By Rachel Galvin

There is a new Italian restaurant in Deerfield Beach. Celebrating its grand opening, Luigi Di Roma is located in the old Frank and Dino’s (which has moved to East Boca Raton). Chamber members had a chance to sample some cuisine at the ribbon cutting on April 20. This new locale, owned by Al Bova and his fiance Kristine Plesniak (pictured, pg. 1), features regional Italian cuisine.

“I have long felt a high end Italian restaurant with large portions and reasonable prices would do well here,” said Bova. “Most Italian restaurants are overpriced and the quality is not good.”

Here, you will find selections like meatballs or Italian sausage slow simmered in Sunday gravy and ricotta over rigatoni, snapper francese, chicken parmigiana, fettucine alfredo, seafood fra diavolo, panini sandwiches and so much more. On Sundays, they have brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. They have a full bar and a happy hour every day from 4 to 7 p.m. with cocktails, wine and beer for half price and six light bites for $6 each. Ask about their family dinner, available on certain days, in which you can get a four course meal for $20.

They have entertainment Wednesdays through Saturdays starting at 6:45 p.m.

Luigi Di Roma is open starting at 4 p.m. every day but Sunday and closes at 10 p.m. during the week, 11 p.m. on weekends. They are located at 718 S. Federal Hwy. in Deerfield Beach. For more information, call 954-281-8788 or visit www.LuigiDiRoma.com.

By Rachel Galvin

A large crowd attended the ribbon cutting at Mawi’s Café on March 25. The Italian bistro has been opened since the end of December in the location where Cove Bagel used to be. Owners Ilaria Romano and Danilo Salatino just moved here from Rome, Italy with two daughters, ages 6 and 4, to create better opportunities for their family.

Their café serves up American breakfast and lunch specialties with Italian flavors, including omelets; egg sandwiches and platters; bagels; pancakes; French toast; waffles; paninis and salads at very reasonable prices. They also have bakery and dessert items, and beverages like espresso and cappuccino. Ask for their special Kuoppos, or pizza cones, and take them to go.

They are currently open every day but Tuesday and will be open for dinner soon. Their hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. They offer free delivery. Call 954-481-8600.

By Becki Coffy

If you are looking for authentic, wonderful Italian food, then look no further than Antonio’s Ristoranté in The Cove Shopping Center.

Owners Alex Poulous and Paul Ferorelli have created a little piece of Italy right here in Deerfield Beach.

As soon as my husband and I walked through the door, we were greeted with the tantalizing scents of tomato, basil, garlic and fresh bread. White tablecloths and soft colors invite you to sit and relax. Fried calamari,mussels and Calamari Antonio, Scungilli salad, mozzarella sticks and homemade soups are available to start your meal.

We chose to skip the appetizers and head straight for the entree. Before we ordered, we were served a big basket of fresh garlic rolls. The rolls can be ordered with or without garlic, but when in Rome … The rolls were soft, warm, tender and covered with fresh garlic and olive oil.

For his entrée, my husband tried the Chicken Dijon. This chicken dish is sautéed with mushrooms and artichoke hearts and served in a white wine and Dijon mustard sauce with cream. There are many other chicken dishes to choose from, including Chicken Marsala, Francese, Parmagiana and Cacciatore, to mention a few. His meal included either soup or salad and a side of pasta with red sauce.

He chose to start with the Pasta Fagioli soup that was thick with beans, pasta and a hearty broth. I began my meal with the garden salad. Creamy Garlic, an Italian vinaigrette and Creamy Romano dressings are available. I tried the Creamy Romano, and it was delicious.

Since Antonio’s is wellknown for its fresh fish, I decided to try one of the daily specials and ordered the Snapper Francese. The fish was tender, moist and lightly breaded and cooked in a fresh lemon, broth and cream sauce. To go with my snapper, I chose the broccoli sautéed with toasted fresh garlic and olive oil and could not have been happier. The garlic was crisp and complemented the vegetable perfectly. My partner selected the pasta with red sauce as his side. The homemade sauce was thick and rich and full of spices and tomatoes. It was a wonderful delicate sauce for his pasta.

Shrimp Scampi, Fra Diavolo and Armando (shrimp sautéed with scallions, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts in a rose sauce) and Linguini with white or red clam sauce are just a few of the seafood dishes available. Of course, the traditional Lasagna, Ravioli and Ziti are always popular selections.

Antonio’s menu offers veal choices such as Veal Milanese, Marsala, Francese and Parmagiana.

