A New Dining Concept at the Historic Sundy House

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I have lived in Delray Beach for three years, happily eating my way around the city. Delray may be a small city, but it's big on flavors, and boy do we like to celebrate them. Literally. Once a year, the city closes down Atlantic Avenue to traffic and turns it into a huge event celebrating local restaurants for Savor the Avenue. Then we have Dine Out Delray, which is Delray's own restaurant week. If somebody asks me for food recommendations in the area, I have several spots ready to go. But there had always been a place I never ventured to. I'd always known that lurking behind the trees and the huge driveway, a lush oasis was hidden at the Sundy House. I just hadn't seen it for myself until now.

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The Sundy House, to myself and surely to many others, has always been an enchanted place reserved for the most special occasions. That's why, all of these years later, I'd been to just about every restaurant on Atlantic Avenue but Sundy House. On June 29th, a new restaurant concept called Taru was unveiled, breathing new life into the Sundy House. The menu offers a dining experience to match the tropical, lush setting. The kitchen is headed by James Strine, whose direction for the menu is new Floridian cuisine, a fusion of Caribbean, Latin, and Southern flavors.

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Patrons at Sundy House used to have a choice of roughly seven menu items, but Strine has ensured that whether it's a few drinks and small plates you want or a three course meal, you have plenty of choices. What I appreciate most about the menu is that it's fun. How many times have you tried turkey and stuffing croquettes? I asked Strine what inspired such a menu item, and he simply answered that he loves Thanksgiving, and this is the best bite of those leftover Thanksgiving foods. You know, the ones people usually make a sandwich with? Only he's created something better.

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Highlights from my dining experience, other than walking around the property and briefly pretending I was in an exotic garden far, far away, were absolutely the turkey and stuffing croquettes, dynamite rice, tomato salad with grilled cheese croutons, and the Taru burger. I've been told that the menu will rotate items, but I hope that some of my favorites will become a permanent fixture on the menu.

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