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The Pink Elephant: A Fun, Sophisticated Island Favorite for Lunch & Dinner in Boca Grande, Florida

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Fred Bollaci

Affectionately known as “The Pink” guests have gathered at this charming restaurant for great food, signature drinks and refined service for over 60 years. Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence 2019. Open for dinner year round, and lunch daily in season (weekends in summer), The Pink Elephant is a home away from home for locals on Gasparilla Island, Inn guests, and visitors, and is a favorite for day trippers down to Boca Grande from Sarasota or other areas, or by boat with slips directly across the street.

The outdoor terrace is extremely popular in good weather. While the restaurant opens at 11:30am for lunch, there are no reservations, and locals arrive around 11:00-11:15am to stake their claim to the coveted outdoor tables with signature pink umbrellas, flanked by swaying coconut palms and breezes off the nearby Gulf of Mexico or Charlotte Harbor.

The Pink has an excellent wine list and full bar with fun cocktails, each adorned with a plastic pink elephant people often collect as a memento of a fun, enjoyable meal. The atmosphere is island casual, but don’t be surprised to see people decked out to the nines like they just stepped off the cover of Vogue or GQ in their Lilly Pulitzer, Vineyard Vines, or exclusive French, or Italian designer apparel as they pull up in golf carts or Bentleys for lunch. The Pink’s patio is also pet friendly for well-behaved canine companions, and is a favorite for my dog, Teddy when he visits the island.

The lunch menu includes a variety of soups, salads, a good burger, sandwiches, and seafood specialties. Musts include the Gazpacho with watermelon and strawberry, a refreshing tropical twist to the classic, some of the best French Onion Soup with melted Gruyere with the secret ingredient being “love,” their Fish Tacos with catch of the day, which may be Grouper, Swordfish, Tripletail, Mahi, etc. The Salads are excellent, a favorite is their Apple, Beet, Quinoa, and Goat Cheese, which I always get topped with fresh fish, grilled or blackened. The Key Lime Pie is one of the best anywhere, and totally worth the splurge, I shared the recipe on this blog last week, if you’re yearning for that taste of Florida, this is it! The dinner menu is a bit more extensive with steaks, chops, and fresh seafood. The interior of the restaurant boasts a popular bar, and dark woods as well as televisions, and is casually sophisticated, and reminds me of a few places I enjoy in Bermuda. Owned and operated by the venerable Gasparilla Inn, The Pink is a popular family-friendly outpost several blocks away from the main inn, and a slightly more casual alternative to the formal main dining room for dinner, and one of the most popular lunch spots on the island.

The Pink Elephant/The Gasparilla Inn have been awarded the Fred Bollaci Enterprises Platinum Palate Certificate of Excellence for their exemplary food, quality, service, and atmosphere since 2016!

The Pink Elephant
491 Bayou Ave.
Boca Grande, FL 33921
+1941.964.4540

Posted in Fred Bollaci on Dining | Tagged al fresco, boca grande, dog friendly, gasparilla inn, gasparilla island, gazpacho, key lime pie, onion soup, outdoor dining, pink, pink elephant, seafood, the pink, the pink elephant | Comments Off

Rigatoni Montanaro (With Mushrooms, Sausage, Tomato, Cognac, and Cream) from Tramonti in Delray Beach, Florida

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Fred Bollaci

Photo by Fred Bollaci

Tramonti’s Rigatoni Montanaro

This is a favorite pasta dish from Tramonti, a wonderful Italian (Neapolitan) restaurant on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, Florida. It is one of 100 top restaurants featured in my first book, “The Restaurant Diet, How to Eat Out Every Night and Still Lose Weight” and is the sib of the recently closed landmark Angelo’s of Mulberry Street in New York’s Little Italy, which shut down permanently as a result of the devastating impact of COVID-19’s closures and restrictions on indoor dining have had in the City.

