When good Italian food and wine calls my name, you can bet I come running. Acclaimed Italian-born chef/restaurateur, Angelo Elia, is known for his dining establishment, Casa D’Angelo (locations in Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Paradise Island/Bahamas), as well as a growing chain of wildly popular small plate Italian restaurants, Angelo Elia Pizza, Bar and Tapas.
Chef Angelo hails from Salerno, Italy and came to the U.S. as a teenager, where he worked his way through some of New York’s most prestigious kitchens, including the Four Seasons and family-operated La Cisterna. He moved to South Florida with his wife and opened his first restaurant, Casa D’Angelo, in Fort Lauderdale in 1998. With a traditional Tuscan menu with only the finest, freshest ingredients and just about everything made from scratch, it quickly became popular among those looking for ultimate Italian fine dining.
Angelo Elia Pizza, Bar and Tapas is like Casa D’Angelo’s fun little sister, where the atmosphere is a little more casual, the pizza is plentiful, and the wine list is long but approachable. Speaking of which, most of the time I’ll go with a nice and smooth Montepulciano when at an Italian restaurant.
So what were some of my favorite dishes? Let’s start with the Grilled Calamari served with a warm cannellini salad and a tomato battuto, which is basically a mixture of finely chopped Italian herbs. The calamari was perfect, and the salad was light, fresh, and bursting with bright flavor. Note to self: this appetizer + a glass of Montepulciano = heaven. You all know how much I love octopus — and no, calamari is not the same thing, but I do like a grilled calamari dish almost just as much.
I also really enjoyed the burrata. This is a must-have for me at just about every restaurant, so it’s no surprise that when I noticed it under Angelo Elia’s list of tapas, I just had to try it. This creamy, dreamy ball of cheese is served with arugula, dried figs, and a sweet and savory fig balsamic. It also comes with thinly sliced Parma prosciutto, which we had put on the side for Heather to enjoy. Burrata tends to be served with tomatoes, but the figs in this dish were a welcomed change-up from the norm and paired wonderfully.
Another yummy appetizer was the crispy tempura zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella cheese. Much to my delight, we were informed that the zucchini used was locally sourced — always a good thing to hear. There is an an abundance of farms in South Florida and it’s great when restaurants do their best to support them. Plus, getting your produce close to home always makes for a fresher, tastier dish.
Dinner was impressive, but it was definitely the dessert that stole the show. Two words. Nutella. Stromboli. Crisp pastry sheets filled to the brim with warm, melted Nutella, even more Nutella drizzled over top, finished off with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. It was every bit of indulgent as it sounds. An incredible sense of satisfaction came over me with each bite — and there were many, many bites, so you can only imagine how satisfied I was. Ugh…now I’m craving Nutella.
Read the full post on Take A Bite Out of Boca.
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About the Author
Shaina was born and raised in South Jersey; she graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in journalism and media studies. After moving to Boca, Shaina created her own food blog, which has only enhanced her passion for cooking, baking, sipping and savoring her way around South Florida. Shaina is involved in many of the region’s food and wine festivals and events. Follow Shaina’s foodie adventures every other Thursday at bocamag.com—and on her own blog, Take A Bite Out of Boca.
