add to our listingsVenue Review: Eggsotic
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Restaurant details: Hours, directions, more
The restaurant: Eggsotic
The back story: Eggsotic is the classic American dream success story. Venezuelan-born brothers Leonardo and Luis Espin had plenty of culinary savvy (Leonardo used to work at The Breakers) and marketing chops (Luis was an executive with Coca-Cola in Atlanta). What they didn’t have was their own business. That changed when they opened Eggsotic in 2008. Judging by the waits for a table during peak periods, the restaurant has been going strong ever since.
The atmosphere: A bistro on Okeechobee Boulevard? It seems something of an oxymoron, but Eggsotic manages to pull it off. The restaurant has a small, almost cramped feel — on weekends, it can get very crowded — but it also has a casual European flair that’s distinctly appealing. And the fact that the chefs work in full view of the customers in the center of the restaurant adds to the cozy charm.
The food: Eggsotic serves breakfast and lunch fare with American roots and European personality. Sure, you can have eggs and bacon ($8.25), but you can also have a first-rate eggs Benedict (or “Eggsotic Benedict”), from the traditional ($9.25) to Sicilian Benedict ($9.65) with ham, basil and tomato cruda. You can have the “simple” pancakes ($6.35), but you can also have the deliciously dessert-like Banana Blast pancakes ($7.75) with cinnamon butter, caramelized bananas and hazelnut syrup. The crepe options include both sweet and savory — I tried a sweet one, La Crepe Guavatini ($5.95), a tropical delight of a dish with guava paste and mascarpone cheese. But I’m tempted to return for lunch and sample something savory — say, the lobster, corn and leeks crepe ($10.25). Speaking of lunch, selections include everything from a Black and Blue Tuna salad ($14.50) with sashimi-style fish to an Eggsotic Hamburger ($10.50) with grass-fed ground beef and basil aioli on a fresh-herb bun.
The service: This is more a diner than a fine-dining experience, but the wait staff do everything right, getting orders to the table on time and answering questions politely.
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday; 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday
The grades: A- for food, B+ for service
The info: 2400 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; (561) 478-3117
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Eggs, crepes, panini, fancy coffees, smoothies, Benedicts, and a whole pages of grab-and-go items like breakfast parfaits and wraps make Eggsotic Bistro perfect for lingering or a speedy stop. We lingered, enjoying eggs, iced coffee ($3.95), a mocha smoothie ($4.50), and later, a shared apple dessert crepe ($6.55). (Full review)
The back story: Eggsotic is the classic American dream success story. Venezuelan-born brothers Leonardo and Luis Espin had plenty of culinary savvy (Leonardo used to work at The Breakers) and marketing chops (Luis was an executive with Coca-Cola in Atlanta). (Full review)