Orsini's Grill & Pizza Kitchen/Lighthouse Point
October 29, 2004
By Judith Stocks
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Taste chef Jimmy Horn's roasted yellow pepper with jumbo lump crabmeat stuffing or his shrimp cocktail, cooked to order and iced just before it's delivered to your table, and you get a feel for this chef's sensitivity to truly fresh ingredients.His specialty is healthy from scratch cooking -- nothing deep-fried, no MSG, no cream, minimal butter, no microwaving, no lard, and tomato sauce with no animal products.
Sound dull?
Never.
Just in case your taste buds don't relay the message, this chef/proprietor includes his healthy cooking policy in the menu. Horn has a knack for bringing out flavors, highlighting freshness and putting his heart in his work. As a bonus, he gives customers generous portions and pricing so low you wonder how he does it.
His strategy carries a Tuscan flair with value-oriented offerings on both the menu and wine list focused on Tuscan reds, from chiantis to fine Brunellos. There's a breezy, free-spirited attitude about the place that takes in tiled walls, straight-backed booths, oilcloth-covered tables, bamboo window shades, six TV monitors and even a print of the Mona Lisa. Just keep one thing in mind: Everything is prepared to order, so time between courses may extend beyond what's normally anticipated in a restaurant.
Horn offers nightly specials on appetizers, entrees, pizza and desserts. Lucky diners might hit it when those roasted yellow peppers are on hand -- a steal at $7.95 for a large perfect pepper crammed with jumbo lump crabmeat. Drizzles of olive oil give it a satiny finish. I also like the Italian mountain-style scampi ($5.95 appetizer; $14.95 dinner).
Fresh and sun-dried tomatoes in a delicate garlic/white wine broth give the nicely sauteed shrimp a flavorful boost. The partnering herb-dusted flat bread is great for sopping up every last bit of broth. Horn makes dough for pizzas from high-protein flour and stone-ground whole wheat flour. They're thin-crusted and come in 4, 6 or 8 slices ($4.95-$16.95). Our four slices of pizza Abruzzi ($7.95) were enhanced by wonderfully rich tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, Italian sausage, onions, peppers and roasted garlic. Mesclun-based house salads are dressed in clean-flavored vinaigrette with a touch of sweetness, or, try macadamia crusted goat cheese spinach salad laced with raspberry vinaigrette ($5.95). The tender baby spinach tastes fresh-picked and the balanced dressing is -- well, we practically licked the bowl.
I love the hearty peasant qualities of shrimp fagioli ($14.95) -- the firm white beans, an occasional velvety bite of peeled eggplant, ripe tomatoes, briny small shrimp and lots of garlic in a natural sauce bursting with flavor. The same beans are served over fresh snapper at the same price. Pesce polenta ($14.95) features the fish du jour dolled up in a cornmeal coating for good crunch, placed over steamed spinach and tomatoes. It's capped with sun-dried tomatoes and ladles of aioli sauce. Yummy.
Veal parmigiana ($14.95) is excellent, and meatball madness ($10.95) offers three luscious garlic-studded meatballs with house marinara for dipping, along with fresh spinach sauteed with garlic and tomatoes.
Horn's culinary philosophies extend into desserts, including a surprising addition, bananas foster rum flambé ($8.95). The flambe theme is weaved into several desserts, but the actual flames happen in the kitchen. Plain ricotta cheesecake is $4.95, but for $7.95 I recommend the really scrumptious version, a raspberry rum flambe crowded with fresh raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.
What else can you say about a chef dedicated to a food philosophy that promotes healthy cooking and does it with vibrant flavors and his own style? How about, "it's a gastronomic pleasure to meet you."
Please phone in advance to confirm information on hours, prices, menu items and facilities. For review consideration, please fax a current menu that includes name and address of restaurant to 954-356-4386 or send to Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293.
If you would like to contact dining correspondent Judith Stocks, e-mail her at judithstocksreviews@yahoo .com or write to her in care of the Sun-Sentinel.