Restaurant Evaluate: The Regional

What may have been a tragic and sadly acquainted loss has changed into a triumphant comeback story. Celebrated chef Lindsay Autry opened The Regional with enterprise companion Thierry Beaud in 2016 to rave opinions. Her tackle southern fare garnered three James Beard Basis nominations for Finest Chef within the South.

Then the pandemic pressured The Regional to shutter for 17 months. It lastly reopened late final 12 months with a number of tweaks to the menu, and its sultry bar, Mockingbird, opened earlier this 12 months. Getting into the restaurant after so many months nonetheless evokes that acquainted farmhouse vibe with its cozy banquettes, heat wooden floors and cheerful workers. The supervisor, making his rounds to every desk, welcomed us again. It’s a beautiful contact I don’t encounter fairly often.

A North Carolina native, Autry embraces her southern roots and does a stellar job of additionally including a touch of her Mediterranean heritage (her grandmother was from Crete). You’ll discover conventional southern substances and dishes like collard greens, tomato pie, okra, fried rooster, and shrimp and grits on the menu alongside smoked burrata, Greek salad, octopus and bucatini.

For appetizers we slathered Pimento Cheese ($15) onto buttery house-made crackers. Whereas the dish wasn’t essentially invented within the South, the creamy mixture of cheddar, pink bell pepper and mayonnaise has grow to be a staple for the area. The portion, unfold into a skinny layer topped with a wide range of greens, ensured we had sufficient room for the remainder of the meal. Autry’s Heat Tomato Pie ($16) is one in all her signature dishes—a petite and flaky tawny-hued crust full of ruby pink sun-dried tomatoes. The herb aioli and caramelized onions gave every chew a creamy, candy notice.

A favourite, the Shrimp & Grits ($17) delivered precisely what you’d need from the dish. It was a decent serving of Florida pink shrimp, nonetheless radiating hints of the ocean. Wrapped in cornmeal and frivolously fried, they had been positioned on creamy grits and topped with paper-thin fried okra and pickled jalapeños. If you wish to kick it up a notch, add a number of drops of Autry’s particular home sauce.

You may inform Autry and Chef de Delicacies Mario Beabraut have refined the menu by including elevated parts to it, like lobster to the low nation boil that was reworked into the Regional Gumbo ($46). The beneficiant serving, which might be shared, additionally comes with clams, Key West pink shrimp and house-made sausage over fluffy rice and topped with crunchy slices of okra. The broth is poured over the dish tableside, and whereas its hints of Previous Bay and heat spices had been pleasing, I had hoped it will be a bit thicker.

Whereas we hesitated to order the Bucatini ($27) on the southern-inspired restaurant, it received us over. The candy corn added curiosity, and the sunflower seed pesto was perfection. Whereas I do know many regulars preserve coming again for the tomato pie, I’d make the drive for this pasta.

IF YOU GO

651 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Seashore; 561/557-6460; eatregional.com

PARKING: Valet or storage parking

HOURS: Mon.-Solar., from 5-10 p.m.

PRICES: $14-$52

This story is from the Might/June 2022 difficulty of Boca journal. For extra like this, click on right here to subscribe to the journal.