Get Mojo-Seasoned Gator Ribs at Jardin, Opening Next Week in Downtown West Palm Beach

If pan-fried gator ribs and dessert fondue sound good to you, check out Jardin, a new restaurant from newlywed chefs Jordan Lerman and Stephanie Cohen.

The couple has announced April 25 as the grand opening date for their West Palm Beach establishment located at 330 Clematis Street. Together, the chef duo hope to "elevate the level of dining" in the downtown West Palm Beach with their take on global cuisine.

"I always hoped I’d be able to return home to open my own restaurant and the timing is perfect here in West Palm," says Lerman, a Palm Beach County native.

Jardin will offer guests a menu that draws from multiple international influences, offering a selection of snacks, appetizers, entrées, and desserts. The 3,300-square-foot establishment will feature an open kitchen. Inspiring the name, a lush garden courtyard out back will offer an al fresco dining experience.

Late night diners will be interested in Jardin's unique "after-hours" menu, one that will change every month. Available from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Lerman says featured late-night menu items are inspired by street food staples from countries around the world.

For Jardin’s first month of service, those looking for a dose of umami will be able to sample Asian-influenced favorites including several variations of ramen or crispy rice cakes served with mojo pork ragu, sweet plantains, and crispy shallots.

Sharing item under "For the Table," will include a house-made charcuterie and cheese plate with grilled bread, mustard, pickles, and seasonal jams all made on-site. There's also crispy fried hummus "fries" made with shaved chorizo and served with a lemon aioli.

Appetizers offer larger sharing options, many reinventions of well-known classics that substitute interesting proteins and produce for a brighter flavor profile, including the duck choripan, a riff on a popular South American chorizo sandwich, says Lerman. The chef uses duck in place of traditional beef or pork sausage, and serves it on a homemade challah bun with cherry pepper relish and buttermilk. 

Desserts will be Cohen's area of expertise, a menu she hopes will make Jardin the downtown's new standalone dessert spot or after-dinner destination. Take her Donut Tower (a vertical donut statue including maple-Bavarian cream, chocolate glazed, and candied bacon doughnuts served with honey-soaked churros and orange glazed sour cream). Or dessert fondue, a shareable feat that allows guests to dip cinnamon marshmallows, orange madeleines, doughnut holes, Key lime bites, and carbonated fruits into warm Cajeta caramel sauce and Republica del Cacao chocolate.

The bar program will feature unique dessert cocktails like the Hot Chocolate Crème Brûlée, a combination of dark rum, brown butter, cream, and vanilla sugar crisp. More classic options will also be available along with a rotating selection of local craft beer and a moderately priced wine list.

As with his food, Lerman says he has created complex cocktail flavors with signature options like the Moon Lit, a whiskey drink with ingredients like buttermilk whey, egg, and cracked pepper. South Florida’s Latin influences are apparent in cocktails like La Abuela, which mixes brown butter-infused rum with maple, cashew orgeat, blueberry, and lime.

The drink menu will include a rotating list called "The Traveler’s Companion" — libations that use obscure, global spirits designed to expose guests to unique and hard-to-find beverage selections like aquavit, mastiha, and tempus fugit, among others.

Jardin is located at 330 Clematis St. in downtown West Palm Beach. The restaurant will open on Monday, April, 25. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Sunday; and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and 5 to 10:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Call 561-440-5273, or visit jardinrestaurant.com.

Nicole Danna is a food writer covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on the BPB New Times Food & Drink Instagram.