Pasta dishes include pasta with garlic and oil, meatballs or sausage, or marinara sauce, Fettuccine Alfredo, Penne alla Vodka, Angel Hair Carbonara and more.

For a more casual dinner, you may order a Calzone or Stromboli or try one of their homemade or specialty pizzas.

There are daily specials that should not be missed. The night we dined at Antonio’s, we could choose from Snapper, Tilapia and Salmon. All fish may be ordered Francese or broiled.

Paul Ferorelli feels the secret to their wonderful cuisine is the consistency. If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to try their cheesecake or any of their traditional Italian desserts such as Cannoli, Tiramisu and Spumoni ice cream.

Be sure to give this restaurant a try the first chance you get. You will not be disappointed. Antonio’s has been part of the Deerfield Beach community for over 40 years. They also have FREE delivery.

Antonio’s is located at 1636 SE 3 Ct. in The Cove Shopping Center. For reservations, call 954-427-4871 or 954-427-9002.

For more information, including menu, visit www.antoniosdeerfieldbeach.com.

Bai roll – tuna, avacado & more / Asian pear martini

By Becki Coffy

There is something very special about sharing an evening out alone with one of your grown children. It’s a time to relax, catch up and enjoy each other again. I had the pleasure of dining out with my son, Tim, last week.

Since he is an ardent devotee of sushi and I am a novice eager to learn how to fully appreciate this delicate style of food, he chose the Heart Rock Sushi restaurant in Lighthouse Point to further my education.

Although this eatery has only been open for nine months, the owner, Ann Yamusenor, and her son, Moose, are no strangers to the business. Their Heart Rock Sushi restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale has been open for 20 years.

Moose was responsible for designing the menu style and the interior space of the Lighthouse Point establishment while Ann, head chef for the restaurant, was responsible for creating the extensive menu choices.

The ambience is one of total tranquility. Soft lighting, earth tones in shades of cream leather, brown flat rock and green plants instantly transform you to a relaxed state of being. The beauty of the space only added to the wonderful experience of the evening.

Since the menu is so wide-ranging, we decided to rely on the advice of the Chef, Ann, and allow her to make some selections for us. Our waiter, Faizal, was a wonderful guide for the evening and explained the dishes completely.

We began our journey with an incredible icy cold Asian pear martini made with fresh fruit and lemon peel. The clean subtle flavor of this unusual cocktail was delightful. You really must try this when you visit.

The shrimp dumpling appetizer, filled with a rich center and deep fried to a golden crispness, was an explosion of flavor … crisp, yet light. I found myself going back for more and more, and it will definitely be a staple on my next visit.

Next, Faizal served us the Bai roll that was filled with tuna, kani, roe, avocado and scallions all rolled in a thin slice of crunchy cucumber, topped with sesame seeds and served with a miso sauce, a wonderful start to my newly-found appreciation of sushi.

For our main entrée, we chose the grouper lightly-breaded and finished in rich, velvet smooth lemon butter sauce with the slightest hint of heat. The fish literally melted in your mouth.

We also shared a dish of Pad Thai shrimp served with stir-fry noodles, egg, bean sprouts, scallions and topped with crushed peanuts. The large shrimp were cooked to perfection and the crushed peanuts added the flavor punch that made the dish irresistible.

Finally, Faizal brought us something called the ‘first love lover’ roll. This dish was an enigma. It consisted of hot shrimp tempura, cool eel and cucumber wrapped in white rice, topped with fresh tuna and sprinkled with roe and crunchy tempura flakes. It was served with fresh ginger, wasabi, a spicy mayo and eel sauce. I finally realized what I had been missing all this time.

Just when we thought we couldn’t devour another bite, Chef Ann brought over their fried banana dessert. The creamy banana concoction was deep fried in a delicate spring roll and served warm with green tea and coconut ice cream, whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. It was a little glimpse of nirvana.

The Heart Rock Sushi Japanese Restaurant is located at 4460 N. Federal Hwy. in Lighthouse Point. Reservations can be made at 954-532-1763.

Not only is the atmosphere delightful and the food delicious, but The Heart Rock Sushi offers a happy hour daily from 3 to 7 p.m. that is not to be missed. Drinks and sushi rolls for $5 and entrees for $7 are all included in the happy hour.

What a great place to unwind and relax after a day at work or to treat friends and family to something really special! Put this one on your bucket list, you will be so glad you did. Until we eat again…