PGA NATIONAL’s New Honeybelle Restaurant Hits the Sweet Spot

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL – March 23, 2022 – The redefined PGA National Resort has yet another exciting new dining concept, and the InFlorida team was lucky enough to sample some of the wholesome dishes it has to offer. An all-day dining concept, Honeybelle, serves up delicious comfort dishes like Key West shrimp cocktail, wood-fired pizzas, farm fresh salads, toasted sandwiches, roasted half chicken and grilled Scottish salmon.  

As the name suggests, everything about Honeybelle hits the sweet spot. The first impression is the calming décor and the retrospective nod to “old time Florida.” With its hints of Southern charm combined with the lush fresh colors of a tropical garden, visitors will immediately feel relaxed. There are both indoor and outdoor seating options for the restaurant’s chic vibe. It’s tastefully carried through from the dining room to the outside, where tropical cushioned chairs are placed under the shade of cool pastel umbrellas.

Honeybelle’s head chef is the esteemed 3x James Beard nominee Lindsay Autry, who made headlines as a finalist on Bravo’s ninth season of Top Chef. A rural North Carolinian woman, Fayetteville to be precise, Chef Autry describes her cuisine as soulful and that it embraces her southern roots. Her grandmother came from Greece, which would explain the Mediterranean twist, and even the use of honey on some of the dishes. Take for example, the Pepperoni Hot Pie with slices of hot pepper. The heat of the pepper was cleverly replaced with a touch of warm honey that had been drizzled over the perfectly prepared cheese-topped dough.

Prior to the Hot Pie, we had devoured a tuna tartare with ginger, soy, scallions served with a side of a wafer-thin cracker in the shape of a fish, and a Jeweled kale Salad, which was equally delicious.

Next came the Honeybelle Fried chicken, (side note, this dish will appear on the menu at the end of March) the lemon and rosemary brined organic chicken was crisped to perfection and served with a collard green slaw, creamy mashed potato, pan gravy, buttermilk biscuits and warm honey.

Before we get too wrapped up in all the heartwarming flavors of the food, let us add that the cocktails, which accompanied each course, were also noteworthy. Our favorites being The Southbound, consisting of mezcal and tequila blended with citrus and bell pepper agave. The smokiness of the mezcal and the lava rock salt on the rim of the glass evened out the citrus. We also loved The Honeybelle, a mix of golden rum with passionfruit, pineapple, and honey. This cocktail went down very easily.

Just when we thought we couldn’t tuck in any more delights, we were presented with the FL Red Snapper on the bed of a creamy farro risotto, with wilting greens and a tomato and basil pistou. It was comforting to know the fish was caught locally and the fresh flavors accompanied the fish without overpowering its natural taste.

Last but by no means least, the dessert. The Honeybelle Pie has a creamy curd, with just enough zest that it didn’t shadow the other flavors. It had a unique saltine cracker crust, all topped off with a blob of whipped cream – true perfection.  

Conclusion: Honeybelle has a pleasantly honest style of serving wholesome food with a commendable edge. With food so tasty, visitors may just want to loosen up a belt notch or two before arrival. Recognizing and skillfully infusing Florida-fresh ingredients is what makes Honeybelle standout to the InFlorida team.