FOR THOSE WHOSE BODY IS A TEMPLE, NEW MENU IS ANNOUNCED

Al fresco options provide the perfect setting for new enlightened cooking

at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa’s Temple Orange restaurant 

MANALAPAN, Fla. The Baco bread is baked on site and the snapper and yellow fin were caught just a few free-style strokes away. As the leadership team at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa continues to rebrand its prime oceanfront venue, the AAA Five Diamond resort’s restaurants are also seeing newly curated menus, with a first focus on Temple Orange.

Under the dynamic-duo direction of Executive Assistant Manager and Food and Beverage Director Tito Rodríguez and new Temple Orange Chef de Cuisine, Armando Galeas, Eau Palm Beach recently unveiled new breakfast, lunch and dinner menus in TempleOrange – with a spotlight on enlightened Florida cuisine.  Infused with Mediterranean flavors and ingredients, the menus showcase healthy options right alongside comfort foods with an Eau Palm Beach twist.  According to Rodríguez, the menu changes reflect a new identity for the dining venue.

Always known as the property’s family-friendly dining spot, TempleOrange is now the perfect setting for a healthful and satisfying Mediterranean breakfast to start a full-day of activities, or a special date-night dinner al fresco – just before a night cap by the resort’s beachside fire pit.  The light and bright interiors feature oversized windows to make the most of the resort’s famed ocean/pool views, and veranda dining under umbrellas, shaded cover – or even the stars, gives both local and out-of-town guests a chance to soak up ocean breezes from day to night.

“Many of our guests think of their body as a ‘temple,’” said California-born Chef Armando.  “And yet, on vacation or out locally for a special meal, Eau Palm Beach guests are looking for dining experiences to not only nourish their body, but also feed their soul. The TempleOrange menu and setting have been designed to appeal to a range of tastes – with locally-sourced specialties elevated with high-grade, pure and top-line fresh ingredients.”

Destined to be a power breakfast spot for locals on the early morning meeting circuit or a first-fuel stop for a guest on the go, the new Mediterranean breakfast buffet at TempleOrange provides a unique option for the all-important first-meal.  Assorted cured meats, imported cheeses, marinated olives, dried fruits, smoked salmon and trout, fresh tomato-mozzarella salad, yogurt, sweet and savory on-the-premise baked pastries, Shakshouka, waffles, eggs made to order and quiche of the day are all on display as part of the daily line-up.

According to Rodríguez, leadership at the resort flew in a fellow chef from one of its sister properties in Israel to train the local staff to properly prepare and display the new signature breakfast buffet. Suited for international taste-buds as well as those closer to home looking for a protein-packed start to the day, the Mediterranean breakfast is already a popular hit with local realtors and dealmakers, spa goers and resort guests of all ages.

“You won’t find anything like this at other local restaurants,” said Rodríguez. “It’s authentic and wonderful. But more traditional breakfast eaters may prefer choices like our blueberry lemon pancakes, or Palm Beach sandwich with eggs, bacon, avocado, tomato, seven-grain bread and pepper jack cheese.”

Breakfast entrees range from $12 for items hot-off-the-griddle, and up to $32 for the Mediterranean breakfast buffet. An “eau-so-healthy” egg white frittata is $22 and includes a choice of avocado, tomato, spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, artichokes and low-fat Mozzarella cheese. Florida fresh mimosas and house-made bloody marys are always on the menu.

At lunchtime, TempleOrange guests can take the healthy route with fresh and interesting salad blends topped with flavorful grilled options of chicken, shrimp, yellow fin tuna or skirt steak. Salads start at $14. Guests looking to instead feed their “temple’s” soul will want to succumb to one of the restaurant’s famed Bacos. Baked on-site like all of their signature breads, pastries and sweets, the flatbread-like Baco becomes a hard-working vessel for savory sandwich fillings like a turkey meatball — served with watercress, zucchini, green onion, cumin and yogurt and priced at $16, or the meatball’s more decadent and drool-worthy cousin — a slow-cooked pork Baco. That fan favorite is served with jalapeno, pickled red peppers, cabbage, lime and sour cream and priced at $17.

At dinner time, TempleOrange signature selections take center stage with fresh fish options of cobia, snapper, Atlantic salmon or yellow fin tuna – grilled or pan seared in grape seed oil. Fish prices start at $24 and are offered with sauce choices of Chermoula or parsley caper tomato vinaigrette. Sides like sweet potato wedges – a more sophisticated take on indulgent fries – are favorites, and are served with lemongrass crème fraiche and Bradley’s local honey, priced at $7.  Even pasta gets an upgrade – with buckwheat noodles paired with eggplant, mango and herb salad, priced at $12 or a $20 entrée of spring vegetable Pappardelle with pea shoots, mint butter, saffron cauliflower, artichokes and pine nuts.

Throughout the summer, hotel guests traveling with kids under 12 who order from the children’s menu or stroll through the Mediterranean breakfast buffet at Temple Orange are “on the house” when accompanied by a paying adult.  Summer dining hours currently run from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and Temple Orange closes daily from 2:30-5:30 p.m. through September.

Other summer dining options at Eau Palm Beach include the Stir Lounge and Breeze. Stir is a laid-back cocktail and small plates option in the resort’s beautiful “living room” area, featuring live music on Fridays and a DJ every Saturday night.  Breeze takes its cue from its ocean and poolside grill – and the menu is perfectly suited for casual, beachfront dining in swimsuits or shorts. Locals love the can’t-be-beat setting for happy hour and light bites. The resort’s upscale Angle restaurant is undergoing a summertime refresh and will debut its new menus this fall.

Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa is situated on a private beach on seven acres of oceanfront and lush tropical gardens, welcoming guests with breathtaking ocean views immediately upon arrival. Spacious guest rooms offer private balconies with ocean, pool and garden views and complimentary Wi-Fi. Extensive recreational opportunities include the luxurious 42,000 square foot Eau Spa, three Har-tru tennis courts and an expansive fitness center with daily group fitness programs. With more than 30,000 square feet of meeting and event space, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa accommodates groups from 10 to 1,000 people and offers a wide variety of indoor and outdoor venues for private events. Eau Palm Beach is a 2014 recipient of the AAA Five Diamond rating. For more information, please visit www.eaupalmbeach.com or to inquire about dining options, please call 561.540.4924.