New Kaluz Restaurant Features A Fresh Look At New American Cuisine
Kaluz Restaurant, an upscale dining experience serving New American cuisine, recently opened its doors for business in Wellington. Serving a full menu of classical New American entrées and offering a wide selection of wine to please any palate, General Manager Patrick O’Keefe aims to create and deliver a fresh and unique experience to the Wellington area.
Five years after the opening of its original location in Fort Lauderdale, Kaluz opened its new Wellington location late last month on Forest Hill Blvd. in front of the Mall at Wellington Green, creating a new setting perfect for locals to enjoy intimate lunches and dinners.
The restaurant is set to provide those in the Wellington area with an exceptional experience each time they visit. O’Keefe’s goal is to make sure that all those who dine at Kaluz feel relaxed, cared for and, of course, satisfied with their choice of dining experiences.
This, O’Keefe said, is one of the restaurant’s unique attributes that will set Kaluz apart in Wellington.
“We hope to provide a great food and service experience in a warm and friendly environment where every guest feels like they are the most important person in the building,” he said.
Wellington was a fitting community for Kaluz’s second branch, O’Keefe said, bringing a distinct new dining option to the area. The sleek, modern and clean-looking aesthetic of the building is inviting to diners looking for a restaurant to enjoy anything from a quiet romantic dinner to a comforting lunch with friends.
The restaurant’s success in Fort Lauderdale has earned Kaluz the reputation of a restaurant that people go all out for, dressing up in their best clothes and making an event out of their dining experience.
The Wellington restaurant will hold a total of 275 guests, with an open 45-table dining room, a 35-seat island bar and 15 tables on a covered outside seating area. Those dining at the restaurant will have views of calming waterfall features, the open-exhibition kitchen and the many architectural focal points throughout the facility. “Every seat in the restaurant has a view,” O’Keefe said.
Along with its standout environment, Kaluz provides a high-quality menu designed to satisfy the desires of most people. The menu duplicates Kaluz’s Fort Lauderdale menu, which includes daily featured dishes during every lunch and dinner.
Kaluz’s menu is highly influenced by the Fort Lauderdale location’s proximity to the water, which has resulted in a menu containing a wide range of skillfully designed seafood dishes.
“Because of Fort Lauderdale’s location, one out of every two plates leaving the kitchen is seafood generated,” O’Keefe explained.
Popular Kaluz appetizers include the smoked salmon dip, tuna tartare, sweet ginger calamari and chicken drum lollipops.
One of the restaurant’s most popular seafood dishes has been the Chilean sea bass. The plate consists of a hardwood-grilled nine-ounce portion of Chilean sea bass, served over a bed of sautéed asparagus, topped with sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts and finished with a touch of citrus.
The dish, O’Keefe said, started out as a special featured item but was so popular and often requested that it was incorporated into the regular menu.
“It became one of our signature dishes,” he said.
Another popular plate is the scallops pomegranate. The scallops are pan-seared, paired with a mango compote and pomegranate reduction, and served with a chilled quinoa medley.
With its modern American theme, the restaurant serves a variety of other non-seafood entrée options, as well. The menu also features items ranging from different types of burgers, entrée salads, flatbreads, sandwiches and more.
“While the menu is seafood dominated, there are many options outside of the seafood realm,” O’Keefe explained.
One highly demanded item on the Kaluz menu is the lamb rack. The plate includes four New Zealand double-boned and herb-crusted lamb chops, served on a bed of shiitake polenta and heirloom carrots, finished with a balsamic pork reduction.
No matter what you order, you will not leave Kaluz wanting for more. “All of our entrees come with sides, and our dishes come in pretty large portions,” O’Keefe said.
Because a restaurant meal is not complete without dessert, the Kaluz menu lists a variety of warm and rich desserts to choose from, including a salted caramel brownie, bread pudding and key lime pie.
Chef Ian Carpenter fashions all of the menu items to perfection, aiming to cater to everyone individually, including those who have dietary restrictions, such as guests who require gluten-free meals or those who are vegetarian.
The bar offers, along with the extensive wine list featuring bottle or glass selections from across the world, 18 crafted cocktails, including mojitos, martinis and more, and a variety of scotches, cordials and cognacs to accompany dessert.
O’Keefe believes that Kaluz will please and satisfy the people of Wellington, just as it has been doing in Fort Lauderdale since 2013. He, and the restaurant’s 90-person staff, aim to provide visitors with an unforgettable experience that will keep them returning for more.
The new restaurant regularly serves lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Happy hour is available from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Kaluz Restaurant is located at 2025 Wellington Green Drive just off Forest Hill Blvd. For more information, call (561) 784-5500 or visit www.kaluzrestaurant.com.
