3017 East Commercial Blvd.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida  33308

Phone: 954-776-4282

www.zuckerellos.com

If you love Italian food and a comfortable dining experience, you will love this restaurant. When you arrive, someone greets you with a smile right away.  As you enter, to the right there are a sampling of their delicious meals to order. To a slight left is the bar. The smell of fresh garlic permiates the room. We had a reservation with three other couples for 6pm on a Sunday night. Early bird is from 4-6pm daily so it was still crowded when we arrived. The menu is varied and everything seems like a good choice.

Zuckerello’s has won the Zagat award and has been featured in articles in the Sun Sentinel. They have special events and do cater for larger parties. It is a great place for family and friend gatherings as well as for romantic dinners. Their other location is in Aventura.

Some people ordered wine. Several of us ordered the Gorgonzola salad that was to die for.  It was actually large enough for my husband and I to share. Their bread comes with fresh garlic. All of us enjoyed the bread. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana and it was a large portion with spaghetti and mixed vegetables. My husband ordered the meat lasagna that was fully layered and was a large portion as well covered with cheese. Both of us had enough left over to bring  home for dinner the following evening. One of our friends ordered the liguini with clam sauce and really enjoyed that.  All of us were too full for dessert and coffee, but they do have a variety of delicious desserts for next time.

Our service and presentation of the meals was very nice and attentive. The waiters did not rush us and we were able to dine relaxing for over two hours with our friends. I would love to come back again to try their other dishes.

www.tiramisuboca.com

TIRAMISU OF BOCA

170 West Camino Real

Boca Raton, Florida 33432

Phone: 561-338-9692

Tiramisu of Boca serves up fantastic and unique Italian Cuisine that features modern European and American culinary techniques. Tiramisu is now under new management in a new location. The restaurant is closed on Monday’s and open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner.  Check out their website for their dinner specials. Tiramisu does offer 3 course Fall Specials served before 6:30pm. Lite music is played in the background to set a calm dining mood.

Zagat rated, this charming, warm and romantic restaurant features a full bar, wines and beers from around the world. The inside is very quant and elegant. Each dish is prepared to order and to perfection with a nice presentation. My husband and I were there on a Saturday night around 7pm. It was busy, but not crowded.  We were seated right away with our reservation and had excellent service. The owner of the restaurant also introduced himself and made sure we were being taken care of to our satisfaction.  Everything is a la carte. We both ordered martinis and the onion soup to start. Both were delicious. I had the trout for my entree and my husband had the snapper dish. Both were very tasty and fresh. We ended with sharing a cheese cake dessert with fruit topping.

We enjoyed our dinner and the atmosphere and look forward to coming back to try their other dinner dishes. It is a great place for a special occasion or a holiday gathering with family.

2901 Clint Moore Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Phone: 561-995-9940

http://www.rotellipizzapasta.com

If you are looking for a good neighborhood family Italian Restaurant with a variety of food and moderate pricing, you should try Rotelli’s.  There are many locations throughout South Florida. My husband and I went to the Central Boca Raton location listed above on a Saturday night. It was crowded at 7:00pm when we arrived. The service is prompt and the atmosphere is friendly and comfortable. There are coupons online and ones that we received in the mail that can be used towards lunch or dinner there.

The menu is varied and includes seafood items as well. There are dinner specials for $9.99 daily and complete early bird dinners daily. The regular prices are moderate and the portions are generous. Each of us had a glass of house wine which was very good. We ordered a gorgonzola salad and a large pizza with spinach, extra cheese, and roasted red peppers. Everything was delicious and we had some pizza to bring home.

We will go back again to try their many dinner dishes soon.

www.MammaMiasTrattoria.com

Mamma Mia’s Trattoria and Brick Oven Pizzera

8855 Hypoluxo Road, #C15

Lake Worth, FL 33467

Phone: 561-963-9565

This restaurant is a casual and fun place to go for tasty food and reasonable prices. They have daily lunch specials and offer a variety of dishes on their lunch and dinner menu. I was there with nine others for lunch during the week to celebrate a high school graduation. We got there before 11:30am so we were the first large party there.  We were greeted by one of the owners and seated right away. As we sat and decided what to order, others came in for lunch.

