Description
Buccan is named after the wooden grill used to cook food over an open
fire in the Caribbean. It’s the culinary vision of chef/partner Clay
Conley, who surely learned a few things about dealing with South
Florida’s rich, famous, and famously entitled during his years as exec
chef at überluxe Azul at Miami’s posh Mandarin Oriental. (His success
in that position can be measured simply by how quickly he made local
diners and other people of food forget about his predecessor,
celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein.) Conley’s food is the kind of
casual-yet-sophisticated, chef- and ingredient-driven cuisine you’d
expect to find in New York or Chicago — but here it is on the ritzy
island of Palm Beach. The menu is mostly small plates, many of which
can be bulked up to heftier portion, as well as a half-dozen or so
more typical entrées. Even the priciest dishes are within reach of the
middle class, with large plates in the mid to high-20s and nibbles and
small plates ranging from $3 to $15. Try the steak tartar (a generous
portion with a deep, lusty flavor), Brussels sprouts (made with green
apples and pork bellies), or the best thing to happen to pasta since
the invention of the tomato: squid ink orecchiette. Lamb chops are
underwhelming; opt instead for the shrimp scampi (giant shrimp in a
garlic sauce) or even the burger, made with prime beef and a side of
thick, Parmesan-dusted fries.
