Page 11 - Boca Exposure - January '25

Boca Exposure, Page 11
Dining Out: A Chophouse Offer You Can’t Refuse!

By Alan Serinsky of Bocaire Food for Thought: Have you ever been to a place that Deluca’s thankfully delivered on most of these
Country Club. Hungry Al’s love instantly sparks childhood memories? Well, my recent visit requests.
for food started very young. to Deluca’s Chophouse was certainly one of those places. It First Impressions: This location has been through the
Never satisfied with his Mom’s brought back the same feeling I had when my Dad took the revolving restaurant doors of Boca for some time. It would
dishes, he started to cook his family to Little Italy in NYC. I reminisced walking down a take two hands to count the establishments that have come
way through her “Betty Crocker few steps into a basement restaurant that had that Godfather and gone on this corner of Federal Hwy. The last three
Cookbook.” During the years feeling. What also resonated was the ever-familiar greeting were The Ovenella, The Little Chalet and Locale. Now
to follow he spent many hours my Dad got when he approached the tuxedo-dressed Maître we have Deluca’s Chophouse that is rolling the dice on
working in restaurants, both D’. Obviously, there was a personal connection, one that I having a Godfather theme to draw all those New Yorkers
as server and cook, attending cooking classes and traveling hesitated to ask about. back to their Italian roots. But herein lies my rub.
the world in an effort to expand his palette. As a professional As a kid these types of theme restaurants were fun and The dining room is like something out of an
writer, Hungry Al offers his perspective on current food trends interesting. But as I’ve gotten older they seem less impressive Italian wedding. Gold lacquered banquet chairs (very
and guides you through your local restaurant options. and more Disney-like. This type of décor initiative seems to uncomfortable), a hanging John Travolta spinning-lit
play to our senses, not our stomachs. I personally find them disco ball, television screens looping Godfather movies,
Deluca’s Chophouse to be more of a distraction than an enhancement to how I a female wedding singer skating around way too loud at
499 S. Federal Hwy., envision my evening will unfold. All Hungry Al asks for times, and a different waiter at every turn. I might consider
Boca Raton, FL 33432 is an evening of togetherness with friends or family, great a Happy Hour at the nice extended bar on my return.
561-677-8863 conversations, a sip of good wine, well prepared quality food Prime Your Taste Buds: First to note...the bread
delucaschophouse.com and a kiss from my bride! basket was average and the tinfoil butter pats need to
stay at the local Denny’s. As for your wine-by-the-glass,
you can expect a carafe pour of 5-6 ozs. for about $14.
So don’t complain to the “boss”; just order a bottle.
ARE YOU A SNOWBIRD appetizers. First up was the traditional meatball
To start off we all decided to share a few of Deluca’s

evaluation. This is a priority item off the menu that I
FROM NEW YORK? find hard to resist. Thankfully, Deluca’s Homemade
Meatball ($14) wasn’t on our “hit list.” This bocce ball
size combination of veal, beef and pork was delicious and
every fork got a piece of the action. We then scooped up
every Clams Casino ($19) like they were candy out of
a bowl. The clams were tender and not overly stuffed,
While you're away from your NY residence, allowing for the clam to take center stage. The Caesar
Salad ($18) was a Caesar Salad! I’m still scratching my
it's important to have a trusted professional head how the price of some chopped romaine lettuce and
a few croutons got to be so expensive.
check your home. his fins for Butterfly Branzino ($48) that was pan seared
Straight From the Kitchen: Hungry H was flapping
with a white wine lemon sauce. The chef masterfully
treated the sauce with lemon to enhance but not
overpower the delicacy of this fish. It was joined by a
few Jumbo Asparagus and Sautéed Spinach that were
both seasoned and cooked properly. I think you could
net this fish for two.
Hungry D went for a true taste of Italian cuisine, the
homemade Bucatini pasta ($22). This was not found on the
menu but chef nicely accommodated her request. The pasta
was spectacular and, thankfully, not over- nor under-cooked.
The easy hand on the marinara sauce was exactly the way
you would get it delivered from any kitchen in Italy.
Hungry S came with a hungry appetite this evening
We are Scarsdale based realtors with 20+ years and decided to challenge herself by ordering the Hulk-
serving the Westchester and Riverdale communities. sized Veal Chop Parmigiana ($58). This huge pounded
(probably with a sledgehammer) breaded and pan sautéed
chop was plenty to conquer her hunger pains and enough
We offer custom concierge property management left over for me to polish off.

As for Hungry Al, my selection was the Veal Marsala
services which include checking: ($34). If you like this dish you won’t be disappointed.
The chef utilized the Marsala wine perfectly to give it
✔ heating and electricity that subtle sweet flavor and added enough veal stock to
deliver a silky-smooth sauce, all enhancing the tender
veal and sautéed mushrooms.
Note: The Chophouse label added to this restaurant’s
✔ plumbing name is there for a reason. You have an array of USDA Prime
cut meats from a Tomahawk for Two 40 oz. ($149) for those
✔ interior (basement to attic) and exterior with a big appetite to a Bone-in Ribeye 22 oz. ($78).

From the Dessert Tray: Yes...here at Deluca’s “you
facade can leave the gun and take the Cannoli” ($13). This crisp
pastry was filled with rich sweetened ricotta cheese and
will have you wanting a double order. Or, you can have the
✔ property for fallen trees, snow, etc. traditional Tiramisu ($13) or New York Cheesecake. But
our waiter highly recommended Arianna’s Butter Cake
✔ flooding ($15). This gooey buttery crumb cake was advertised to
melt in your mouth (overstated) with vanilla ice cream
and fresh berries. It was a great suggestion and the table
left the plate clean.
Check Please: Even though I felt like I was reliving
We make your time in the sunshine state worry free! Saturday Night Fever without my long-lost peach leisure
suit (yes...I owned one), Deluca’s Chophouse shot straight
hitting all the targets on good food and service. As all
Looking forward to speaking with you. good mobsters know...always keep an eye on the door.
And from where I was sitting it seems that Deluca’s is
drawing a crowd even on a non-weekend night.
As for the Hungry Squad, we neither danced a disco nor
Jennifer Askowitz Michele Silverman Bedell sang a duet with the entertainer, but we did leave with the
satisfaction of a great meal. If you’re looking for a piece of
Broker Associate Owner/Broker Vegas nostalgia or a theatre-like Al Capone atmosphere, why
Silversons Realty Silversons Realty not give it a try? So as not to “dis” the family we decided to
give Deluca’s three
M. 917-747-3847 M. 914-906-4376 and a half Golden
jaskowitz@gmail.com msilvermanbedell@gmail.com Disco Balls.