Everyone in our party ordered the chicken francese lunch platter except me. I ordered the eggplant parm lunch platter. All lunch platters come with your choice of soup or salad.  Some had the salad and some had soup. My soup was hot, but a few others needed theirs returned hot. The portions were large for lunch so most of us had some to bring  home. The sauce is good and I really enjoyed my dish. The eggplant was very lightly breaded and covered with cheese. It came with ziti. We all ordered water and some had soda. We did not order desserts because we were all full, but it was tempting.

The restaurant is comfortable with tables inside and outside in a covered area. There is a small bar as you walk in. They serve many types of wines.

I look forward to coming back and trying their pizza next time.  They have many locations all over south Florida. I feel that they are very accommodating to large parties and do catering as well.

8177 Glades Road

Boca Raton, FL 33434

Phone: 561-488-3070

www.thegelatoshoppe.com

If you are looking for a treat and half the fat of ice cream, you should try a gelato at The Gelato Shoppe da Petrini. It is a true Italian environment. The story behind the Gelato Shoppe da Petrini is that the Petrini family from Italy made this their dream in America.  They follow a long time tradition in culinary arts. The cafe is in a strip shopping center just west of the turnpike off of Glades Road and has been open for over three years. There are all natural pastries and gelato flavors in diary and non-dairy, which is in keeping with being kosher.  There are also Italian coffees and teas available. This cafe has the only Kosher Gelatos in the Boca Raton area. Gelatos and sorbets have a cool feeling and are lighter tasting than ice cream. Gelatos can be made out of fruits as well. There are no trans-fats or artificial flavors or ingredients.

I stopped in there with a friend of mine late on a Friday afternoon. We both combined two flavors of gelato and really enjoyed it very much! I had the peanut butter and the chocolate. My friend had a peach and chocolate. The small cup is enough to get the smooth and refreshing taste.  As we were there, a family with young children came in.

For Mother’s Day, all mothers that stop in the shop can get a free small gelato of their choice. I am sure they will be very busy!

It is a different alternative to just a regular coffee shop. I recommend trying it for a healthy snack.

We enjoyed the house Chardonnay. A salad was not included. We added a half Cafe Luna Signature salad for $5.00, which was large enough for two people. This salad which was a pleasant change from the usual consisted of spinach, fresh greens, toasted pine nuts, strawberries, apples and a creamy honey-lemon dressing. For Entrees, we dined on the penne with chicken and brocolli, and the penne Bolognese.  Both dishes were very tasty.  Italian bread served before the entrees was very good.

A large part of the dinning area is outdoors on the nicely-illuminated patio surrounded by flowers.  This is a very cheerful restaurant. Reservations are highly recommended or the wait for table could be long on  a Saturday night. Nearby are shops and galleries along Fifth Avenue. After dinner we walked to the white sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico which is a few blocks from restaurant. The walk was very enjoyable on the moon-lit evening.

A lunch menu and a complete dinner menu are available on their website, cafelunanaples.com.

Cafe Luna
467 5th Ave S.
Naples Florida, 34102
Phone: (239) 213-2212

http://flavorsofitaly.com

1933 N. University Drive

Coral Springs, FL 33071

This Italian restaurant recently relocated from one area of Coral Springs to another spot, however, they did not update their website as of yet.  Their old address and phone number are still listed on their current website.  The old phone number is disconnected.  Their new location is where Mambo Jambo used to be. The outside has nice tables set up and you can hear music playing as you walk in. They advertise live entertainment in the bar lounge on Friday nights.  Reservations for dinner are suggested.

