Oceano Kitchen — Restaurant in Lake Worth Beach

I’ve been an enthusiastic fan of Cindy and Jeremy Bearman since they first opened Oceano Kitchen in Lantana… just 10 tables on a deck with indelible yellow awning, a tiny kitchen, cash only, no reservations.

When they opened in 2017 I wrote, “A venue like this can only serve one purpose... a playground for a creative chef who loves what he/she does and wants a personal relationship with his clientele. It's small and super laid back... all creative chow that's made to order and super fresh. Execution is perfect. If you love food and understand the effort that went into what you see on the plate... it's a dream come true.”

This new location, designed by the Bearmans is the type of place every chef dreams about. There’s a fantastic open kitchen, a food bar, a regular bar where you can dine as well, the main dining room, and 2 outdoor seating areas…. the front terrace (sidewalk area) and on the backyard terrace. Sat in the dining room on my first visit with Angel providing excellent personable service. A few weeks later we sat at the bar, and the bartender, Ayn was great… a lot of fun sitting there.

While the physical plant has undergone an incredible transformation the cuisine is the same amazing chow that made me fall in love with Oceano to begin with… amazing use of fresh, local ingredients, brilliant combinations of flavors, perfect execution. The menu is still small, just a few more dishes as they have the space and staff to handle it. It’s great to see chef Eric Sheremeta, a great talent, who’s been with Jeremy since the beginning.

May Dinner: Local Peach Gazpacho w/tomato, blue crab, brioche, basil… fantastic starter, so fresh! Hawaiian Walu Crudo w/red plum, ginger, shiso, avocado, white soy, crispy rice… fabulous, although I prefer thinly sliced fish rather than cubed. Wild Ramp Pizza w/caciocavallo, ricotta, robiola, mozz, parm, pickled ramps…. awesome! Blueberry Duck Fat Pie w/blueberry-vanilla sugar, lemon cream, pandan ice cream… Insanely great, still thinking about it Cindy Bearman is the pastry chef… everything she does is amazing!

June Dinner: Wood Fired Peach Salad w/stracciatella, arugula, pistachio-fennel granola, pickled red onion... peaches so fresh and sweet, fresh cheese, loved it! White Pizza: gorgonzola dolce, gruyere, ricotta, mozz, parm, arugula… fantastic! Mango Pie w/graham cracker, raspberries, tropical fruit sorbet… wow! Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie… they change on the menu but all of the cookies are amazing, no better chocolate chip cookies anywhere, trust me. My strategy is to enjoy a dessert at the restaurant and take a cookie or 2 home.

You can now reserve a table, on Resy, and credit cards are welcome. Wines well chosen… enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc and Moreau Chablis by the glass. Valet parking and plenty of street parking.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – A...

It's been a long time since I've been able to post a restaurant review... Still limiting where we're going but this restaurant is all outside seating...

I've been wanting to get to Oceano Kitchen for quite a while. Tonight was the night. We were in the right area shortly after they opened at 5:30, and we walked up and were seated in of the last available tables.

Our server briefed us: The menu changes every day. Everything is scratch made. Everything. Plates are designed for sharing - nothing is too big or too small.

We had no preconceived ideas of what we'd have or even find on the menu, and that's good because I couldn't have ever imagined the menu items.

Our choices were the Street Corn Soup, Long Island Duck Dumplings, Orechiette with shortrib ragu, and the New Bedford Scallops with Polenta.

The Street Corn soup came first - nicely split into separate bowls for us. On this warm evening it was a refreshing chilled soup. Smooth and creamy, sweet with bits of fresh corn and little jabs of heat from the tajin sprinkled on, tempered by bits of the queso fresca. We both loved it... every spoonful brought new flavors.

The Long Island Dumplings were next. 6 dumplings to the order -- more than enough for the two of us. Obviously freshly-made and bursting with flavor. The dumpling itself was also fresh and had a nice bite to it. No "gamey" taste at all from the duck, just lots of oohs and ahhs from us.

Third came the Orechiette. The shortrib chunks in the ragu just melted in our mouths, and the pasta was al dente just as I love it. We both thought this dish might have benefitted from a light dash of salt, but it was still very well done. The portion was large enough that we both ate our fill and then still had 1/2 of it boxed up for a midnight snack.

Finally, the Scallops. FOUR. HUGE. SCALLOPS. Seared and cooked to perfection. Tender. Smooth. Creamy. Add the sweet of the currant and the salty of the caper to the polenta, and the rabe in brown butter and this dish was superb. Actually one scallop ended up in the "for later" package as well......

I didn't plan on dessert. I mean we were stuffed... but the server said "you have to try the cheesecake". Yeah, she was right. Deconstructed, whipped cheesecake with lemon curd and a sour cream sorbet. What are these gummy-bear looking things? Cassis gelee. (I'll save you the trouble, since I already looked it up -- cassis is Black Currant) They were delicious as well... they kind of melted in your mouth and made the fruit topping you love on a cheesecake.

We'll be back. ...

I was unaware of Oceano Kitchen (O.K.) until it was highly recommended by a close personal friend of mine, who just so happens to be a chef. I stopped him mid-way through his recommendation, and I immediately made plans for dinner at O.K. From my first time, it became one of my absolute favorites, and I've been there a total of 5 times since, and after 5 flawless visits, I thought I owed O.K. a good honest review.

The first thing you should know about the restaurant is that it's a complete "experience." The menu changes each day, and dishes are served family or "tapa" style. Come with an appetite and with enough time to get the most of your visit.

O.K. menu inspired by Chef Jeremy Bearman who comes from many big cities across the US under his belt, earning his way up through many restaurants honing his skills. Bearman has learned some fancy techniques and it shows he has no sight in bringing it to a halt. Earning awards in his long career grinding in the kitchen, I can attest he knows the science of connecting the tastes buds well. Had a local butternut squash soup, with candied pumpkin seed, apple, fall spices recently...was whisked away in memory of cold days at the cider mill in Michigan on any fall day smells and taste came together making me a story while I eat. Meanwhile that's just one of the soups. Rigatoni all' amatraciana; guanciale, tomato, chile, black pepper, pecorino pasta coming hot out of the wood oven was ridiculous.

This beautiful home, made exclusive restaurant only seats 8-10 guest inside maybe a few more but they do have a gorgeous patio outside with fans and tables for groups. Since the kitchen is taking over most of the inside area, they're a few seats in front of both Chef Bearman and Chef Candelaria at the bar. Three of which give views of Chef Bearman preparing the final touches to each course in front of you. The energy is strong with the knowledgeable Chefs, and the serving staff who team work well to make sure everyone dining is taken care of meanwhile they're having a good time themselves. Craft beer and wine are served only and comes with a great selection of the two. You should definitely follow their Facebook or Instagram accounts both found via title of restaurant or checkout the website. Maybe I'll be there when you go, ya never know but I can guarantee you will not be disappointed...