dining guide review OUT OF DENMARK 2275 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach, 561/276-2242
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—BILL CITARA
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Danish koldt bord at Out of Denmark
IF YOU GO PRICES: Entrées $25.95–$38.95 HOURS: Tues.–Sun. 4:30–10 p.m. WEBSITE: restaurantoutofdenmark.com
AARON BRISTOL
f they gave out medals for persistence— and triumph—in the face of adversity, Jorgen Moller would have a chestful of ribbons. The story of the chef-partner at re-born Out of Denmark is equal parts heart-rending and heartwarming. It starts in Miami, where for many years Moller ran Prince Hamlet, one of the most popular dining spots in town, which was destroyed in the riots of the early 1980s. It continues in Delray, where for more than a dozen years Moller’s original Out of Denmark reprised the success of Prince Hamlet until he closed the restaurant in 2006 to care for his cancer-stricken wife. Monica Moller died in 2012, and a year later Moller teamed up with his son (and chef), Christian, to open a second Out of Denmark not far from the first. This latest Out of Denmark has a homey, oldfashioned ambience. Open shelves that divide the pair of dining rooms are lined with assorted tchotchkes and knickknacks. Gilt-edged mirrors and various prints hang on the walls, while ornate crystal chandeliers dangle from the ceiling. If it all seems a little worn, a little kitschy, Moller’s loyal patrons don’t seem to mind. The food also is old school, no moleculargastro-nouveau anything. The restaurant’s signature is the classic Danish koldt bord, an array of small bites impressively presented on a three-tiered stand. Like the decor, some of those bites seem rather tired (or breathtakingly sweet), but the best include tangy pickled mushrooms with Dijon mustard, über-rich creamed spinach with Danish blue cheese and tiny pickled beets. Classic entrées include a lovely herb and garlic-marinated rack of lamb, cooked rosy pink in the center and served with mint jelly and béarnaise and a book-sized slab of Wiener Schnitzel, a thin-pounded scallop of veal breaded and quickly sautéed to crispy tenderness. You will need teeth to eat it, but you won’t need a knife. Seven-layer kijaffa cake calls to mind a fruitier Danish tiramisu, tasting of vanilla and whipped cream and raspberry puree. It’s a fitting end to a meal at Jorgen Moller’s storied restaurant.
BOCAMAG.COM january 2016
dining guide 0116.indd 182
11/24/15 5:32 PM