With a new chef and healthier options
By Rachel Galvin
If you travel into Boca Raton just north of Yamato on Military Trail, you will find a very interesting shopping locale called Park Place, which opened two years ago but may still be unknown to many. The open air feel and fresh modern architecture are quite inviting. Within this shopping oasis, you will find several eateries, including Prezzo, which opened a little over a year ago. If that name sounds familiar, it should. You may remember Prezzo from years ago. It became a popular hotspot after originally opening in west Boca in 1989 bringing with it one of the first wood burning pizza ovens to South Florida.
Executive Chef Patrick Delay just started with Prezzo back in August. This up-and-coming chef was nominated for the Eater 2019 Young Guns award (the winner will be announced this summer) and is the youngest in the restaurant group, which includes Max’s Grill in Mizner Park, as well as Deck 84 and Burt & Max’s in Delray.
He has recently added some new items to his menu to accommodate those seeking healthier options. His veggie forward focus includes vegetable lasagna made with butternut squash noodles and other hearty, but healthy, ingredients. They also have zucchini noodles. Many items are easily made gluten free upon request.
A must-try is the Quinoa & Squash Salad — a light but filling option. Roasted chicken lays atop quinoa and arugula, mixed with pieces of roasted butternut squash and zucchini, sprinkled with dried cranberries with added pumpkin seeds for texture, made with balsamic vinaigrette.
A nice traditional entrée with a healthier spin is their chicken marsala. Rich with flavor, the chicken falls apart easily with a fork and pairs nicely with cauliflower cous cous, which serves as a great alternate base for the dish, and savory mushrooms.
Seeking comfort food? An option like baked rigatoni, which has a pop of flavor with its added crumbled Italian sausage, is a nice choice. It also has broccoli, red pepper flakes and parmesan cream.
They also have chicken, pork, seafood, pasta, pizza and more, so there is plenty to eat. Many items have carried over from the original Prezzo, like their fusilli pasta, roasted garlic breadsticks and their wood oven-baked apple tart, which makes for a nice light dessert (The best part is the cinnamon gelato on top).
There are plenty of specials here, including a 12 for $12 menu (including a beverage) Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a half priced happy hour daily from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.— buy one entrée, get the second one half off.
There is a full bar with a happy hour from 12 to 6 p.m. (from any seat in the restaurant) with wine by the glass specials and ½ priced beer and spirits. Enjoy live music on Thursdays from 8 to 9:30 p.m. on the outdoor patio. This is a great spot for a date night or family outing.
Prezzo is located at 5560 N Military Tr., #300, in Boca Raton. For more information, visit www.prezzoboca.com.