When it comes to food , we owe the French many thanks.
They've delivered us delicacies and desserts like crêpes, creme brulée, and croissants, and are responsible for the numerous culinary techniques used to execute many of the world's most delectable dishes.
They even created the very concept of a restaurant , a word derived from the French word "restaurer" — a rich broth once considered capable of restoring one's health.
Now, with the Summer Olympics set to launch in Paris on Friday, July 26, we're celebrating the many ways to enjoy a taste of France closer to home.
Whether you're craving a rich onion soup, a hearty stew of beef bourguignon, buttery escargot, or a confit of duck a l'orange, the area is home to a number of establishments offering dishes just as decadent as what you'll find in France.
From fine dining tasting menus to low-key cafés — and buttery escargot to savory quiche — here are some of our favorite French dishes in Palm Beach County. Bon appétit!
Crêpe Suzette at Sinful Crêpes
Not all French fare is right for all-day indulgence, but the crêpe is one exception. Served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, these chewy galettes are the ideal blank canvas for a variety of toppings and fillings that make them suitable for almost any meal. At Sinful Crêpes in Boynton Beach, the paper-thin pancakes are prepared à la minute on large griddles using a family recipe. A menu of sweet and savory ingredients allows you to customize your own crêpe creation, but there's no going wrong with a traditional crêpe suzette ($9.90) doused in a sauce of caramelized sugar, butter, orange juice, and orange liqueur that is often flambéed tableside for a showy finish.
1050 E. Gateway Blvd., #103, Boynton Beach, 561-509-7309, sinfulcrepes.com
Croissants at Loic Bakery Cafe Bar
No French breakfast is complete without a fresh-baked croissant. You'll find a varied assortment of these viennoiserie pastries at Loic Bakery in downtown West Palm Beach, where they are offered as part of artisanal sandwiches featuring premium meats and cheeses, or flavored with fresh fruit compotes ($4-$6.50). While the quintessential plain croissant is a buttery, flaky masterpiece, the pistachio and white chocolate version remains a house favorite.
480 Hibiscus St., West Palm Beach, 561-570-1425; bakeryloic.com
Croque Madame at La Boulangerie Boul'Mich
For close to a decade, La Boulangerie Boul’Mich has been a go-to South Florida spot for an assortment of sweet and savory dishes served day or night. The Latin-European café, restaurant, and bakery is beloved for its European pastries baked onsite, from croissants and macarons to brioche and baguettes. For lunch, however, a multitude of salads and sandwiches are go-to favorites — including the very French croque madame, a brunchy mashup of eggs and cheese on a fresh-baked baguette ($15.99). The sandwich is served open-faced, pairing black forest ham, swiss cheese, and two fried eggs with sliced tomatoes, and topped with a creamy Béchamel sauce.
6000 Glades Rd., #1048A, Boca Raton, 561-361-8820; laboulangerieusa.com
Dover Sole Meunière at Café Boulud
A meal said to be beloved by King Louis XIV, this deceptively simple dish is a true French classic. Although it has little in the way of ingredients, it offers complex flavors thanks to a specific cooking technique: a gentle sautée in butter that produces a crisp, golden crust. At Café Boulud in Palm Beach, it's also filleted tableside, a hallmark of classic French service. The dramatic unveiling accentuates the experience twofold, offering a glimpse of the process behind the dish while sealing the flavors until the moment before serving when it's finished with chopped parsley and a drizzle of brown butter beurre noisette . Available from $48-$89 for half- or full-sized portions.
301 Australian Ave., Palm Beach, 561-655-6060, cafeboulud.com
Duck a L'orange at The French Gazebo
The French have a way with duck, especially when it comes to canard à l'orange. At the French Gazebo in Boca Raton, it's a favorite dish, where a long and slow braising renders the meat succulent and spoon-tender beneath a golden-crisp skin ($37). This dish wouldn't be what it is, however, without a dousing of bigarade sauce (the French word for bitter orange) bursting with zesty citrus flavor, the perfect tart-sweet match to the rich duck meat.
