06/26/2024
BRIGHTON BEACH BAGELS’ SEAFOOD SPECIALTIES RESURFACE ON THE MENU OF A DELRAY BEACH COMMUNITY’S CAFE
By ALAN J. WAX
Many in Delray Beach lamented the May 2023 closing of Brighton Beach Bagel and Bakery on the corner of Military and Atlantic Avenue, which along with baked goods and Jewish-style deli meats offered a New England seafood dining experience during evenings.
Behind the seafood experience were Jeffrey and Sonia Dolinsky, formerly of New Bedford, MA. Jeff was the third-generation operator of the iconic Davy's Locker, which until 2014 served up seafood for 50 years in New Bedford, a former whaling port on Massachusetts' southern coast.
Happily, the Dolinskys found a new workplace, The HP Cafe, at the Delray Beach 55-plus community Huntington Pointe, where they manage the smallish, modern boîte on behalf of Dala Inc., a Boynton Beach-based community cafe concessionaire.
And happily for the lucky 1,700 residents of Huntington Pointe for whom a trip to the cafe is an easy jaunt.
The HP Cafe, which re-opened after a remodeling on Nov. 28, 2023, offers the typical cafe-cum-coffee-shop fare of breakfasts, salads, and sandwiches. They’re fine.
But about once a month, the Dolinskys cook up a virtually all, albeit limited, seafood menu for about 70 lucky residents. With the advent of the off-season, the cafe also began offering a special lunch menu built around various styles of lobster rolls.
Recently, I sampled the New England-style roll ($24.99 including a side and beverage). I received a toasted, split-top bun resting in a paper tray brimming with large chunks of the steamed crustacean, slightly moistened with just a bit of mayonnaise and chopped celery. An excellent straightforward example of the genre. At the relatively bargain price, I’d often return for the treat.
�Alas, I haven’t had an opportunity to sample the seafood night menu, which on a recent evening featured a Connecticut lobster roll (served warm with drawn butter), lobster Newburgh, broiled sea scallops, baked stuffed shrimp, and Salmon with lobster sauce along with sides, beverages, and dessert with prices range from $28.99 to $35.99. I’m sure they’re excellent, if the lobster roll is a gauge.
The HP Cafe is worth a visit, but there is a hitch: you must live inside Huntington Pointe’s gates or be lucky enough to join someone who does.
