Try The Spinach Eggs Benedict At Oak Bistro & Wine Bar Story and Photos by Julie Unger
Oak Bistro & Wine Bar has become known throughout the western communities for its weekend brunch specials, and if you stop by, be sure to order the Spinach Eggs Benedict.
Oak’s Spinach Eggs Benedict is special. The fresh brioche bun is the perfect bed, warm and cozy, for fresh-cooked spinach and expertly prepared poached eggs. Over the eggs is a generous serving of homemade hollandaise sauce.
The meal is a favorite for owners Lisa and Brian Jacobsen.
“It’s special because we only do it Saturday and Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., as part of our brunch. During season, from Jan. 9 through May 1, we are doing Monday Funday, so that will be brunch on Mondays as well,” Lisa said. “We make everything from scratch.”
Homemade, gluten-free home fries, tossed in rosemary, are added to the plate.
“That’s what makes them the best,” she said, noting that the entire dish can be prepared gluten-free as well.
Every few months, Oak Bistro changes its menu, Brian noted. The new menu for 2017 features several unique dishes and will be in effect until spring.
“And then we’ll change it again, when it will be geared toward lighter flavors. During the wintertime, it’s more hearty,” he said.
With each season’s menu change, the artwork on the walls, supplied by the Wellington Art Society, changes as well.
One of Brian’s favorite dishes is Oak’s Bacon Burger.
“The bacon burger is a creation I came up with,” he said. “The bacon is actually in the burger. We take a mix of ground beef and ground bacon and make that into patties. The bacon permeates throughout the whole burger. If you’re a true bacon lover, you can always add bacon on the top, you can add cheese, you can add a fried egg. You can really kick the burger up a notch or two. To have the bacon actually cooked in the burger is something that is very unique. Each bite that you’re getting is going to give you a nice bacon flavor.”
Another big draw would be the Bacon Wrapped Dates, which debuted on the menu shortly after Oak Bistro opened just over two years ago. They take dates, stuff them with goat cheese and wrap them in bacon, serving them with a balsamic glaze on the bottom.
“Once you take the sweetness of the date, the creaminess of the goat cheese and the smokiness of the bacon, it all combines so well together that it’s absolutely delicious,” Brian said.
Few places offer bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys during brunch like Oak Bistro does, even letting diners switch between the two. Brunch is a relaxed atmosphere where diners aren’t rushed. Reservations, however, are suggested.
Everything is made fresh to order. The menu features breakfast tacos, a build-your-own omelet, eggs Benedict, cinnamon French toast, and an egg, meat and cheese sandwich. Cappuccino, espresso, hot tea and coffee, as well as cold brewed coffee from Hollywood Brewing Co., is also offered. “It’s just a good time,” Brian said.
Regular menu items are also available during brunch, Lisa added, such as the popular Charcuterie & Cheese Board, the Puff Pastry Tart, Croque Monsieur and Soupe Du Jour.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming back our snowbirds and equestrian people,” Brian said. “Many small businesses close on Monday, or have very limited menus on Monday, so we wanted to create something that was fun and give people a place to go.”
During the off-season, Oak Bistro doesn’t serve brunch on Monday, but during equestrian season, it is a special treat, especially when many equestrians are off on Monday.
Happy hour is daily from 4 to 7 p.m., and every Thursday evening, there are wine bottle promotions. Limited quantities are available of a reserve wine list that is not listed on the menu. Oak Bistro has more than 25 craft beers by the bottle and four on draft. Draft samples are available. There are nightly entree specials, as well as American-style tapas; sharing is suggested and encouraged.
Oak Bistro & Wine Bar is located at 11051 Southern Blvd., Suite 210, in Royal Palm Beach. It is in the Southern Palm Crossing shopping plaza in between Stein Mart and Rack Room Shoes. For more information, call (561) 753-6217 or visit www.oakrpb.com.
