When I was little, a “fancy” lunch would be finding a Lunchable with the Capri Sun included inside my lunchbox instead of my typical peanut butter and no jelly sandwich. And while my maturity level and bank account hasn’t changed much (I was making the same amount of money off the tooth fairy back then as I am blogging now), my appetite sure has. And after lunching at Café Boulud, I most definitely have a new definition of a fancy lunch.

I swear I heard Iggy Azalea “Fancy” playing as our first course came out. Seriously, even the servers were dancing to it. (Okay, they weren’t dancing per-se, but they were dancing around us – I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced such impeccable service!!). Oysters at lunch? I felt like the Queen of Palm Beach – and these east coast oysters are certainly fit for a Queen – just look at the size of those things!

Just looking at this next dish, you know it’s not your typical lox and bagels. Look how beautifully that salmon is rolled up and presented! Fellas, next time you think about sending your girl some roses, if she’s a Jewish gal like me, I would shell out for a bouquet of a dozen of these. Their Smoked Salmon Pastrami is served with a side of crème fraîche and pumpernickel toast, and will pretty much ruin ever other smoked salmon or lox dish you ever eat – once you go Boulud, you stay true (Alternate quip was “once you go Boulud, any other salmon would be rude” – you choose your favorite one-liner.

It’s not every day that a salad whispers in my ear and tells me gently, “choose me, I won’t let you down.” But something about the Grilled Romaine and Kale Salad was calling my name. Maybe it was the spiced roasted carrots. Maybe it was the cumin vinaigrette. But just like shirtless pictures of Channing Tatum, it drew me in and I knew I had to have it. I added chicken because, well, gainz. Typically kale is bitter, raw, and frankly, inedible; this kale was different. Grilled kale can convert any kale hater, trust me! It tasted too good to be considered a salad – this dish is indulgent AF. As a side note, I recently visited Boulud and ordered the same dish and they have changed up the recipe a bit – and I enjoyed it even more! More veggies, more variety of taste, more happiness.

One of my fancy dates of the day, Shaina from Take A Bite Out Of Boca, chose the Loup de Mer as her entree. The name sounds like a French carnival ride, and it was just as exhilarating. It’s served with ramps (a fancy word for wild onion – and yes I did have to Google that) and baby potatoes, as well as a sauce that you want to gargle down a pitcher of until you remember your surroundings and how fancy you are so not appropriate). Loup de Mer is light and flaky, and myself and my fancy ladies gave it three very dainty thumbs up.

My other fancy friend Destinty chose the fish of the day from the prix fixe menu (that’s French for bargain I think?) and it happened to be a pan seared trout served with panisse, mushrooms, and sauce diable. While everything was cooked to perfection and super tasty, the winner for me in this dish was the panisse, which is a fried chickpea. So crusty on the outside, creamy on the inside, and almost made me feel like I was indulging in a new, undiscovered version of a French fry……

But of course, when given the option, would I REALLY leave a meal without actual French fries? That would be like going to France without seeing the Eiffel Tower, or going to the gym without checking in on Facebook. You can tell by the picture that these babies are crisp on the outside without negating the mushy potato inside. I’m so glad to know that if I ever want to be a fancy person, I don’t have to give up my one true love.

And you can see by the basket-to-head ratio that this was an extremely generous portion. I left Café Boulud with a very content belly, and hopefully for my parents’ sake, a touch of class. Café Boulud is the perfect way to experience what Palm Beach is all about – making you feel like the King or Queen that you truly are.

***I received complimentary noms in exchange for this post, however, you cannot bribe me with food, so all opinions are my own.