Mohamed and Karima Kaada opened the Café Prélude on North Federal Highway in Boynton Beach. Photos provided
By Jan Norris
The Fourth of July has a special meaning for the owners of the area’s newest French bakery.
Café Prélude in Boynton Beach is “the American dream come true,” said Mohamed Kaada.
Originally from France, Kaada and his wife, Karima, came to the United States six years ago to start their own business, and as he says, “have a better life for ourselves and our children.”
They arrived speaking little English and with limited knowledge of business practices in America, he said, though he’s been in the food industry for more than 26 years.
A pizzeria seemed the easiest way to get established quickly, and NYPD Pizza in Boynton Beach on Federal Highway was the result.
“Pizza, chicken wings, sandwiches — everybody likes those,” Kaada said.
After that success, it was time to try to bring the French influence to an eatery. La Buvette, a small cafe, opened next door to the pizzeria in Boynton Beach just before the coronavirus hit. “Like a lot of businesses, we were hit hard,” he said. “We had to close.”
Not ones to sit idle, he and his wife and team created a virtual kitchen. Now through the website Simplevirtualkitchen.com, Kaada consults for restaurateurs wanting to add delivery services or to do delivery only.
But the French bakery, which opened in late May, is garnering the most notice among the area’s residents.
“My wife is a French baker,” Kaada said. “She has years of experience. Everything here is authentic.”
It’s also all made in house.
A sampling of its desserts. BELOW RIGHT: A chicken mushroom curry quiche from the bakery.
The couple wants diners “to feel as though you are in France,” Kaada said. “Everyone here speaks French. When you eat croissant, it’s the real thing. Quiche, crepes, and even the espresso are just as you get in France.”
But for the American market, he had to tweak a few foods. “We make an egg, bacon and cheese croissant. And we make pancakes. Yes, I know crepes are better,” he said, laughing. “We have a wonderful crepe stuffed with cream cheese and smoked salmon. Many people don’t eat smoked salmon until they try this. Then they want to order it.”
Baguettes are made fresh daily. Lunch sandwiches include the croque monsieur and croque madame. Also popular is the jambon-beurre — the traditional ham and cheese sandwich made with butter and Dijon mustard.
Details and authenticity are important, Kaada said, such as the white bread used for panini. “That’s the original. I know others use different breads, but that’s not authentic in France.”
Several daily desserts include the apple turnover, Danish raisin pastry, éclair au chocolat, and mille-feuille — known as Napoleons to the American audience.
“And of course, we have macaron,” Kaada said
Breakfast and lunch are on the menu, but the business is open till 8 p.m. for takeout and light café meals.
The odd dish out for Kaada is the waffle, with chicken. “We had to put a waffle with chicken on the menu. People asked for it. It’s our fluffy waffle with fried chicken and maple syrup, or honey drizzled on top.”
It is definitely not a French dish, but he celebrates the diverse mashups of foods here. He laughed. “I love living in the U.S.”
Café Prélude, 312 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach. Open weekdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; weekends, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Phone 561-536-5386, or go to Café Prélude Boynton Beach on Facebook.
The white clam pizza at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana.
Pepe’s ‘Apizza’ in Delray
For Northeast pizza fans, the news that Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana chose Delray Beach for the 16th eatery in the chain is welcome.
The New Haven, Connecticut-style pizza comes from a family-owned pizzeria in operation since 1925. Many South Florida retirees know it well — they hail from the Northeast, or remember it from eating there in their younger days, said Kevin Gagliard, director of operations for Pepe’s.
“We realized so many of our guests migrated and retired in the area,” he said.
“In the first week we’ve been open, it’s been like a New England reunion week. We’ve heard stories of people whose grandparents took them to the New Haven Pepe’s, or they talk about driving down from college to eat there.”
The “apizza” (pronounced “abeetz” by die-hards) are made with proprietary dough and sauce, from ingredients grown and bottled or canned for Pepe’s. These include Italian tomatoes and a special olive oil blend.
Gagliard says consistency for Pepe’s premium pizza is crucial. For that, a special filtration system was put in place to bring Florida water up to par with New Haven’s. It produces the chewy and crispy crust — part of Pepe’s signature.
“The water for the dough is critical. Pizza is simple, but it’s a science. And ingredients must be the highest quality. We use whole milk mozzarella, and our pecorino comes in a large wheel we age, then it’s grated for the pizzas,” he said.
The sauce is made from tomatoes grown in Italy for Pepe’s, pureed fresh daily.
Once made, the pizza is placed into the 14-by-14-foot coal-fired oven on a 16-foot paddle. The oven, which bakes the pies at 600 degrees and delivers a slight char, is designed as a replica of the original in Connecticut.
So far, the most popular pies are the meatball and ricotta, cheese and pepperoni, and the signature white clam pizza, Gagliard said.
A few salads are on the menu along with some desserts. But don’t expect coffee or a burger. This is a pizzeria selling premium pies, he said.
“We are an experience. We’re the neighborhood pizzeria. The kitchen is wide open. Kids love to watch the pizzas being made.”
Specialty pizzas include the Amanti Della Carne with tomatoes, mozzarella, meatball, pepperoni, sausage, bacon and pecorino; and the white clam, made with fresh clams, pecorino Romano, a proprietary oil blend, fresh garlic and oregano.
More Pepe’s outlets are coming to the area, he said. The first was in Plantation. “When we go into an area, we don’t just do one and leave. We put in five or six for support,” Gagliard said.
The owners will pace it so they can hire quality staff to follow the traditions of Pepe’s pizza-making.
Gagliard is happy with Delray Beach and its “foodie” reputation. “I love being in a city where they love food.”
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana 1701 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Phone 561-431-5601 for takeout. Online ordering at pepespizza.com is being planned.
The burlesque show at Ravish on Ocean Avenue in Lantana won’t resume until next season.
In brief
Ravish on Ocean Avenue in Lantana retired its burlesque show until next season, co-owner Alexandra Dupuis said. The cost outdistanced the return, she said. The last one for this season was held Father’s Day. ...
It’s National Ice Cream month: Celebrate with locally owned and produced ice cream. Try the Ice Cream Club in Manalapan, which has churned out the frozen treats for 41 years. There’s Proper Ice Cream in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, where vegan ice cream is available. Check out Sloan’s in Boca Raton, where you are treated to an old-fashioned candy store/ice cream parlor setting. Find family-owned Lily’s Ice Cream in Delray Beach, where the cones and ice cream are made fresh daily on site.
Jan Norris is a food writer who can be reached at nativefla@gmail.com.
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