Yasmina Lowther, a server at Barcelona Wine Bar, pours white sangria directly into Stephanie Kozacka’s mouth while Kozacka enjoys a girls night out with friends. The restaurant is located in the new Sundy Village complex at the corner of Atlantic and Swinton avenues in Delray Beach. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Jan Norris
Barcelona Wine Bar opened in downtown Delray Beach with little fanfare in January, but it has gained a following with its unusual Spanish flair.
The spot in Sundy Village at 22 W. Atlantic Ave. brings a different flavor of Mediterranean food to an area some say is over-saturated with Italian.
Traditional tapas — found in Spain’s many bars — make for sharing plates.
A large list of charcuteries that includes domestic and imported ham, sausages and cheeses allows diners to mix and match.
Roasted vegetables and meats are on the tapas list, with a spinach and chickpea cazuela, eggplant caponata, mushrooms, roasted cauliflower and artichoke hummus among the selections.
Shrimp, anchovies on potato chips (boquerones), mussels, a tuna crudo and salmon a la plancha are among the seafood bites. Spiced beef empanadas, pork belly, ham and cheese croquetas, and wagyu beef carpaccio are presented with pepper or tomato sauces and mojo seasonings.
For heartier plates, the menu has chicken pimientos, whole roasted branzino, a choice of three paellas, and a steak, chicken, pork and sausage combo.
Spanish and Portuguese wines along with special sherries are available in wine flights; choose from a comprehensive list.
Cocktails include special gin and tonic selections. There’s a spirits section for neat sipping. Beer is mostly domestic with a few imports. Sangrias are house made.
Diners can choose to eat at the bar, indoors, or on the patio starting at 3 p.m. (11:30 a.m. brunch on weekends). Barcelona Wine Bar serves until midnight Sunday through Thursday, and 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Happy hour is 3-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. 561-501-0300; barcelonawinebar.com/location/delray-beach
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Duffy’s Sports Grill in Delray Beach ended a 17-year run at its spot on Federal Highway, but the site will remain a restaurant.
It will flip from a beer and burger bar to a Napa Valley winery vibe as Cooper’s Hawk, a blend of restaurant, wine bar, tasting room and wine club.
Plans are to demolish the building and build a stand-alone space at 1750 S. Federal Highway. Opening is planned sometime during fall or winter.
The chain of 72 restaurants that began in Orland Park, Illinois, is scattered across the country. Delray Beach marks the third in Palm Beach County, with others in Wellington and Palm Beach Gardens, and numerous others in Florida.
The restaurant also serves as a wine society, with club membership, tastings and special events centered on Cooper’s Hawk Wines. These are produced at the company’s winery in Illinois from grapes brought in from around the world.
The wines are available for purchase in the tasting room, and members get discounts on carry-out foods, as well as bottles. Special releases are offered to members exclusively.
In the dining room, the modern American menu designed for wine pairings is served for lunch and dinner, and a wine suggestion is posted for each dish.
Standards are on the main menu, with a long list of appetizers ranging from Asian-inspired potstickers and lettuce wraps to Southwest egg rolls and Italian sausage and burrata.
Entrees satisfy the grill lover, with steaks and chops, seafood and chicken. Burgers, soups and chopped salads round out the list.
A rich dessert menu is designed for more wine pairings.
“Life balance” selections are found for both food and wine, with lower-calorie foods and cocktails with less alcohol for those who want to “sip mindfully.” Also on the menu are nonalcoholic choices including sparkling wines, and a list of iced specialty coffees.
A brunch menu served weekends, 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., has a few shareables (salted caramel doughnuts, or a bacon and egg pizza), and other breakfast items. Mimosas or house-made brunch sangria is $5.
Happy hour, dubbed Wine o’Clock, is from 3 to 5:30 p.m. with a separate menu of appetizers, wines and cocktails.
A private room is available for booking.
For more details, go online to chwinery.com.
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Lantana Pizza, a 27-year local favorite, has closed.
Owners Dino and Fatime Ismajli are retiring and posted a heartfelt goodbye on their Facebook page to loyal fans who “became family,” offering them “one last meal, one last slice, one last drink.”
Their fans flooded the page with stories and memories.
The mom-and-pop place serving New York-style pizza at 467 Greynolds Circle started as a takeout pizza place nearby. It became a fixture at its current location in a strip mall adjacent to the former Kmart property, serving locals and beach-going tourists as well.
The restaurant had a full bar and event room and had live music certain nights.
Lantana Pizza is scheduled for demolition to make way for Lantana Village Square, a mixed-use development that will bring 426 apartments to the property.
The pizza restaurant had plans to move to a new location in the development before the Ismajlis decided to retire.
Jan Norris is a food writer who can be reached at nativefla@gmail.com.
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