Parents Day Out: Culinary Tour of Lake Worth

We dropped the kids off at friends' houses (thank you!) and took a break from the Mom/Dad routine for some "grown folks" time exploring!  We joined up with Taste History Culinary Tours for their 3-4 hour long food tour of Lantana/Lake Worth.  The air-conditioned mini-bus loads up right in front of the east Macy's entrance at the Boynton Beach Mall.  Taste History allows parents to bring along children under 14 for FREE on their tours but we decided we could better pay attention and enjoy it with the kids occupied elsewhere.  If you have a mature, older child who is excited about history and local food it may be a great fit.  Our 2 boys under 10 may have begun to whine after the 1st hour.  We enjoyed learning things we native Floridians didn't already know about this area of Palm Beach county and were pleased with the choices of establishments we visited.  Even though we frequent Lake Worth, we'd never been to ANY of the places Taste History introduced us to!  

From the Mall to our first stop, Lori Durante gave us an excellent background to local history for the settlement of this area.  Whether you consider yourself a history buff or not, the stories are intriguing.  Our first stop was at an intimate Lantana eatery named Judy's Wine & Cheese Cafe.  Located right on Dixie highway in a new business development it had a very imaginative menu with warm, friendly staff.  This family run cafe just launched a new brunch menu for the weekends (8am to 3 pm) and has delicious cheese boards & wine for a fun night out with friends or your spouse.  We enjoyed a flavorful Greek Rice Bowl that was a combination of Greek salad with basmati rice.  
 

We next headed up to Lake Worth and off the beaten path to the Mother Earth Sanctuary Cafe where we met Patti, owner & chef.  She features 25 different vegetarian burgers (chickpea or black bean or sweet potato bases) each with different flavors and condiments.  For a family with dietary restrictions (our youngest can't have egg or dairy) she had several options to choose from.  Gnocchi soup and chocolate mousse, sampled on this tour with a turkey slider, were delicious and both things my youngest could eat!  The place is tiny but the loyal, friendly patrons and staff really make you feel welcome.  You can visit this place weekly and not get bored. Really.  Whenever we hit the Lake Worth beach & pier we will have to add this place to our family routine.

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Art!  Taste History not only takes you to eateries you may never have stumbled across, but we also popped into local galleries to meet artists and see local works of art.  We visited 2 galleries on this tour and met 5 different artists who were on hand to discuss their work.  I absolutely fell in love with the race horse art by Mr. George Taylor with it's movement and vibrant colors as well as these unique ceramic dolls by Victoria Rose Martin.  Lake Worth Art League & Artisans galleries both had some interesting works and we enjoyed chatting with the artists.  We stopped by South Shores Tavern for some delicious steak and cheese nachos (imagine huge well-seasoned chunks of high quality beef piled atop local fresh-made chips) as well as grabbed a refreshing strawberry pineapple smoothie at Commissioner Amoroso's Juice Bar.  

  We made our way over to an ornate Irish sports bar & restaurant called Brogues Downunder for a chilled glass of white wine, rack of lamb, and pavlova. The owners are both from New Zealand with Irish roots (the Pavlova dessert is NOT Irish but from the south Pacific).  This was definitely a place I could see coming out to enjoy for another adult time out!  A place like this makes me wish we lived closer to Lake Worth so we could enjoy it more often.  Laid back, yet chic atmosphere that felt warm & cozy too.  Our next stop was Hoffman's of Lake Worth which is a Palm Beach brand that is now expanding across the South Florida region. They offer dipped ice cream with over 20 flavors to choose from as well as wonderful chocolates that'd be great as a gift or a treat on an evening out.  We thought the kids would love the decorated Oreo cookies the most!

  
Just when I was getting sleepy from the humid heat and full belly, we stopped at our final destination which was away from the Lucerne & Lake (LuLa) area for which Lake Worth is known.  This TINY, un-assuming red building with a heart-shaped Italian flag window was probably my FAVORITE stop on the tour: Mama Gizzi's Homemade Pasta.  When you open the door you are almost literally walking into her kitchen and are welcomed by both owners with a warm affection.  The small place is filled with fresh breads, pasta and desserts.  Mama Gizzi has a spitfire, fun, infectious personality that just lights up the room.  She's a real hoot.  Grab her "No Drama" Gourmet meal to go which includes a fresh pasta of your choice, sauce (she calls it gravy), and a baguette. Also, don't miss her yummy Limoncello Marscapone dessert which just melts in your mouth and isn't too sweet.  She hand fills her canolis as you order them and takes pride in her Boston Italian recipes.  Apparently her talents don't go unnoticed as she provides fresh pasta delivered to some of the areas best known eateries: Four Seasons Resort in Palm Beach, Spoto's Oyster Bar & Max in Delray.  

  
We really enjoyed finding new places and will definitely come back to many of them again with friends and family...we'll bring the kids too!  Taste History does tours of Delray Beach, Northwood area of West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach and Lake Worth/Lantana.  This is definitely something we would do again as a couple or with relatives when they come to town.  It's a great way to get to know the area, try some neat local eateries and interact with fun new people!

Interested in reading more about the Taste History Tours?  Check out these articles too:
Florida Escape's "10 More reasons to Visit Lantana & Lake Worth Florida"
Simply Sassy Style – Taste History Culinary Tours-The Lake Worth Experience
Wes Blackman’s City of Lake Worth Blog – 10 More Reasons to Visit Lantana and the little City of Lake Worth
The South Florida Sage – Taste History Culinary Tours: Lantana & Lake Worth, Florida
Pretty in Pigment -- 3 Things to do in Palm Beach Florida this Summer
Simply Carmen