July 12th, 2011

DIG, Restaurant, Green Cuisine, Review, Delray Beach, South Florida, Palm Beach County, New and Unique in Delray Beach

Probably about a month ago I received an e-mail about this new innovative restaurant that was about to open in Delray Beach.  When? and Where?  I wanted to know.  And, the reason was that DIG (Doing It Green) would be the first full-service, sit-down restaurant in the area serving dishes made with the freshest ingredients available.  But, get this.  No steroids, pesticides, hormones, chemicals, sulfites, nitrates and nitrites.  All organic.

Pretty much everyone I talk to…food being the main topic…is looking for healthy good food.  The main concern?  Will we have to sacrifice flavor and taste in order to eat healthy. I should hope not.

I arrived in Delray and a couple of days later I gathered a few friends and off we went to try DIG.   One was skeptical about driving away from Atlantic Ave.  God forbid we would drive a few miles west.  Good food, will travel, is my motto.  It is not that far; just a few miles near Military. 

DIG is located at 5199 West Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33484.  Tel. is 561-638-0500.  E-mail is eat@digdelray.com.  The website is presently under construction but will be www.digdelray.com.

The restaurant sits by itself on a shopping center.

An organic garden has been started and it is growing.  Eventually, they will be getting some of their produce from this garden in conjuction with local organic farms.  Some tables have a view to this garden.

As you come into the restaurant, it is well lit with plenty of tables available.  Everything is recycled; tables, chairs, and lighting fixtures; a polished concrete floor.

Paintings on the wall are by local artists.

There is also a large bar.  Besides being a full fledge bar serving organic liquor and wines, by the glass and bottle, it also has an organic juice and smoothie bar.  By the way, my dinning friends enjoyed their organic wine selection very much.

We arrived at the restaurant at around 8:00 p.m. and chose a table next to a large window.  Casey was going to be our waitress.  She explained DIG’s concept.  She was very knowledgeable about the menu and her suggestions were well taken.

Casey served us our water and proceeded to tell us that the water was at a 9.5 ph level to ensure the healthiest and purest water available.

Bread to the table was served in a tin bucket.  Some of the bread was slightly sweet; the other was crusty.

This is what we all ordered:

I ordered Cabbage Dumplings with carrots, sno peas, and a ginger-soy dressing.  The perfect starter; an Asian flavor, of course.  Delicious. 

Another person ordered the Portabella Quesadilla with goat cheese, sherried onions, Pico de Gallo, guacamole, cilantro and sour cream.  Great mild flavor.

The salad bar was large with all ingredients hand picked for the evening.  Both of the soups were called magical; they were vegan.  One was a pea soup and the other a bean soup. I got both of them and they were very good.

Eventually, hummus will be prepared table side. 

One person ordered the Eden Farms Center Cut  Pork Rib Chop – 100% certified Berkshire Pork, mashed garnet yams, vegetable medley, Bragg’s apple cider glaze.  This was a large entree.  Come to think of it, all entrees were very generous.  The pork chop was very tender and moist.

Another one ordered the Lump Crab Cakes with mashed Yukon gold potatoes, asparagus, grain mustard and wild flower honey sauce.  No fillers and nice lumps of crab meat.

Rosalyn ordered the Organic Eggplant Rollatinis.  This was an appetizer which she chose to eat as her dinner entree.  It was a a good size, as well. The rollatinis had herbed goat cheese and fresh made pomodoro sauce.

I loved my dinner.  It was Pan Seared Diver Scallops with truffled cauliflower, spaghetti squash and DIG “Dirt” sauce.  They were perfectly cooked.  I usually order scallops when I see them on a menu and these were tops.  The “Dirt” sauce was made by grinding different types of mushrooms and then making that nice brown color sauce.

Dessert.  Always what choice to make so that we can all enjoy it.  I decided to choose the Sugar Free, Gluten Free Cheese Cake.  Best I have ever had and I think the other ones agreed that it was excellent, as well.  Niko is the pastry chef and has outdone himself at DIG. 

Cookies were also brought to the table courtesy of DIG.  Fantastic.

The four of us agreed that the food was excellent.  A few thought that the lighting in the restaurant could be improved in order to make it more cozy.  And, a few others thought that the room could be broken up with plants as a buffer to make it more intimate.

If you are in the area, take advantage of this unique restaurant.  I can guarantee you that you will fall in love with the food; no flavor has been sacrificed.  I cannot wait to go back.

DIG is open for lunch at 11 a.m. and dinner every day of the week with happy hour from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.  Drink specials and bar bites at reduced prices. 

Talk to you later….have a good one!!