Review: Paradiso Ristorante in Lake Worth
By John Tanasychuk, Sun Sentinel
Important: This article was last updated on May 20, 2010. Please call ahead to confirm hours, prices, dates and other information.
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 625 Lucerne Ave, Lake Worth 561-547-2500 ParadisoLakeWorth.com Cuisine: Italian Cost: expensive Hours: lunch Monday-Saturday, dinner daily Reservations: recommended Credit cards: all major Bar: full service Sound level: quiet Outside smoking: yes For kids: high chairs, boosters, menu items on request Wheelchair accessible: yes  |
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First impression: We were startled when we walked into an empty restaurant on a Saturday night. Then we turned a corner and found a lively, elegant dining room full of contented diners.Ambience: Elegant, but not stuffy. From the bright blue awnings outside to the trompe l'oeil and mirrored walls inside, the designer showed a lot of restraint — the better to showcase chef Angelo Romano's seasonally focused creations.
The menu: Don't come here for cliched Italian fare. Romano divides his menu into two categories — New Expressions and La Tradizione — contemporary and classic. You can pick and choose from either category, which we do with our meal.
Starters: Beyond the complimentary bruschetta, inventive salads start with Insalata Paradiso ($16), organic greens mixed with what seem like marinated antipasto vegetables: roasted red peppers, olives and green beans. The Caesar ($16) doesn't overdo garlic, but balances lemon and anchovy very nicely. A soft shell crab appetizer ($18) called Granchio con Insalatina combines a lightly battered, perfectly cooked crab with a salad of baby greens, avocado and not too garlicky aioli. Grilled octopus ($18) is served simply with arugula and shaved artichokes. Delicate Beet pasta tortelloni ($20 appetizer/$32 entree) are divine, filled with veal and porcini mushrooms and topped with a rich veal stock-based sauce.
Entree excellence: A generous serving of classic Dover Sole Meuniere ($58) is outrageously good: flaky filet, buttery sauce with just the right amount of lemon. The veal chop ($45) can be ordered on the bone and served with madeira and mushroom sauce or thinly pounded and topped with tomato and arugula Milanese-style. When we ask for the second option with the same topping we enjoyed on the complimentary bruschetta, our server doesn't blink an eye. It turns out to be a brilliant dish. Costollete Di Agnello ($42) — lamb chops — are served as sliced boneless strips that are encrusted with a hazelnut mixture and served with cauliflower puree.
Sweet!: The much ballyhooed chocolate souffles ($18) we ordered at the beginning of our meal were unfortunately overcooked. But there are other sweets to tempt diners.
Service: Not too great on a not-too-busy night; the pacing was off. Wine was served warm and too quickly.
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.