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When we think of Italian food, we don’t usually think of it as a healthy fare, right? Well, maybe it’s time to reconsider. Introducing Roots Café and Kitchen, an Italian eatery that is now under a new ownership.
Re-opened by two best friends – Yuri Kuzenkov and Michael Latimore, Roots Café & Kitchen offers a refreshing take on several Italian staples. It was great to see a variety of vegetables available on the menu and to hear the chef’s vision of pairing each dish with a root vegetable, connecting each item to the name of the restaurant.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of non-root vegetable dishes to choose from. I started my meal with grilled eggplant rolls stuffed with creamy goat cheese and asparagus. The grill left the vegetable soft, but not mushy, and added great fresh flavor. Being the healthiest of dairy cheeses, goat cheese was the perfect choice for the dish.
I was also excited to try their breadless eggplant Parmesan. I got to enjoy all the flavor and none of the unnecessary gluten. This one is a must try!
Because I let our waiter know I was interested in vegetarian dishes, the kitchen created a special all veggie lasagna for me. This dish featured a variety of root veggies layered with Portobello mushrooms and tomato sauce. Z-Tip: This item isn’t on the menu, but is available when you ask!
If you don’t have any gluten sensitivity and want to try a light version of the traditionally very heavy Italian dish, then I suggest trying the gnocchi. We shared an appetizer portion and were impressed how it did not weight us down.
I was also pleasantly surprised by very well priced wine list. Because there were three of us for dinner, we split a nice bottle of Chianti. It is my go-to choice in alcoholic beverages, as red wine is rich in antioxidants and has shown to have heart benefits.
For dessert, we decided to try the miniature homemade cannoli. Yes, they do have gluten and dairy, but because our dinner was mostly vegetables, we decided to indulge in these bite-sized treats.
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http://www.rootscafekitchen.com/
212 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton FL, 33432
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About Alina Z.
Alina Z., aka “The Green Goddess,” is a certified holistic health coach, detox specialist and raw-food chef (she conducts occasional classes at Whole Foods in Boca). Prior to moving to Florida, Alina hosted her own TV show in Maryland—“Entertaining A to Z”—for people who didn’t have time to cook but wanted to eat healthy. Catch one of her web episodes at eHow.com, visit Alina’s website at alinaz.com, or follow her on Facebook and Twitter. The Green Goddess blog runs every other Wednesday at bocamag.com.