4199 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton, 561-395-6033, t hefrenchgazebo.com
Escargots at French Corner Bistro
No one loves the edible land snail quite the French who — along with fried frog legs — are fully prepared to take seemingly unappealing ingredients and turn them into downright delicacies. The classic Francophile take is best with Burgundy-sourced snails, a protected food in France. Stateside, you won't find live snails, but they're gussied up in a similar manner. Find them at the French Corner Bistro in West Palm Beach, where the briney, chewy gastropods are smothered in melted butter and seasoned with fresh-chopped garlic and parsley ($12.50).
4595 Okeechobee Blvd., # D129, West Palm Beach, 561-689-1700
French Onion Soup at La Nouvelle Maison
Refined cuisine, decadent desserts, and an extensive wine list make La Nouvelle Maison one of Boca Raton's finest French restaurants. While there are plenty of classic favorites on the menu, many of which have been given an innovative twist, the soupe à l’oignon gratinée is a tried-and-true favorite ($16). A rich demi-glace beef stock is slow-simmered with caramelized onions and a touch of sherry and butter for a bold, velvety smooth broth. But it's the generous cap of melted and browend aged Gruyère cheese — the au gratin croûte — that makes this a true French favorite.
455 E. Palmetto Park Rd., Boca Raton, 561-338-3003, lnmbocaraton.com
Moules Frites at Penelope
This popular French seafood dish of mussels and fries — similar to the fries themselves — originated at the border of Northern France and Belgium. At newly-opened, French- and New Orleans-inspired Penelope in Boca Raton, the dish is a highlight from their appetizer small plates. Served with a Cajun flair featuring andouille sausage and bell peppers alongside a bowl of hot and crispy fries and toasted sourdough bread, which are best when dipped in the mussels' wine-spiked broth ($19).
431 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, 561-896-1038, penelopeofboca.com
Quiche Lorraine at Vincent's Bistro
Nothing says brunch quite like a hefty slice of quiche, a savory pie of creamy egg custard, meat, cheese, and vegetables cradled in a rich and flaky pastry crust. In France, a marriage of bacon, Swiss cheese, and onion is a popular take, originally a German recipe beloved in the country's Lothringen region and later annexed by France where it became known as quiche Lorraine. At Vincent's Bistro in Lake Worth, the house-made quiches are heated upon serving and best when enjoyed on the bistro's quaint outdoor patio ($15.95).
516 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth Beach, 561-533-0840, vincentsbistro.com
Ratatouille at Petanque Kitchen & Bar
While French culinary tradition is rooted in meat like chicken, duck, and beef, there is one famous find that's just for vegetarians. A Provence specialty, it's known throughout France for its focus on fresh summer vegetables — namely a medley of eggplant, peppers, zucchini, onion, and tomatoes. At Petanque Kitchen & Bar in Northwood Village, the dish — a guarded family recipe — is served as a side dish ($7). A sautéd casserole of sorts, it also makes for a savory summer treat alongside a glass of wine when offered the late-night menu.
517 Northwood Rd., West Palm Beach, 561-888-6171, petanquepb.com
Steak Frites at Pistache French Bistro
When it comes to classic combinations, the Americans have burgers and fries, and the French their steak and potatoes. Across France, steak frites are considered a staple offering at bistro and brasserie menus, and the perfect pairing of two ingredients. At Pistache French Bistro in West Palm Beach, that steak is a chargrilled center cut NY strip, cooked to a temperature of your choosing and topped with a slow-melting medallion of beurre maître d'hôtel — butter flecked with parsley, salt, and pepper and seasoned with lemon juice. Forgo the ketchup or even mayo and instead try the meat's oozing juices married with warm, melted butter to dip the accompanying stack of thick-cut, crispy pommes frites ($49).
101 N. Clematis St., West Palm Beach, 561-833-5090, pistachewpb.com
Nicole Danna is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post , part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at nicoleadanna@gmail.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today .
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: A taste of France in Palm Beach County: Best French restaurants in honor of Paris Olympics
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