Shrimp Pad Thai, Echo, Palm Beach
I am a devotee of Echo’s happy hour, when sushi and cocktails are half-price. But if I can convince the group I’m with to stay for a substantial supper, then we’ll inevitably be ordering the shrimp pad Thai. This is one of my standards at many a Thai restaurant, and Echo takes it up a notch with first-rate ingredients. Order another round of Pink Bamboos and call it a night. —Mary Murray, executive editor
Jupiter’s Famous Indoroni, Little Moir’s Food Shack, Jupiter
Little Moir’s turns humble penne pasta into craveworthy comfort food, kicked up with chicken, red onion, fresh and fried garlic, sriracha chili, homemade cheese sauce, and Parmesan. It’s a dish known to cure all ills: local legend has it that restaurateur Mike Moir first made it more than 20 years ago for a hungover customer. It’s been a bestseller ever since. —Kristen Desmond LeFevre, contributing editor
Fettucine Bolognese, Pescatore, West Palm Beach
If you ask what I’m craving for dinner, the answer is almost always “pasta.” If the mood strikes too late to begin the hours-long process of whipping up my own Bolognese, heading to Pescatore—or “to the corner,” as my family says—for their rendition is the next best thing. It doesn’t get more comforting than tender fettuccine, slow-braised ragù, and warm hospitality from owners Cenk and Samiye Sezen. —Abigail Duffy, web editor
Udon, Joy Noodles & Asian Cuisine, West Palm Beach
Having traveled fairly widely in Asia, I’m always on the hunt for a noodle bowl that reminds me of the street vendors and floating markets of my favorite Asian cities. Locally, my go-to is Joy Noodles, where I almost always default to the udon noodles in a miso broth. I vary the proteins to keep things lively—shrimp or soft-shell crab on an average day, sea bass or lobster when I’m feeling extra. However you mix it up, it’s comfort in a bowl. —Daphne Nikolopoulos, editor in chief
Orecchiette Con le Cime Di Rapa, Café Sapori, West Palm Beach
Café Sapori has perfected the premise of “less is more” with this dish, which exemplifies a style of simple yet sophisticated Italian cooking where each ingredient plays a starring role. The standout combination of seashell-shaped orecchiette, broccoli rapini (my preferred preparation of this, anywhere!), golden breadcrumbs, and aged ricotta results in a profusion of expertly balanced flavors and textures as well as repeat orders from my table year after year. —Allison Wolfe Reckson, managing editor