I was there with my girlfriends last week on Thursday night and was surprised at how quiet the restaurant was at dinner time during season.  We had a round table for eight of us.  Their  menu items are made with the finest ingredients and are made to order.  The menu was extensive so there was a lot to choose from. The prices are moderate to expensive as everything is ala carte.  We had had a gourmet salad before our main course.  Some had wine before.  There was plenty of bread and marinara sauce to share.  Some of us had the eggplant and zucchini lasagna as our main dish. It was highly recommended and it was delicious!  The portions were nice.  Others had salmon and some had chicken parmagiana. Everyone enjoyed their food and the presentation.  Then a few had coffee after the meal. We did not order dessert as the one recommended was not being served that evening. That was disappointing.

Our only valid complaint was with the service. It took awhile to get our food and then there was a misunderstanding about making separate checks and taking a advertising discount coupon of theirs with the meals. We had to call the manager and she did not stand by what she had said previously.  We would have appreciated her being honest with us. As it turned out, we all got separate checks and a few of us got the discount for our meals.

I don’t know if we would go back there so fast again. Being that the food was so good, one might wander why they were not busier for dinner. Perhaps one too many did not get served properly or in a reasonable amount of time.

http://renzosofboca.com

Reservations gladly taken for parties of five or more

When you come to Renzo’s, you are treated like family. Originally from Sicily, Renzo started out in Long Island, NY. They have been in this location for over eighteen years. Renzo’s of Boca is not to be confused with the Renzo’s Cafe and Pizzeria also on Federal Highway or the Renzo’s Pizzeria on West Yamato Road and 441. These were opened in 2004.

At Renzo’s of Boca everything is made to order so you need to pack your patience for a delicious meal.  The parking lot is full, especially during season.  Valet parking is encouraged and is complimentary.  Once seated, the strong aroma of real Italian food is hard to ignore.  We started out with a nice bottle of Pino Grigio wine.  Plenty of warm garlic bread  was available for the table. That night we were there for a family celebration and everyone was pleased with their meal selections.  A few of us ordered the eggplant rollatini stuffed with ricotta cheese.  It came with a green salad and a side dish. My husband ordered the veal marsala and loved it.  Their homemade sauce is special in that it is not real spicy and has a true tomato taste.

Renzo’s of Boca is also a great venue for large gatherings or parties. There are two separate rooms. One has the bar in front and a piano for relaxing entertainment during your meal.  They are open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

I look forward to coming back soon and would recommend to others.

Abby Firstenberg-Merker

(954) 509-0046

http://tavolinorestaurant.com

Reservations suggested

As you walk in this restaurant, you will always be greeted with a smile and open arms. To the right there is a room dedicated to honoring “Grandma Nonna’s home-style cooking ” from the 50′s that looks just like the kitchen would have been at that time with the original furniture. My two friends and I made the reservations and ate in that room last week for lunch. It was fun and we had the usual great service that we always have there. The food is delicious and individually prepared. There are weekly specials available. I had the eggplant parmagana platter that came with a side order of pasta or salad. The prices there are reasonable and the portions are larger than expected. One friend that I was with goes to Tavolino’s on a regular basis. The owner knows her and always comes over to acknowledge us.  She orders the linguine and clam sauce and raves about it to us. The waiters and waitresses are always accommodating  and service is fast and efficient.  This restaurant is a great place for a special event or party. I look forward to going back there again soon and trying some of their other dishes.

Abby Firstenberg-Merker

For main dishes, the Veal San Remo was a pleasant change from the usual veal dishes. The veal scaloppini was topped with fresh roasted pepper and mozzarella cheese finished with a white wine, lemon and butter sauce. The lemon flavor gave the dish a delightful taste. The entree included a vegetable and potato.

The other entree we enjoyed was the Penne Broccoli Rabe and chicken.  The fresh rabe broccoli and chicken was sauteed with garlic and extra virgin olive oil and tossed with penne pasta. The dish was tasty.

For desert we had tiramisu and a cannoli. The tiramisu had a perfect consistency and a wonderful flavor.  The cannoli was smooth and tasted very fresh.  Excellent coffee was included with the dessert.

The service was very attentive and the setting was an excellent place to dine slowly enjoying the surroundings.

The complete dinner menu is an excellent value for $25 per person. The wines- by-the- glass we selected were $9 each. An a la carte menu is also available.

5751 North Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL 33487
(561) 988-0668