are marinated in yogurt with garlic, ginger, and smoked paprika, then doused in chickpea flour. After frying, the chicken is tossed with buffalo sauce spiced with lacto-fermented Fresno chilies and layered with blue cheese ranch dressing and a pineapple slaw. “It’s the perfect marriage of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy,” Marathe says of the sandwich ($16). 2000 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens; 561.408.3685
Maine Lobster Roll
“When we created the Maine lobster roll ($38) for AquaGrille, the intention was to riff on a popular classic from my childhood visits to New England,” says Executive Chef (and Top Chef alum) Stephen Asprinio. The artful dagwood is composed of steamed and diced lobster tossed with poached leeks, fines herbes, and a Tunisian harissa–spiked aioli. It’s then spooned onto a frico, or cheese-crusted brioche bun, and topped with crispy leeks. “The juxtaposition of leeks and lobster takes it over the top,” says Asprinio. 14121 U.S. Hwy. 1, Juno Beach; 561.355.0438
Crispy Chicken
Lindsay Autry knows how to fry chicken. The James Beard–nominated chef makes her mouthwatering iteration with tender, organic chicken she brines with lemon and rosemary. After dredging it in seasoned flour, it’s dipped in a buttermilk mixture and fried until crispy. “I really love the simplicity of this sandwich,” Autry says. “A few thoughtful ingredients create that special bite.” Her crispy chicken sandwich ($20) is layered on an Old School Bakery brioche bun with butter pickles and shredded romaine tossed with a house-made ranch dressing. PGA National Resort, 400 Avenue of the Champions, Palm Beach Gardens; 561.627.7015
Tuna Salad
Christopher’s Kitchen still follows the same recipe Christopher Slawson developed for his eponymous eatery in 2011. To make the tuna salad sandwich ($17), Chef Harvey Gonzalez folds healthy ingredients like apples, almonds, chickpeas, and cucumbers into a vegan mayo he then tops with alfalfa sprouts and slices of cashew cheese. Choose between Sullivan Street Bakery’s artisanal multigrain or gluten-free breads, or have it wrapped in a collard leaf for a low-carb option. Pints of the savory tuna salad are also available to-go in the market. 4783 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens; 561.318.6191
Classic Italian Hero
Chef Mario Mette’s interpretation of a classic Italian ($15) honors his Neapolitan roots. Bread sourced from the restaurant’s commissary in West Palm Beach is heaped with soppressata, ham, capicola, provolone, onion, lettuce, and tomato and drizzled with red wine vinaigrette. Then it’s rolled and sliced. “This is a very popular sandwich in Naples,” Mette says. “I wanted to bring a taste of Italy to Palm Beach County, and now it’s one of our bestsellers.” 1548 U.S. Hwy. 1, Jupiter; 561.203.2702 (also at 5320 Donald Ross Road, Palm Beach Gardens; 561.249.1822)
Tuna Tataki
Executive Chef Tavoris Ingram excels at cooking with fire. In 2016, he won the FRLA Rapid Fire Cooking Competition and now prepares flash-cooked dishes for The Twisted Tuna’s marine- focused menu—like the standout tuna tataki ($18). “We make ours with a twist,” says Ingram, whose version showcases seared blackened yellowfin tuna on a kaiser roll with Asian slaw, sake-marinated carrots, avocado, alfalfa sprouts, and a drizzle of eel sauce. The sandwich comes with twisted fries and cilantro slaw. 353 S. U.S. Hwy. 1, Jupiter; 561.406.2188
Chopped Pulled Pork
Mrs. Smokey’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q
The pulled pork ($7.25) at Mrs. Smokey’s has a magnetic appeal. “Customers have come all the way from Miami for one,” says Elisa Cap-lan, who owned six Memphis-style barbecue restaurants in New York and Florida before opening the Abacoa hot spot in 2003 with her husband, Chef Scott Howie. The pork is smoked overnight, and diners can create their own variations with rubs and sauces ranging from mild to tongue-torching. It’s served on a sesame seed bun and can be paired with extras like creamy coleslaw, tater tots, Caplan’s grandmother’s prized potato salad, and more. 5430 Military Trail, Jupiter; 561.557.3800
Prime Steak Sliders
“Whoever orders the slider ($7 each), we want them to have the same reaction as someone who orders our 38-ounce tomahawk steak—that it’s the best bite of steak they’ve ever had,” says Executive Chef Jamie Steinbrecher. Following the Lewis family’s proprietary 75-year-old dry-aging process, the prime filet mignon is sliced by an in-house master butcher and grilled to a perfect medium rare. Steinbrecher adds caramelized onions and Gorgonzola mayo before sending it out on a toasted potato roll. 6390 W. Indiantown Road, Jupiter; 561.277.9188
Cajun Shrimp Po’Boy
Lucky Shuck Oyster Bar & Taphouse
Made with roast beef, potatoes, and gravy, the original po’boy was born in 1929 during a New Orleans streetcar strike. As the sandwich’s popularity grew, so did the quality of its main ingredients, which have included oysters and other seafood. At Lucky Shuck, the crispy Cajun shrimp po’boy ($21) is made with flash-fried shrimp coated in cornmeal and creole spices like cayenne, paprika, garlic, and ground pepper. Chef John Daly serves it on a toasted Leidenheimer roll with shaved romaine hearts, beefsteak tomatoes, pineapple-bacon jam, and a drizzle of sambal-ranch aioli. 1116 Love St., Jupiter; 561.532.3331
Cracked Conch
You can taste the beach in every bite at Little Moir’s Hibiscus Streatery in Jupiter. Locals go nuts over owner/Chef Mike Moir’s cracked conch ($19), which he deep-fries, loads onto a toasted bun with honey-chili lime, island mustard, and pineapple slaw, and serves with a Caesar salad, coconut rice, or french fries. “Combining these ingredients creates a complex flavor profile with a distinct Caribbean feel,” says Moir. 326 Hibiscus St., Jupiter; 561.529.3769
Norwegian Salmon Club
It would be challenging to find a more balanced flavor profile than the Norwegian salmon club ($22) at Farmer’s Table in North Palm Beach. “The key to it being great is the way it’s built,” says Executive Chef Francis “Fran” Casciato, who prepares the club with two pieces of bread instead of three and extends toppings like nitrate- free bacon, lettuce, tomato, and onion from end to end. He also cuts the salmon fillet heavy on the bias “so it cooks properly and won’t be ungainly to eat.” Casciato uses fresh Thai basil from the on-site garden to make an herb oil he brushes on the fish. 951 U.S. Hwy. 1, North Palm Beach; 561.691.3430 ϖ
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