Ingredients:

8 ounces sweet (mild) fennel-seasoned Italian sausage (we used two 7-by-1 1/2 inch links)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small Spanish onion, very thinly sliced

2 ounces oyster mushrooms, very thinly sliced

1/4 cup cognac

3 large fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped, plus 4 small clusters fresh basil leaves, for garnish

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups tomato sauce

Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

8 ounces raw rigatoni pasta, cooked al dente according to package directions

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh-grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

If the sausage is in links, remove the meat from the casings. In a nonreactive large skillet or saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage meat, onions and mushrooms and cook, separating the sausage as much as possible, until it is cooked through and the onions are translucent. Remove from the heat and stir in the cognac. Return to the heat and add the chopped basil leaves, heavy cream, tomato sauce, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently, 10 minutes until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the drained pasta, tossing well. Return to the heat, add the parmesan cheese and toss again until all the pasta is completely coated with the sauce. To serve, divide the pasta among 4 warm serving plates or large bowls. Garnish each with a cluster of small fresh basil leaves.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 495 calories, 42 percent calories from fat, 23 grams total fat, 8 grams saturated fat, 40 milligrams cholesterol, 53 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total fiber, 4 grams total sugars, 49 grams net carbs, 18 grams protein, 996 milligrams sodium.

Posted in Fred Bollaci on Dining | Tagged delray, delray beach, italian, montanaro, pasta, rigatoni, tramonti | Comments Off

Soft Shell Crab Oreganata by Trattoria Romana in Boca Raton, Florida

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Fred Bollaci

Trattoria Romana’s Famous Soft Shell Crab (and a bonus rendition from La Nouvelle Maison, their sister restaurant down the street, specializing in gourmet French cuisine.

Soft-Shell Crab Oreganata (Trattoria Romana) Photo by Fred Bollaci.

I have made many a last-minute change to dinner plans whenever I’m driving down East Palmetto Park Road in Boca and Trattoria Romana has placed their “We have Soft Shell Crabs” sign out in front of the restaurant! They are THAT good, and always sell out!

Recipes courtesy of Trattoria Romana/Guido Barisone

Ingredients:

2 fresh whale sized soft-shell crabs
2 tbsp. Italian breadcrumbs
All purpose flour for coating
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup dry white wine
1 large clove garlic, sliced
1 lemon wedge (¼ wedge)
1 tbsp. salted butter

To cook:

Lay out cleaned soft-shell and lightly coat both sides with flour.

In a medium-sized frying pan, heat up oil to medium to medium-high. Once oil is hot, place crab in belly side down and cook for 1 minute until golden brown. Carefully flip crab and cook for another minute. Remove cooked crab and place on a paper towel to dry.

Drain pan of oil and add the garlic to pan. Cook until lightly brown (do not burn). Add butter and once melted, place crabs in the center of pan and add white wine. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.

In an oven-proof pan place your cooked crabs and add 1 tbsp. of breadcrumbs on the center of each crab.

Heat oven on broil setting and place your pan on middle rack for 2 to 3 minutes until breadcrumbs are toasted.

Remove from oven and plate crabs. Carefully pour sauce from pan over each crab and garnish plate with lemon wedge.

La Nouvelle Maison‘s Soft Shell Crab

Crispy Fried Soft-Shell Crab

2 whale sized soft-shell crabs (fresh)
Vegetable oil (enough to submerge crabs)
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

Tempura Batter:

½ lb. corn starch (reserve some for dusting of crabs)
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 pinch sea salt
1 small bottle of soda water

Pickled Ginger & Chive Butter Sauce:

1 quart Chablis
1 diced shallot
½ sliced lime
2 white peppercorns
½ bunch cilantro stems
1 lb. very cold butter
2 tablespoons pickled ginger

How to clean fresh soft-shell crab:

First, gently lift the top shell at the left outer edge, just enough to reach in a finger and thumb and remove the fibrous gills. Repeat on the other side.

Flip the crab over and remove the central apron at its end. Just grab and tug it down, then cut off and remove. (A wide apron means it is a female, narrow means male.)

Finally, with a pair of sharp scissors, snip off the mouth and eyes in one cut.

Your crab is cleaned.

You can also have your local seafood market prepare the crab for you.

Make Simple Tempura Batter:

Place 1/2 lb. of corn starch in a bowl. (Reserve enough corn starch on the side for dusting the crabs)

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl,: ½ lb. corn starch, 1 pinch cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro (chopped), 1 pinch sea salt, 1 small bottle of soda water, and stir the batter occasionally. Set aside.

Pickled Ginger & Chive Butter Sauce:

On the stove top in a small pot add 1 quart Chablis, 1 diced shallot, ½ sliced lime, 2 white peppercorns, ½ bunch cilantro stems. Reduce by 3/4.

