Have you ever been on vacation and had a dish at a restaurant that you can’t seem to forget? I often ask chefs that same question when I’m writing about them for my monthly chef Q&As. Recently, I asked a chef that question, and the tables were turned when he asked me the same. It was an easy one to answer, because every time I think about my favorite dish, I wish Jan’s Place in Jensen Beach, Florida, was within easy reach.
It was there that I had the kind of dish you can’t forget: Sweet cornbread cakes topped with fried green tomatoes and poached eggs, then smothered with a creamy Cajun hollandaise sauce embedded with crispy shrimp. Oh my! Each bite was a flavor explosion happening in my mouth.
Recently, I traveled down to Jensen Beach again, the first time in about six years. It’s a lovely little town along Florida’s Treasure Coast and has so many good restaurants. But I was on a mission and found my way to Jan’s, where, after calling ahead, I’d found that its delicious take on eggs Benedict would be offered as a daily special. No need to even look at the menu.
Remembering the enormous amount of food that I would be feasting on, I purposefully had had a light dinner the night before so that I could savor every bite of this shrimp po’boy Benedict.
With my hunger thermometer set on high, the feast began, and with half of it down, I had to slow down. My eyes were bigger than my stomach, but I soldiered on. Slowly. Not knowing when, if ever, I’d find my way back to this local culinary gem, I didn’t want to waste a bite.