Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Veal chop a favorite
Q I would like to know how to make the Veal chop a la Romana from Trattoria Romana. It is a thin pounded veal chop on the bone with mushrooms, cheese, and prosciutto. — Joe Sagona, Delray Beach
A. Joe’s request comes as no surprise. This signature dish has been served for nearly a quarter century at Trattoria Romana. (499 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561-393-6715, trattoriaromanabocaraton.com) Executive chef/owner Arturo Gismondi says, “This dish originated when I first opened Trattoria Romana 24 years ago. Back then, veal scaloppini was a staple on every Italian restaurant menu. I wanted to create something different, a signature dish with a better cut of veal — a veal rib chop instead of the veal top round, which many restaurants were using and still do. I have always enjoyed layering flavors of my favorite ingredients — prosciutto, eggplant and mozzarella — in one bite of veal.”
Gismondi tweaks the traditional Marsala sauce by cutting it with white wine to create a more delicate, balanced sauce. Although he sees a restaurant trend shifting toward the use of other meats and proteins on today’s modern Italian menus, he adds, “Remarkably, our Veal chop Romana is still as popular, if not more popular today.”
Gismondi has his hands full these days also running notable French restaurant, La Nouvelle Maison (455 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561-338-3003, lnmbocaraton.com). Just to keep things interesting, Gismondi launched a German eatery, Biergarten Boca Raton (309 Via De Palmas #90, Boca Raton, 561-395-7462, biergartenboca.com) in 2011. But wait, there’s more! Plans are currently underway for Luff ’s Fish House (390 E. Palmetto Park Road), named after the historic Luff House bungalow built in the 1920s. Stay tuned for a projected October opening.
Q I had the pleasure of having dinner at Sorris’s at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. Before ordering they serve bread with a spread that has pine nuts in it. We loved it and would love the recipe for the green spread. — Karen Kleinman, Margate
A. I was able to get in touch with Sorri’s PR folks and they explained that the spread is actually no longer served as part of the usual bread service. It is currently available upon request but may be phased out of their offerings. For this reason, they weren’t interested in promoting it with a recipe, but did reveal that the spread in question is an oil pesto. So in its place, I’m sharing a classic pesto recipe from Italian chef Mario Batali. I’ve included the entire recipe, which is served over pasta. Just in case you’re looking for a dinner suggestion, Karen. To make the dipping oil for bread, thin out the pesto with a little more oil to desired consistency. If you’re not willing to shell out the big bucks for pine nuts, feel free to substitute walnuts or almonds.