Its not often that I sit at a restaurant table surrounded by literally hundreds of gourmet delicacies. Artur’s European Food and Deli in Lantana draws upon the vast culinary traditions of Europe, especially those of the Central and Eastern tiers. Proprietor/chef Artur Sargsyan’s culinary style rests upon the belief that one should use only the best ingredients, organic one when available. He bakes four kinds of rye bread with yeast and rye flour imported from Germany.” No preservatives”, he says.
One part of the deli is filled with shelf after shelf of imported delectables. Refrigerators and freezers are bulging with every conceivable type of prepared and frozen specialties. Beer and wine from as far away as the Caucuses are displayed everywhere. A counter at the front of the store is a source of hot foods prepared for eat in or take out.
We sat in the charming dining area composed of three tables. A recently introduced breakfast menu is available Tuesday thru Saturday featuring a variety of favorites such as Croissants with Ham and Cheese, French toast and Cheese Pancakes.
The lunch menu is where Arthur’s uniqueness really come through.. His Stuffed Cabbage is a magnificent blend of meat and spices wrapped in a wispy leaf. Unlike many restaurants where the cabbage is the dominant theme, at Artur’s, the stuffing is so flavorful that you really want to ask for another helping. We also had a portion of his homemade sauerkraut which looked like Cole slaw, but had all the pizzazz of the kraut.
All of the dolmades that I have tasted were filled with rice. Artur’s version overflows with savory meat enhanced with a variety of spices, We enjoyed a trio of these cigar shaped delicacies along with slices of his magnicent rye bread and his superb homemade pickles that rival the best we have had at leading deli’s.
Order baklava anywhere in Palm Beach County and the chances are you will get a stack of phylo dough separated by a few thin layers of walnuts and lots of sweet honey to round out the treat. If you want to taste the ultimate in bakalava, however, you have to bite into Artur’s version where a crispy phylo layer sits on a one and a half inch base of nothing but crunchy walnuts and honey. Yum. Now that is the way to enjoy baklava.
Another treat, Kataifi, is a cylinder composed of strands of phylo (looks like a tube of shredded wheat) filled in the center with walnuts and honey. Artur also makes a pastry item shaped like a walnut and packed with a luscious creamy filling. Our last nibbles consisted of tiny loaves of ethereal dough dipped in a delicate elixir.
Artur the Baker is also a fantastic caterer. I perused his catering book filled with entrees, sides and desserts that would turn any event into a splendiferous feast. For more information, log onto http://arturseuropeanfoodanddeli.com
510 Lantana Road | (Tel) 561-296-9626 | Open Tuesday thru Sunday