Dada in Delray Beach
This is a bit of a continuation of my last post…after enjoying our exotic car “Cannonball Run”, my husband and I were famished! We stopped by the Sundy House, which is one of my favorite restaurants in Delray–although it’s quite pricey. And since we don’t get up that way too often, we thought, let’s splurge while we’re here. (And after the major splurge on what it cost to drive those cars, what’s a few more dollars now for a good meal, right?).
Well, to our disappointment, Sundy House had already stopped serving dinner by the time we got there at around 9:15pm. I was quite surprised–I mean, it’s a recession, right, so wouldn’t you want to make some money with a couple of live ones ready to spend? Nope. Apparently not. So they referred us to a little place down the street called Dada.
I knew I’d heard of it, but couldn’t recall anything about it. But what an unexpected treasure it turned out to be! The restaurant’s located at 52 N Swinton Ave in Delray Beach, on the corner. It was easy to spot, with it’s tiki torches and twinkling lights all over the outdoor seating area. The restaurant is actually a converted old house–which is common in Delray–and boasted the most amazing Banyon trees. It was truly magical.
Scotty's Beefy Tenderloin
Fortunately, they were still serving–they were quite busy, in fact–and we decided to sit outdoors since itwas a somewhat cool night (by South Florida standards–it was probably about 78 degrees).
The menu was so fantastic, it was tough to decide what to get. I started with a Mediterranean Plate, which featured hummus, pita bread, roasted vegetables and grape leaves. The hubby had Grilled Brie, complete with grapes and other fresh fruit.
A cool painting inside
For dinner I ended up getting Scott’s Beefy Grilled Tenderloin, which was an 8 ounce filet served over warm spinach leaves and horseradish mashed potatoes. Now, I don’t usually go for the red meat (and there were some amazing sounding fish dishes on the menu, so it was a tough choice) but I really worked up an appetite driving those fast cars! Undoubtedly the BEST filet I have ever tasted! Completely juicy and tender, perfectly pink but still warm. It was truly comfort food at its best.
I think Graham was a bit disappointed with his New York Strip–not because it wasn’t good, but because it just paled in comparison to my filet. Usually I’m the one wishing I ordered what he had–but not this time!
Our waiter (who’s name escapes me, yikes!) provided outstanding service, and we even got a couple of free drinks from some girls offering a Kahlua promotion. The drinks were a bit on the sickly sweet side–they tasted like tootsie rolls–but it was a nice added bonus nonetheless.
One of the unique rooms
When I went inside to use the facilities, I loved the inside as much as the outside. It was like popping into an artist’s home. Every room had a different decor, with different eclectic paintings. The front room had a fireplace, and a band was setting up to play. One room had Salvador Dali prints and a big screen that was playing a movie (didn’t know which one). And even the unisex bathroom had personality–there were about 12 toilet paper holders strategically placed all over the walls–creating art out of the ordinary! At first I just thought, wow, they really put those t.p. holders far away from the toilet! But then I noticed all the others. No chance of running out of paper there!
The Wall of Toilet Paper
All in all, this was a magical place, and one I would make the trip back up to Delray for again. It’s tough to find everything all in one, but Dada has it all–personality, atmosphere, fantastic food, outstanding service–oh, and the prices really are pretty good, ranging from $15.00 to $26.00 for the entrees–what more could you want? Thank you, Sundy House, for sending us to what is now going to be some serious competition, in my book anyway. And thank you, Dada, for putting the finishing touch on our unique evening!
