The Singapore Chop-Chop Salad and other fresh entrees from Seaside Cafe

Chef Donna Wynter has worked in some of South Florida’s best Hotel restaurant kitchens, including a stint as Chef du Cuisine at Palme d’Or at The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables and at the former Baleen at The Grove Isle Club.

These days, Wynter’s significant culinary talent is focused on building the restaurant scene at the Waldorf Astoria’s  Boca Beach Club, where she is the Executive Chef at the resort’s restaurants.

Wynter “enjoys the stability of hotel restaurants and the diversity of the people she gets to work with in the hotel industry” and is particularly excited about the resort’s newest concept, the Seaside Café.

Buttercup umbrellas line the beach at the Seaside Café where diners can enjoy waiter service or a beach buffet that’s seafood-focused, yet still family friendly. The Cafe menu features lobsters and seafood prepared table-side and other options that are  causally elegant and health-conscious. Lighter fare, like the Mediterranean plate featuring dolmas, chick pea hummus and whipped feta spread and the Singapore Chop-Chop Salad, tossed with peanut dressing in a large martini shaker and poured into a bento box, provides beachgoers with fresh cuisine with a dash of whimsy.

The best part? Diners can enjoy this beachside elegance for a fraction of what you might expect. The beachside buffet at the Seaside Grille, including a lobster bake with accoutrement, is $23.

One of Chef Wynter’s most beloved  dishes is her conch chowder, a recipe she was kind enough to share with ZEST readers.  (See recipe below)

Boca Beach Club, 900 South Ocean Boulevard, Boca Raton, FL 33432.

Prix Fixe beef at Chima

The prix fixe menu at this sleek and modern Brazillian steakhouse gives diners a ton of food and an unusual experience, which is why it makes the Best Steakhouses in Florida list. Meat is king at this steakhouse where seasoned meat (rodizio) is placed on skewers, and slow cooked over a wood burning flame. The key to a successful dining experience at Chima is managing the little coaster at your placesetting that communicated to the staff whether you’ve had enough or would like more of the dozen types of meat– from filet mignon, lamb chops to the Brazilian favorite, picanha from the grill. The salad bar is stocked with soups, cheeses, salamis and salads and churrassco is served with starches like fried polenta and mashed potatoes. Chima is a festive option for group dinners too. Prix fixe at $50 per person. 2400 E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33301. Tel: (954) 712-0580.

Does anyone really need an excuse to indulge in the highlight of American breakfast? Interestingly enough, “Pancake Day” or “Pancake Tuesday” didn’t get its name in America. A colloquial term originating in the United Kingdom and Ireland for Shrove Tuesday, i.e. Fat Tuesday or the Tuesday before Lent begins, Christians coined the phrase “Pancake Day” because it was the last day that milk, butter and eggs—which were forbidden during the abstinence of Lent—could be eaten. Pancake recipes were an efficient way to use up these ingredients before they would spoil during the 40-day fasting period.

Lenten sacrifice aside, Florida has its share of notable breakfast joints. The following are our Insiders’ favorite places to get a great stack of flapjacks:

Circle’s. Blueberry pancakes are tops at this South Tampa bruncherie situated in a quaint bungalow. 2500 W. Azeele Street, Tampa, FL, 33609. Tel: (813) 879-5228.

Airport Tiki. They don’t call them hundred-dollar pancakes for nothing! This hut on the Fort Pierce Airport tarmac is where the private jet set gets their grub on. Private pilots looking for an excuse to fly could pony up $100 for a two-hour plane rental, fuel and the opportunity to get out of dodge for a meal. (This may not account for today’s economic climate though. Two hundred dollar pancakes anyone?) 2982 Curtis King Blvd, Fort Pierce, 34946. Tel: (772) 489-2285.

Blue Heaven. Choose from Banana, Pecan and Pineapple pancakes in second-to-none Key West ambiance. Zest’s Best Key West Restaurant. 729 Thomas Street, Key West, FL. Tel: (305) 296-8666.

Farmer John’s Key West Café. On the other side of the state from Key West, this Brooksville café serves up a huge selection of pancakes–many not surprisingly, with a tropical flair. 966 E Jefferson Street, Brooksville, FL 34601. Tel: (352) 754-8787.

Connie’s Cafe. This understated New Port Richey breakfast place keeps it simple with diner standards—but always gets it right. 8165 State Road 52, Hudson, FL, 34667. Tel: (727) 862-8797.

Lester’s Diner. Open 24-7 since 1968, this campy Fort Lauderdale institution has been a perennial Insider favorite. Prices are cheap, service is good, and the pancakes (and milkshakes!) are even better. 250 West State Road 84, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315. Tel: (954) 525-5641.