So I had lunch the other day at Fiorentina (707 Lake Ave., 561/588-9707), the new regional Italian eatery in downtown Lake Worth cheffed and owned by former Prime 707 Gee Emm Joshua Santangela. I met a friend there, Christine Najac of South Florida Food & Wine, an informative blog on all local things good to eat and drink and definitely worth a visit.
One thing that was clear straight off was that after only being open for a couple of weeks, Fiorentina is already something of a local hangout, a comfortable place to get a tasty and affordable lunch and maybe a cold Moretti beer on tap.
We didn’t eat a lot (as we’re both watching our girlish figures) but what we had bodes well for more comprehensive dining in the future. First we split a caprese salad made with a huge and remarkably tomato-y tasting golden tomato, sliced into thick wedges, alongside a softball-size knob of Pugliese burrata. Both got a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette and scattering of fresh basil.
The cheese was great stuff, with that faintly sour tang of true Italian mozzarella and the creamy-dreamy center spilling out when cut into like the yolk of a soft-boiled egg. With the sweet, low-acid tomato, pungent basil and tart-sweet vinaigrette, it was a treat, well worth its $14 price tag.
Then we split a pizza, just a simple tomato sauce, mozzarella and Italian sausage. It’s a perfect meal for two, even without the salad, and was very nicely done, with a cracker-thin, slightly blistered crust that held its crispness under just the right amount of toppings. I’d put in a plug for San Marzano tomatoes in the sauce but that’s probably quibbling. Still, a very good pie; I’d be happy to order another one.
I’d be happy to go back to Fiorentina for lunch or dinner, and I’d give odds that you would too.
