Warning: This news has the potential to make you extremely hungry for fresh seafood and may upset some South Florida pizza lovers.
You can no longer order pizza at Pizzeria Oceano in Lantana.
For the past several months, the restaurant best-known for its slow-food approach to pizza has slowly moved its main course off the menu, replacing it with a series of seafood-heavy dishes. The change is largely due to the impending grand opening of Pizzeria Oceano chef-owner Dak Kerprich's newest establishment, Swell Pizza, which is currently operating on limited hours in Delray Beach.
"A lot of people won’t understand it, but after six years, I needed a change," says Kerprich. "Our new sister restaurant, Swell Pizza in Delray Beach, [will take the Pizzeria Oceano ideals of pizza and run with them]."
Rather than pump out pizza at both establishments, Kerprich said he's decided to rebrand his Lantana restaurant into Jerk O, a Caribbean-themed restaurant serving local seafood, vegetables, and meats. As with Pizzeria Oceano, ingredient sourcing will be a daily task, meaning the menu will change frequently and according to the day's fresh catch and local produce availability.
A recent menu featured red shrimp and rice with curry, scallion, and okra; wreck fish soup with spicy shrimp and dumplings in a coconut broth with corn; and a jackfruit cream pie for dessert.
"Our flat and coco breads are made with the same organic flour used by Pizzeria Oceano, and we will also be using the same purveyors as we always have," says Kerprich. "But the food will be more Caribbean-themed, with a definite focus on seafood."
The restaurant will host a Jerk O deck party on Friday, July 3, to celebrate the concept change, and patrons will have the opportunity to sample some of the new menu's fare starting at 5:30 p.m.
Jerk O is located at 201 E. Ocean Ave., Lantana. Visit pizzeriaoceano.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.