Review: La Stella's Restaurant and Catering in Boca Raton
By John Tanasychuk, Sun Sentinel
Important: This article was last updated on July 22, 2010. Please call ahead to confirm hours, prices, dates and other information.
 |
 159 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton 561-544-2081 LaStellasofBoca.com Cuisine: Italian Cost: moderate-expensive Hours: dinner Tuesday-Saturday Reservations: accepted Credit cards: all major Bar: beer, wine Sound level: conversational, with folk rock playing in background Outside smoking: yes For kids: high chairs, boosters, menu Wheelchair accessible: yes  |
|
First impression: Sophisticated, but not pretentious. Italian without any of the wise guy cliches. Owners Jamie Barlow and Lenny Prescott serve classics and modern riffs on Italian using only the best ingredients.Background: Barlow graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island before making her way to South Florida. She landed first at the Breakers and then at Bova in Boca Raton before she and husband Prescott opened a catering company and, one year ago, a restaurant. She grew up in her parents' Cranston, R.I., Italian restaurant.
Ambience: With just eight tables inside, it's an intimate, smartly decorated room. Altogether, 68 people can sit inside and out.
Starters: A breadless Panzanella salad ($6/$11) is a simple homey start, made with chopped escarole and endive, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and black pepper tarallicookie. But so is the Caesar ($6/$11), which tastes more of lemon than garlic or cheese. Pay attention to specials such as spicy chicken meatballs, served with a kind of caponata ($14), and a puree of cannellini beans seasoned with allspice and topped with seasoned breadcrumbs before being lightly broiled ($8). Another night, there was an excellent flat bread topped with San Marzono tomatoes with a bit of heat from thinly sliced hot peppers ($14).
Entree excellence: Only La Stella could make Sunday Gravy ($18) modern yet hearty with just the right amount of sauce and tender, simmered-for-hours pork. The meatball was tender and the rigatoni perfectly al dente. Eggplant Parmigiana ($16) is —thankfully — lighter than most versions with just enough of the house made mozzarella, but perhaps not enough eggplant. With three chicken dishes on the menu, we settled on pan roasted Pollo Scarpiello ($21) on our server's recommendation. The bone-in half-chicken is just bit spicy from fried peppers, but it is moist and flavorful, served with Italian sausage and potatoes. Specials we sampled include cioppino ($30) or seafood stew, made with grouper, clams, shrimp and calamari over a tangle of linguine and garlicky tomato sauce. Hope that Pasta Bianca ($21) is on the menu. It's a five cheese production that turns mac and cheese sinfully Italian.
Sweet!: House made pizzelles ($6) are layered with cannoli cream and served with fresh fruit. Sabayon ($6) is, likewise, a perfect ending to a meal at La Stella's.
Service: Impeccable, with Prescott leading the rhythm and tone.
Liquid assets: A thoughtful wine list with prices perfect for these recessionary times.
Dining deal: Half price wine by the glass, $5 tapas and $8 pasta bowls 5-6:30 p.m., Tuesday-Friday.
Insider tip: La Stella's not only caters off-site, but does private showers and birthdays at lunchtime and Sundays inside the restaurant.
Contact dining correspondent John Tanasychuk at jtanasychuk@sunsentinel.com or write to him in care of Sun Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.