On a low heat slowly whisk in 1 lb. of very cold butter (diced) into your white wine reduction to achieve your butter sauce. Strain and set aside. (Keep Warm)

Chop 2 tablespoons pickled ginger and add to your butter sauce.

Frying:

Dust the cleaned crab in corn starch and add to the tempura batter. Gently and carefully add to fryer at 350F (or frying pan) for 2 mins per side. Take out when crispy, strain, place on paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Place crispy crabs on center of your plate and add a spoonful of pickled ginger butter sauce.

Optional garnish:

Baby cilantro/flowers and shaved red radish and lemon oil.

You can also add blanched vegetables served underneath crispy crabs.

Posted in Florida Golden Palate Partners | Tagged boca, boca raton, crab, soft shell crab | Comments Off

Key Lime Pie Recipe from The Pink Elephant at The Gasparilla Inn, Boca Grande, Florida

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Fred Bollaci

Key Lime Pie Recipe Courtesy of The Pink Elephant Restaurant/The Gasparilla Inn, Boca Grande, Florida

Owned by the William Farish family, the famed Gasparilla Inn has played host to many notables throughout its storied history, including Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison, Katharine Hepburn, the George H.W. Bush family, members of the DuPont family, and others. Originally built to appeal to wealthy Northerners, The Inn has always been the center of village life on Gasparilla Island, a charming subtropical barrier island where “Old Florida” meets well-heeled New England-style sophistication. It is my favorite place for a “staycation” in Florida!

Ingredients:

½ cup graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup sugar

2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

6 egg yolks

Juice and zest of 3 Key limes (½ cup juice)

2 ½ cups sweetened condensed milk

½ cup Manhattan Key lime juice (see note)

Preparation:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-For crust: In bowl, combine crumbs and sugar. Add butter and mix well.

Press mixture onto the bottom of a 12 -inch springform pan. Crust should be about 1/8 inch thick. Bake in preheated oven 5 minutes.

-Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

-For filling: Place egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and add lime zest. With electric mixer, whisk on high speed until pale and fluffy.

-In a small saucepan, warm the sweetened condensed milk and add gradually to egg yolk mixture.

-Add the fresh and Manhattan lime juice, being careful not to overmix at this stage.

-Pour over prepared crust and bake in preheated oven 30 minutes or until mixture is set.

-When ready to serve, unmold and garnish as desired. *Make and pipe favorite meringue recipe, torch and plate with raspberry coulis and optional mixed berries or slices of key lime for garnish.

Note: Manhattan Key Lime Juice, which the restaurant uses, is available through the Internet. There are other brands available and locals in Florida may want to use freshly squeezed key lime juice (very acidic, wear gloves and watch out for surfaces).

Posted in Fred Bollaci on Dining | Comments Off

Gasparilla Inn’s Famous Blueberry Pancakes, Boca Grande, Florida

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Fred Bollaci

Gasparilla Inn’s Famous Pancakes, perfect for Brunching at home this weekend (their oatmeal ones are incredible, I’m going to ask for that one next, I assume it’s just the addition of some of their cooked Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal, which is on their menu). Gasparilla Inn is my favorite spot for a Florida staycation and their dining room is renowned for their breakfast and dinner service. Breakfast is considered the most important meal, you definitely won’t want to miss it here. 🥞☕️🍵🥂🍓🍒🍉🍏

Recipe courtesy of The Gasparilla Inn

Makes approximately 12 large Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter,
melted

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch Cinnamon

1 ½ pounds Blueberries

Directions:

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Place in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar. Add the eggs and about half the buttermilk to make a thick paste. Whisk until smooth. Gradually add the rest of the buttermilk. Stir in the melted butter.

Lightly grease a large sauté pan or griddle with a little oil or butter. Heat the pan until hot, and then spoon out four tablespoons of batter per pancake. When the mixture has formed a pancake shape, sprinkle on approx 2 oz. of blueberries per pancake. Cook the pancakes until the bottoms are golden brown, the bubbles on top have burst and the mix no longer looks runny, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the pancakes over and cook for another minute. And please serve with only Vermont Maple Syrup, warmed if you will. A dusting of powdered sugar is optional and how they present it at the inn’s dining room. Note: a standard order is for three pancakes ($10). Since I am focused on health and still want to indulge a little, they gladly offered me one with fresh berries for $5, can’t beat that!