Review: Iranian couple fuses cuisines in restaurant whose name means 'beloved' in Persian

Lately, I have had the privilege of reviewing restaurants that have new beginnings. These are dining establishments that previously operated under a different name but closed for one reason or another. New owners then took the leap and resuscitated the space with new décor and a new menu.

Thus, it was with a “passion for gastronomy and a vision for creating a sanctuary of culinary excellence,” that DelBar Restaurant was born in Hobe Sound. The restaurant is owned by a lovely Iranian-American couple, DelBar and Sean. The chef was formerly with Chef’s Table in Stuart.

The inside dining area has a brick-lined wall, string lights, white tableclothed tables, and a large bar lining one side. Outside, the bar and dining area are under cover, cooled by fans, shaded by a tree canopy and decorated with string lights and quirky black chandeliers.

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Starters include a falafel, tuna tostadas, and goat cheese ravioli. There are soups and salads with beet and goat cheese or burrata with balsamic glaze. The Delbar Caesar salad ($17) featured flame-grilled romaine leaves, so they had a little char on them, which is a preparation I enjoy. With shaved Parmesan and a creamy sharp dressing, this was a lovely salad.

Entrees are diverse such as filet mignon, fresh catch of the day, lobster pappardelle, vegetable risotto, honey-roasted squash, and spaghetti with spinach-stuffed chicken.

We started with French onion soup ($13), which had a beefy broth, caramelized onions, melted Havarti cheese and toasted crostini. The rich broth was perfectly hardy and robust. We also shared teriyaki egg rolls ($20). Thinly sliced beef with a sweet teriyaki glaze was rolled into wrappers and deep fried. We sopped it up with piquant chili sauce.

Hubby ordered the hanger steak ($41), which is a flat cut of beef from the belly. Cooked properly, it is tender and juicy. The chef seasoned it with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper, then flame-grilled it to a perfect medium-rare. The beef was huddled with mashed potatoes.

My dinner choice was cauliflower steak ($31), which was a thick-sliced slab of cauliflower head, roasted with garlic and herbs, and served atop a heap of nutty quinoa. The cauliflower was tender, but the flavors were subtle and understated. I requested lemon wedges to squeeze on the steak, which brightened the dish.

The evening was lovely and the weather was perfect. The service was calm and paced. Our server, Pam, was attentive and considerate as we grappled with what to order. “Take your time. I am here all night.” Owner Sean was also ever-present, stopping by tables, chatting with guests, making sure everything was satisfactory and everyone was happy.

The menu has lots of tasty choices and I could definitely see myself ordering a cold glass of bubbly, a few appetizers and that grilled Caesar salad. Joy of joys.

DelBar Restaurant

• Cuisine: American

• Address: 11970 S.E. Dixie Highway, Hobe Sound

• Phone: 772-245-8182

• Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday; until 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; closed Monday

• Alcohol: Full bar

• Online: Delbars.com, Facebook

• Lucie Regensdorf dines anonymously at the expense of TCPalm for #WhatToDoIn772. Contact her at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Restaurant review: DelBar Restaurant in Hobe Sound was Kork, Xega