Every other Friday, the City of Lake Worth hosts "Evening on the Avenue," a night when all the shops stay open late, restaurants and bars offer specials, and several stages provide live music.
Like the old story of Brigadoon, one little place named Audrey's (which is normally closed for dinner) springs to life for Evening on the Avenue. Chef Edmund Dyer prepares an abbreviated, but exquisite, menu just twice each month.
Two of Ed's signature appetizers are Cream baccala (codfish) and Shrimp Caponata, a mixture of shrimp, olives and spices. Both of these are served with crisp bruschetta, fresh, whole garlic cloves, and olive oil. The helpings are large, and really set the stage for a wonderful meal to come. Appetizers are priced at around five or six dollars each.
All entrees are served with soup or salad, and an assortment of breads and mini-muffins. I had the hearty and perfectly-seasoned Plantation Lamb Stew, and my partner had a cool and spicy Gazpacho. Our dining companions raved about the dressing on the salad.
The portions at Audrey's are great for big eaters like me. I had a delicate, flaky tilapia fillet sauteed with white wine, butter, sundried tomatos and capers. It absolutely melted in my mouth. My partner enjoyed pork tenderloin medallions and shittake mushrooms with a cranberry and rosemary demiglaze, while our friends both enjoyed chicken breast Florentine, topped with sauteed spinach, provolone cheese, and a parmesan peppercorn cream sauce. All the entrees were served with a light white-and-wild rice mixture, and broccoli and baby carrots. Entrees are reasonably priced at $14-15 each.
The desserts included a wide variety of cheesecakes (including one sugar-free variety), peanut butter pie, key lime pie, and I'm sure several others that escape me right now. The desserts were artfully presented on plates decorated with fresh whipped cream, caramel sauce and fresh strawberries.
Beer and wine, as well as a wide assortment of soft drinks like sodas, juices and teas are available. My only complaint about the restaurant (a pet peeve of mine) is that my iced tea was served with lemon slices instead of lemon wedges. How the heck am I supposed to squeeze a little slice like that?
I highly recommend Audrey's as a wonderful dinner spot on Friday nights. Chef Edmund also serves breakfast on Sunday mornings, and Audrey herself prepares a variety of sandwiches for lunches during the week.
Audrey's is open for dinner every other Friday, so don't forget to call ahead to check on the actual dates for Evening on the Avenue.