Southern Hospitality: Chic Transportation, Valentine's Reservations & More in Palm Beach

The newest luxury amenity for Palm Beach hotels — chic and fun forms of transportation.

Brazilian Court has purchased a sleek 44-foot Brunello Acampora-designed Italian Solaris Power yacht, which it has christened “BC One.” Any guests staying for a week can enjoy a complimentary luxurious eight-person, two-hour excursion. Dishes from a seasonal menu curated by Café Boulud are available at an extra charge.

The Ben West Palm has a cool new electric circuit car named “Bruno,” that fits up to six guests, and will shuttle within a three-mile radius of the hotel, including to the beach, with chairs, towels, bags and a cooler, at no extra charge. Bruno will, of course, be on call to bring them back to the hotel.

Middle Eastern/Mediterranean fare is having a moment, and you would be hard pressed to find a better version than at the family-run restaurant Amar — a real find on Delray’s Atlantic Avenue.

From the crunchy, za’atar-laced homemade pita chips served with yogurt dip, given to all tables, to the unusually crisp fattoush and sweet and smokey muhammara, made with walnuts and red pepper, to the succulent branzino, perfectly roasted in the wood-burning oven, offerings are fresh and tasty. While there are lamb chops and sirloin kebabs, 40% of the menu is vegan. And though the room is small, the owners are on a hunt for a second location in West Palm.

Those looking for a quick casual meal will be happy to know that the Great Greek Mediterranean Grill has opened a branch in Boca, serving fresh, healthy dishes such as salads, hummus and grilled salmon at very affordable prices.

If you are looking to indulge foodie passions, head to the new Eddie V’s in Mizner Park. Among the wondrous offerings are Petrossian royal caviar double baked potatoes; warm goat cheese salad with wild mushrooms; morel-crusted lamb chops; butter poached lobster and aged cheddar mashed potatoes; and such steak enhancements as cognac peppercorn creme, and crab-stuffed jumbo shrimp. Save room for bananas Foster butter cake.

VALENTINE’S DAY RESERVATIONS

Valentine’s Day is the second biggest restaurant night of the year, after Mother’s Day, so the pressure is on to find an ideal setting in which to celebrate, and many places are offering special dishes or menus.

Over in Delray, Atlantic Grille, the restaurant at the chic Seagate Hotel & Spa, which is known for fabulous seafood, has a festive menu with lobster bisque, chocked with sweet shellfish and laced with sherry; gin and beet cured salmon crudo; fettuccine carbonara with black truffle; wagyu surf and turf; and chocolate fondue dessert bar.

Also in Delray, the most glamorous spot on the Avenue, Le Colonial, is a perfect place to celebrate the evening at a cozy booth. Sip a lychee martini or Hanoi coffee cocktail while you take in the room’s stylish southeast Asian vibe. and bite into holiday specials like the Cha Gio — a crispy shrimp and pork roll, with jumbo shrimp, heritage pork, Asian mushrooms, mint, cilantro and chili lime sauce.

The Butcher’s Club at the PGA Resort, with chef Jeremy Ford at the helm, will serve up a tasting menu including a wagyu katsu sandwich with lobster and ossetra caviar; spicy tuna tartare; farm egg raviolo with white truffle; buttery xo snapper; wagyu strip steak; and dulce de leche fondant.

If you’d like to turn this into an ultra-romantic day, the spa at the PGA National Resort has a sensory journey called “Couples Chemistry” where partners craft body scrubs or masks from an array of natural ingredients and pair their mixtures with massage. The session includes chocolates and Champagne and a couples shower.

One of the loveliest places to enjoy Valentine’s is oceanside at the Acqua Café. Renowned for fresh seafood and homemade pasta, it is offering a celebratory one-two punch of those two ingredients with heart-shaped, lobster-stuffed ravioli. The cioppino is also not to be missed. Between the ocean vista, and the chef’s spectacular dishes, there is definitely a photo opportunity.

Curl up in a booth at wildly popular Louie Bossi, where some new dishes have been added, including torn burrata salad with vegetables and mint and pistachios; chicken scarpariello made on the woodburning grill and served with fennel sausage and tagliarini al lemon, made with Meyer lemon, mascarpone, parmigiana and micro basil. Even pizza is enlivened with hot honey and house-made ricotta. And the tiny almond cookies served with cappuccino are absolutely crave worthy.

What could be more romantic than a French bistro? Pistache, a favorite cozy spot in West Palm Beach, is offering a special three-course prix fixe with Gallic treats like onion soup gratin; oysters with Champagne veloute and caviar; foie gras torchon; scallops with corn pudding; bouillabaisse; red-wine-braised short rib; coq au vin; and crispy duck confit.