Southern-Style Shrimp And Grits A Must-Try New Dish At DeVine Bistro

Southern-Style Shrimp And Grits A Must-Try New Dish At DeVine Bistro

Over the past 12 years, DeVine Bistro has become a popular Wellington dining spot for taste-tempting food served with style in a comfortable atmosphere.

Evenings at DeVine Bistro begin at 5 p.m. with drink specials, and the nightly menu features a homemade soup of the day, delectable appetizers to choose from, a wide selection of salads and sandwiches, a bevy of favorite entrées, and some surprising daily specials — all served with a varied array of distinctive side dishes.

New to chef and restaurateur David Palmateer’s menu is a delicious southern specialty, Shrimp and Grits. It is his very own DeVine Bistro twist on the traditional, down-home dish.

The new entrée first debuted on the specialty board, but soon after was moved to the regular menu due to its growing popularity.

“I ‘discovered’ a Georgia take on the dish during a family trip to Savannah,” Palmateer explained. “My son said, ‘Dad you’ve got to make this.’ So, I made it at home for the family with my own special twists, and the family decision was that it had to become a special [at the bistro].”

For the dish, Palmateer selects from the best of the freshest Florida Gulf Coast shrimp. He seasons the shrimp in his own unique way, and then he expertly sears them to perfection.

The dish also uses applewood bacon and Palmateer’s uniquely developed take on grits. Instead of the typical creamy potage-type of grit presentation, he makes crispy grits. “They are creamy on the inside, with cheddar cheese chunks, and like a crusty cake on the outside,” he explained.

Somewhat resembling the look of a crab cake, these delights are served amid the shrimp, lovingly touched with a cream-based mornay sauce seasoned with New Orleans-styled spices, including jalapeño and scallions, for just the right level of delicious comfort.

Comments from diners have been very positive, Palmateer said, and his wife Sara Palmateer added that the dish proved to be a huge success.

“It became immediately popular,” she said. “So much so, that customers were disappointed when they came in and it wasn’t on the specials board that night. We just redid the menu and put it on there, so now it is available every night.”

The Palmateers opened DeVine Bistro 12 years ago after David found success as a chef with two other notable and well-received restaurants, Café Chardonnay in Palm Beach Gardens and Off the Vine Bistro near PGA Blvd. While he is always on duty running the kitchen, Sara can be found handling everything else, from administration to dessert, at this classic American bistro located in front of the Mall at Wellington Green.

Wellington residents since 2006, the couple made the village their home after they got to know and love the community when their young daughter, Ashley, came to frequent autism therapy sessions in Wellington. They moved here to be closer to the sessions and to raise the family in the community.

Over the past decade, the bistro has grown more and more famous among residents, local celebrities and equestrians, in and out of season, for specializing in what the Palmateers like to call “comfort food.” With a menu that features delicious takes on shrimp, fish, chicken, pork and beef, everything is prepared from scratch, using the freshest ingredients they can find. Diners can taste the difference in their ingredients, the Palmateers stressed.

Impacted by the COVID-19 shutdowns, the Palmateers took the opportunity to undergo extensive remodeling. “Today, the restaurant has high-back booths, so people sit in a more private and friendly space,” Sara said. “It has a more elegant treatment with tablecloths, but it is still our famous comfort food.”

Those popular pastries and desserts Sara makes are all prepared in-house as well.

“I grew up in the country, in upstate New York, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom who taught me the importance of homemade desserts,” she said.

They are all based on the comfort food theme. Banana cream pie with chocolate graham cracker crust and fresh banana chunks is a favorite. “I also make chocolate cream pies, crumb cakes and things like that — all made right here with all the freshest ingredients,” she said.

David began his craft early, as he grew up in a restaurant family. There he developed his love for good food and his ethic of long hours and hard work. His family had restaurants in upstate New York and eventually in North Palm Beach.

DeVine Bistro is located at 2465 State Road 7, Suite 300, in Wellington. It is open daily, except Monday, for dinner from 5 p.m. to close. For more information, call (561) 204-5432 or visit www.devinebistro.com.

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