Zuckerello’s Maintains Their Reputation as a Consistent Delight

By TIM SLIVINSKI

Amid the openings and closings of new restaurants in the world of food, it is sometimes way too easy to forget those restaurants which have been serving delicious food to our South Florida community for several years. Zuckerello’s is one of those places that sort of ‘flies under the radar’. Mention it to someone and they frequently will comment something like, “oh yeah, I haven’t been there in a while.” I must admit that I am guilty of the very same thing. A recent Saturday night saw my partner and I driving down Commercial Blvd. feeling hungry and ready for dinner. We saw Zuckerello’s and decided to pull in. A fairly full parking lot was a good omen in the slow summer season.

We walked in to a dining room full of conversation, clinking forks and delicious aromas. We were shown to a booth and realized that this place is much larger than you may realize. The dining room is extensive with different seating areas of tables and booths and a full service bar at the rear of the restaurant. We placed a cocktail order with our friendly server, and he reappeared quickly with a basket of warm dinner rolls and a delicious garlicky sauce for dipping.

We decided to begin our gastronomic adventure with an appetizer from the features menu; an order of fish cakes sounded like a good beginning. They arrived perfectly crisp on the exterior and brimming with moist fish on the interior.

They were plated atop a zingy, zesty, crispy red cabbage slaw that played a delicious flavor contrast to the fish cakes. Drizzled over the cakes was a cilantro aioli. It was nice play on the traditional crab cakes and a feature I would happily order again. The appetizer plate was clean and ready to put away — quickly!

We both opted for a salad before our entrees. I love a Caesar salad before dinner, and a large bowl of crisp romaine with chunky, buttery, garlicky croutons and creamy Caesar dressing did not disappoint. I was pleased to see bright green, fresh romaine throughout the salad. My partner opted for a house salad, which was a refreshing mix of greens, red onion, tomato and Kalamata olives in a creamy Italian style dressing. (The addition of the olives to a traditional green salad is a nice touch.)

The time had come: We soon realized we could not put off any longer ordering our main courses. The problem was narrowing the selection from so many options that sounded appealing. Every time we shared an idea about what to order, something else on the menu seemed to grab our attention. I finally decided to go traditionally Italian and ordered veal parmesan. The other half is most definitely a lamb aficionado, so he decided to go with the braised lamb shank that was being served over a risotto.

Upon ordering a second cocktail, our steaming dinner plates arrived. Even after the fish cakes and salad, we were still feeling a tad ravenous. The veal parmesan was a traditional lightly breaded veal cutlet served with marinara and a side of angel hair pasta. It was tender with a marinara that was neither too tangy nor too sweet. It was what I had envisioned when I placed my order: a traditional Italian favorite that did not disappoint. My partner loved the combination of the saucy, braised lamb shank served over risotto. He declared it perfectly cooked and delightfully flavorful. As we made our way through our dinners, we found our hunger gradually satiated and knew we would each have an ample lunch the following day.

Service at Zuckerello’s is friendly and efficient, and the menu offers a wide array of choices depending upon your appetite on any particular evening. It clearly has a regular following in the area, which explains why it has remained while so many other restaurants have come and gone. We need to remember the places that have consistently kept us fed over the years. Like Zuckerello’s, they are still with us because of a consistency in service, food quality and menu offerings. If you have not been to Zuckerello’s in a while, stop in and give them a try … soon!