Restaurants in Palm Beach Gardens

"It took them five years before they would let me handle the fish," says sushi chef Jo Clark about his extensive training. He began his culinary journey at 13 years old and spent a decade in an apprenticeship at the Japanese restaurant Yama. There, he honed an ability to prep rice and sauces, wield a knife, and select sushi-grade fish while shadowing chefs from different regions of Japan. In his spare time, Jo enjoys paddle-surfing and once skillfully maneuvered alongside a lively school of sharks.

At the restaurant, however, he deftly manages cuts of salmon, flounder, hamachi yellowtail, and shellfish to craft more than 40 inventive sushi rolls. He toys with the traditions of sushi, wrapping some rolls with thin slices of European cucumber and creating a sashimi pizza on a tortilla crust. The aromas of ginger, eggplant, and garlic wander from pots of Thai-style dishes in the kitchen and out into dining rooms. Though each location has distinct decor, diners mingle among elements such as exposed-brick bars, hardwood floors, and hanging Japanese paper lanterns in the exciting bright colors of a furious traffic cop viewed through a kaleidoscope.

Orchids are, in general, delicate and colorful flowers, concepts appreciated by Japanese and Thai chefs. Orchids of Siam brings the two schools of cuisine together under the flower's banner, serving colorful curries, stir-fried medleys with noodles, and, of course, sushi. The chefs draw flavors from all over the map, though, in their quest to create memorable dishes, infusing shrimp tempura sushi with the flavors of roasted garlic or enriching pad thai with eight ounces of fresh lobster.

Embedded into 264 The Grill's worn stone façade over a blue-and-white awning is a clock that reports the hour that meals begin. However, the weight of time vanishes once you're through the door, thanks to the posh interior full of timeless paraphernalia, classic entertainment such as live jazz, and a time-tested menu of upscale eats. Here, the chefs whip up a menu of surf 'n' turf classics, filling sizzling pans with new york strip steaks and fillets of their signature "steak"—a seared lobster cake drizzled with béarnaise sauce. They prepare freshly caught fish in four different fashions: siciliano, caribbean, baked and stuffed, or pineapple plank. As a side, Susan Merritt and her jazz trio fill hungry ears with smooth tunes on Wednesday and Saturday evenings, inspiring diners to get up and cut a rug or carve a baked potato into a pan flute.

At the family-owned Nick's 50's Diner, you’ll find time-period specific memorabilia, including celebrity photographs and illustrated advertisements, as well as a 1955 Seeburg Juke Box. Red diner booths and checkerboard floors complete the scene. This is a spot where people can grow nostalgic for another time—or to simply enjoy the era’s delicious food. The diner serves classic burgers, sandwiches, and breakfast eats, and Nick and his cooks make everything by hand. They’ll go as far as roasting their own turkeys and beef, slicing them onto sandwiches and transforming the rest into delicious gravies. Finish with a treat from the soda jerk, perhaps an old-fashioned shake or an egg cream.

Brewzzi funnels its German influences into a lineup of craft microbrews to complement its bistro-style menu. The brewmaster crafts lagers, ales, and seasonal beers right onsite. In the open kitchen, chefs feed flatbread bruschetta and hand-stretched pizza dough to a hungry brick oven, and craft ranch burgers filled with Angus beef, bacon, monterey jack cheese, and dreams of running away to join the circus concession stand.

Housed in a two-story structure erected in 1926, Bizaare Ave Cafe pairs an eclectic menu of tapas and bistro meals with still more eclectic decor, earning the eatery Best Romantic Restaurant accolades from CityVoters in 2010. In the quirky downstairs dining area, coffee tables crowded with knickknacks host plates of tapas and glasses of wine. Diners in overstuffed armchairs tuck into dishes such as homemade pumpkin-stuffed ravioli or baked brie with raspberry sauce, a gift of rich, melty cheese that—like all good presents—is wrapped in puff pastry. Upstairs, things get more formal with a menu of bistro fare such as filet mignon, pork chops, and seared salmon. Aside from the fare, diners may purchase literally anything in the restaurant, including potted palms, decorative wall-mounted plates, and attractive fire extinguishers.