Having dinner with family can be extremely fun but also stressful. Making sure that everyone likes the menu is the stressful part. And when I am in charge of picking the restaurant the stress level increases. However, I met the challenge and found an Italian restaurant that everyone enjoyed. It is Josephine’s in Boca Raton, Florida.
The menu was spectacular. There were so many great options for appetizers and main courses. It was hard to narrow it down, so we tried a little bit of everything. We started with one of my favorite dishes, Clams Oreganata. These are littleneck clams that are topped with seasoned breadcrumbs and baked with white wine, butter, garlic, and lemon juice. They came out hot so the shells needed to cool off just slightly so I could pick them up. The clams were tender. The butter and garlic made the briny taste just disappear. The breadcrumbs had an amazing flavor from all the Italian seasoning. The saltiness complemented the clam. It was hard not to eat just one, but I needed to share it with the table.
The Eggplant Rollatini was delicious as well. The eggplant was thinly sliced. Each piece was stuffed with ricotta cheese, rolled up and topped with their tomato pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. The eggplant was tender and paired wonderfully with the ricotta cheese that was creamy and sweet.
The meatballs were traditional Sicilian style. They were moist and tender. The herb taste of basil and oregano shined through.
The last appetizer that we ordered was Josephine’s Italian Eggroll. This was a unique dish for the restaurant that I just had to try. It was a filling of sweet sausage, sautéed broccoli rabe, and cheese. It was then rolled up in a thin pasta and fried up. It was crispy just like an eggroll. The sweetness of the sausage paired well with the tartness of the broccoli rabe. The moisture stayed locked inside the crispy shell. There was no need for a sauce because of all the flavors in the filling.
Now it was time for all the main courses to come to the table. I ordered the Chicken Piccata. This is my absolute favorite Italian dish. The chicken breasts were thinly sliced. They were sautéed in a white wine lemon sauce with capers. The chicken was extremely tender, I could cut it with a fork. The lemon flavor gave the sauce a great tang, along with the buttery rich taste.
Chicken Marsala was ordered as well. This chicken was also thinly sliced. It was cooked in a Marsala wine sauce along with cremini mushrooms and a little demi-glaze. The sauce was wonderfully savory. The mushrooms added a slight earthy taste to the dish. The chicken was cooked perfectly to retain its juiciness.
The Gnocchi was amazing. They are my second favorite Italian dish. These potato ricotta dumplings were freshly made and very fluffy. They tossed these in a homemade marinara sauce and fresh mozzarella on top. The sauce was rich but did not overpower the gnocchi.
The last dish that was ordered was the Fettuccine Carbonara. The fresh made fettuccine pasta was tossed in a parmesan cream sauce along with pancetta, shallots, and baby sweet peas. The sauce was rich and creamy with a salty taste. The peas added sweetness in each bite. The pasta was so tender you could tell it was homemade.
Even with all this food, we still made sure to order some desserts. We thought it would be great to share around the table. The cheesecake was classic New York style. It was soft but still firm. The sweet taste and creamy texture made the dessert very satisfying.
The other dessert was the cannoli. The filling was creamy and loaded with mini chocolate chips. The shell was crispy and had a nice taste of cinnamon. It was very well made.
The food was amazing at Josephine’s. Everyone enjoyed what was ordered, so I am glad I made my family happy. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone. Check out their complete menu at www.josephinesofboca.com
Enjoy!
T
