EAT PALM BEACH | LA MASSERIA
We had the pleasure of dining at La Masseria in Palm Beach Gardens last night. A newcomer to the area, the Italian eatery has reconfigured the previous Garden City Café into an upscale, white linen restaurant with a bustling bar scene and patio. The décor is sophisticated and sleek with a more casual feel at the outside bar.
To start we enjoyed a sampler of appetizers including the I Cucuzilelli Fritti alla Chef Pino crispy zucchini and Polpettine alla Fontelina eggplant cakes. Both were delicious and a bit addictive.
After hearing the evening’s specials, I decided to go with the Branzino which was presented tableside and then filleted beautifully and served with mashed potatoes and spinach. The fish was cooked perfectly and topped with tomatoes, capers and olives. My guest went off the menu requesting Veal Parmigiana, which was accommodated and practically spilled off every edge of the plate. We split a dish of the Gnocchi al Taleggio e Raddicchio which felt like eating fluffy clouds of potato pasta in a creamy taleggio sauce. The pastas are all prepared in-house and it shows.
For dessert we shared the Tiramisu al Caffe and Torta di Ricotta alla Vaniglia cheesecake. The tiramisu had great flavor and wasn’t too sweet and I’m fairly confident the cheesecake was the best I’ve ever had. The texture was smooth and creamy and it had the perfect hint of vanilla.
We began the evening with a glass of Prosecco then moved to a Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon from the expansive wine list for dinner. With dessert we sipped a glass of the housemade Limoncello, which was expertly crafted by the General Manager, Massimo. We are pretty particular when it comes to limoncello and this absolutely exceeded our expectations. He took us for a peek in the wine fridge, which also acts as home to his soaking lemon peels resting for the next batch. Massimo joined us after dinner to chat about his joining the La Masseria team and his home in Sorrento, Italy. If you stop in for dinner and see him I recommend making his acquaintance as he is very charming and a breathe of fresh (Italian) air.
We went into dinner with high hopes due to rave reviews from friends and were not disappointed. La Masseria is a welcomed addition to the PGA corridor and certain to be a hit among local residents and visitors. In fact, we were already planning our next visit before we made it out the door – we’re thinking happy hour, cheers!
La Masseria
5520 PGA Boulevard Suite 104, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
561.660.8272
Cristyle
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