Located at 287 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter, FL 33477.  Just east of Alt. A1A on the north side of the road, close to Boston Market.  Phone Number: 561 745-6262.  www.toobizaare.com.

 

Recently, in our review of the Savannah Nail Bar, I mentioned Too Bizaare.  I had dropped Maria off at the former and headed over to the latter to check on their hours of operation, as we wanted to grab a mid-afternoon beverage and a bite.  I had been to Too Bizaare several times over the years, and Maria, being relatively new to the area had never been, and I was fairly certain it would be right up her alley.

He’s pretty good at knowing what’s up my alley and as he puts it, “he rarely ever steers me in the wrong direction”.  Ross said the words wine, art and tapas…so immediately I was sold.  We pulled up to a nondescript building and I had no idea what kind of other worldly place awaited me.

Eclectic is one way to describe Too Bizaare.  Saying it looks like a thrift store bomb exploded inside would be a better description.  There is a New Orleans type theme in one corner, a mermaid manequin up in a high cranny, art hanging all over the walls and mismatched furniture everywhere.  An iron french horn sculpture at the bar, a fish tank, and a massive, gaudy chandelier only steps away.  It sounds a bit crazy, but it all works, really well.  And in another cool twist, most everything you see is for sale!  You notice a painting you like?  Check for a price tag, pay up and take it home.  They have replacements waiting on deck.

It sounds a bit cluttered, but it doesn’t have that feel when you’re inside.  The best description I can give of the decor is organized chaos.  Other unique touches make a beautiful and interesting environment that take you miles away when you’re really only steps from home.  One corner can remind you of Morocco, while another is reminiscent of Paris.  There are many tables to accomodate patrons who prefer the standard dining set, but they also have a great collection of big, comfy couches.  We sat on a gorgeous red love seat, equipped with a table that suited our height.  The menu is just as eclectic as the ambiance, featuring items ranging from sushi to duck pizza.  Ross and I had a hankering for Sake, so we started with a warm flask and a delicious appetizer of little neck clams simmered in a savory garlic herb butter, basil and white wine sauce.  Our next beverage of choice was a sweet and delicate riesling called Relax.  It complimented the several sushi rolls that we had as our main course.  The Philadelphia and the spicy tuna roll were very tasty, but I was blown away by the flavor of the special eel roll.  This roll encompassed BBQ eel, cucumber, avocado, eel sauce and then was finished in tri-colored Tobiko.  It was only rivaled by the Narita Roll, which we tried on our second outting.  The Narita roll was a unique compilation of shrimp tempura, scallion, cream cheese, tuna and avocado.  However, this roll was accompanied by a kimchee sauce.  My all time favorite Korean side dish is kimchee and since I grew up in a household where Korean food was prevalant, you can trust that I am an excellent judge of kimchee sauce.  It was spicy, flavorful and added so much character to the roll.  My only regret is that I have not tried enough of the tapas yet, but I plan on remedying that sooner than later.

As Maria mentioned, the sushi was as good as you get anywhere.  The tapas are great as well, (the Portobella Napoleon is one of my faves, have to bring my honey back for that one).  The menu is extensive, varied and quite reasonable.  The most expensive single dish you’ll find is $33, with most things much less.  Everyone should be able to find something they like.  Too Bizaare is an extremely unique establishment, in a time where finding anything different is very difficult.  Like I said, I have been there quite a few times, but when I talk to people about it, I hear the same thing often, “Oh yeah, I’ve heard about that place, but I’ve never been.”  Well if you’re one of those people, make it a point to go.  I would recommend it highly for a first date.  If you want to make an impression with that Match.com-er you’re taking out, you couldn’t find a more interesting spot.  If you have a  significant other, what could be better than cuddling up on a couch while enjoying some wonderful food and ambiance?  Too Bizaare?  Not to me.

Not too bizarre for me either love.  I found this restaurant to be a welcome, refreshing change of pace and can’t wait until we revisit it.

Maria’s Rating: 4 Wine Glasses out of 5.

Ross’ Rating: 4.5 Wine Glasses.