[My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the SIXTEENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays. All. Year. Long.)!]
ADMIN NOTE: This location is now closed, but the other one in Coral Springs is open.
Establishment: Scarfone's Coal Fired Pizza
Location: Wilton Manors (right on the Drive)
Meal: Dinner
Drink: Coca-cola
Appetizer 1: Naked Balls
Deep Fried meatballs with BBQ and Marinara Dipping Sauces
Appetizer 2: Baked Portabello Mushroom
Topped with sauteed spinach, tomato & mozzarella
Appetizer 3: Our Famous Scarfone's Pear and Ricotta Pasta "Purses"
Pear & ricotta filled purses with a hazelnut cream sauce
Main: Grandma's Chicken
Boneless breast of chicken, roasted peppers, onions, sausage in a marinara sauce served over spaghetti
Side(s): Fresh Garlic Ciabatta Bread
Dessert: Zeppole
with powdered sugar and a drizzle of white chocolate
Server: Michael A (according to the receipt)
Website: http://www.scarfones.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scarfones
Surprise ... it took sixteen entries in this series to get to the first Italian place (which is even more the surprise when one considers all of the eating establishments of that style in the tri county area). And the surprise was on our party when we showed up at 7:30 ... and not a single soul was in the restaurant. Somehow, we apparently found the sweet spot between seniors eating early and drunkies eating late. Admittedly, it was odd at first, but that didn't stop us from ordering what the server called "a feast". Here are the feast-y details:
AMBIANCE: 8/10 (the coal fire is prominently featured in an open kitchen set up, and things still feel relatively new and certainly very clean with a beautiful outside sidewalk seating area ... and a great mix of music that at first sounded like Frank Sinatra was going to be every other song, but quickly turned into a variety of top tunes from just about every genre ... a point lost for starting the meal with no other customers present [happily, two other tables came in before the meal was over so it didn't feel so unusual the whole meal] and a second point for awkward forks that felt as heavy as nutcrackers such that I couldn't twirl my pasta unless I used both hands)
FOOD: 8/10 (the famous pasta purses are rightfully famous [as they are listed on the menu], the garlic bread was crunchy yet shiny and wet [courtesy of the olive oil], and the naked balls had a crispy coating from the deep fry ... a point lost for the main dish being a touch too oily and another for the disappointing portabellos that were double the tomato so that you had to go searching for the 'shrooms)
SERVICE: 7/10 (attentive, sure ... but the server came across that he might be new and or unpolished ... a point lost for awkwardly asking us our mother's day plans in an attempt at small talk and a second point deducted for placing the plates down without much excitement as to what was being served and a third point subtracted for never introducing himself)
BACON: 4/10 (there's only a single reference to bacon on the menu [on the BLT wedge salad -- hence the B] and nary even a prosciutto as an ingredient in anything ... so maybe Sicilians aren't as fond of the pig as I am, but with that analysis of the menu, I can't award too many points in this category)
BONUS: 9/10 (+3 for the clever way to hand you the bill [see below], +3 for the scrumptious dessert and +3 for that nutella cream sauce with the pasta purses that they should bottle and sell on the way out the door)
TroyScore: 36 out of 50 -- aka 72, a low C
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