Takeout
Delray Beach: The most frequent complaint
I hear from friends who have moved to South Florida is the
lack of good places to buy pastries and cakes. Well, complain
no more. Lucila Venet Jimenez has opened four wonderful pastry
shops in South Florida, called Sweet Art by Lucila. One of
their most recent is in Delray Beach.
Everything in the cases is beautiful, and the items I tasted
were sinfully delicious. They offer a complete line of cakes,
such a dacquoise and opera cakes, specialty cakes and occasion
cakes.
The samples of her wedding cakes are exquisite. You can
purchase tarts both mini and large, simple pound cakes and
more.
I sampled the raspberry mousse cake in the shop, and it was to
die for. I finally ended up with a “sampler” bag of
goodies to take home and share with my husband. Dinner was
salad and dessert.
I purchased a slice of Lucila’s famous vanilla rum cake
($1.50), a slice of the decadent chocolate cake with fudge
icing ($2), a mini éclair (60 cents) and several Cuban
pastelitos in different flavors (60 cents each).
The vanilla rum cake was yellow cake laced with rum and topped
with vanilla frosting with a very subtle rum flavor. The
chocolate cake was unbelievably delicious and I was sorry I
didn’t get two pieces so I wouldn’t have to share. Both
cakes were incredibly moist and very rich.
The éclair was just as decadent. The
classic pate choux was filled with vanilla choux and then
dipped in caramel for a wonderful combination. There is a
chocolate version, too.
The Cuban pastelitos were indescribable. I had not had any
since I moved from Miami… Both cakes were incredibly moist
and very rich.
The éclair was just as decadent. The classic pate choux was
filled with vanilla custard and then dipped in caramel for a
wonderful combination. There is a chocolate version, too.
The Cuban pastelitos were indescribable. I had not had any
since I moved from Miami many years ago, and these were better
than the ones I remembered. The delicate flaky puff pastry was
stuffed with different fillings. I chose the guava cheese,
seasoned ground beef and, my favorite, the minced ham. OK, so
they weren’t all desserts, but they sure were good.
Sweet Art by Lucila, 20 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach,
561-274-9943, is one block south of Atlantic Avenue on the
west side of Swinton Avenue. The other shops are in the Briar
Bay Shopping Center, 13045 SW 89 Place, Miami, 305-234-0035;
5734 Bird Road, South Miami, 305-668-0060; and the Tanglewood
Shopping Plaza , 9642 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines,
954-885-1011.