South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Carlo of Boca / Boca Raton

March 27, 2009

Boca Valley Plaza, 7491 Federal Highway, Boca Raton
561-988-9699
www.carloofboca.com
 

Cuisine:Italian                                                                           Bar:  beer, wine

Cost:moderate                                                                          Sound level:  moderate
Hours:lunch Tuesday-Friday, dinner daily                                     Outside smoking:  no
Reservations:yes                                                                      For kids:  high chairs, boosters
Credit cards: AE, DC, D, MC, V                                                  Wheelchair accessible:  yes

 

Overall: Luis Bolivar Sr. and his son, chef Luis Bolivar Jr., have created the right kind of Italian restaurant you want in the middle of a recession: good food, good prices, good-sized portions and good service. The senior Bolivar says he learned cucina Italiana from his Italian mother.

First impression: With so many Italian restaurants over decorating and overcharging for simple, classic Italian food, it's nice to see Carlo of Boca take the high road on both points.

Ambience: The contemporary, 96-seat dining room is lined with fabric-covered banquettes.

Starters: Every table receives complimentary bruschetta and a basket filled with garlicky bread. Stuffed peppers ($8.95), a special one night, were filled with Italian sausage and sauced with marinara. Eggplant and zucchini is thinly sliced and simply grilled ($8.95). There's also minestrone ($5.95), pasta fagioli ($6.95) and several salads.

Entree excellence: The Al Gusto (to your desire) section of the menu has guests choosing chicken ($16.95), pork ($15.95) or veal ($18.95) and then one of 10 sauces. Among the sauce choices are marsala, piccata, parmigiana, pizzaiola and Milanese. Veal Marsala was exceptional. Specialties of the house include very good medallions of pork with onion and balsamic vinegar ($16.95). There may be just a tad too much onion. The fresh fish special one night was grilled salmon over a bed of garlicky spinach ($22). Seafood selections include egg-battered shrimp francese ($22.95) with lemon and Zuppa de Cozze, or mussel soup ($14.95), prepared with either red or white sauce. Grilled steaks are also excellent here. A special was tender New York strip ($25) topped with gorgonzola and a nice onion-laced sauce. Classic pasta dishes, most under $16 and served with house salad, round out the menu.

Side issues: Most entrees come with a generous tossed salad topped with a choice of house-made dressings. Many entrees also include a side of pasta or vegetable.

Liquid assets: Moderately priced wine list with plenty of bottles in the $30 range.

Sweet!: House-made tiramisu ($5) and ricotta cheesecake ($5) are perfect endings.

Service: Top-notch. But busboys need to learn how to more discreetly clear a table.

— John Tanasychuk

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