Café Ragazzi

On our latest visit to The Surfside area Doris and I were honored to have been invited to participate in an event hosted by Access at the Bal Harbor Shops. After the event, we decided to take a walk down Harding Avenue (A1A) to find somewhere to grab a late dinner. After walking a few blocks we decided to return to the car and get something on the way home. However, on the way back to the car while crossing back onto 95th Street we could not help but notice Café Ragazzi. The building screamed authentic Italian Trattoria. Being that it was a bit chilly we decided to take a table inside. Once you enter, you are enveloped in romanticism and instantly know that you will be partaking in a cenetta (romantic dinner).

Once seated our waiter Domenico offered us our choice of water, and we opted for a bottle of Pana. Shortly thereafter Domenico presented us with fresh bread and advised us of the specials of the day. The detail and description of every one of the daily specials were incredibly delightful. For our appetizer, we decided to share the Calamari e Zucchini Fritti which is lightly fried squid and zucchini served in a Fra Diavolo sauce. The Calamari just melted in your mouth, as did the zucchini. The breading was fried to a perfect golden brown and the seasoning was on point.

For our entrees, I ordered the Pollo Francese which was prepared with boneless chicken breast dipped in egg and sautéed in a delicate white wine and butter sauce. I am very partial to this dish as it is and was one of my specialties as a Chef. All I can say was that I didn’t remember going in the kitchen to cook this but this tasted exactly how I would make it. I loved it. Kudos to the Chef. Doris ordered the Rigatoni della Nonna which was made with tube-shaped pasta in a light sauce prepared with olive oil, garlic, diced eggplant, fresh tomato, basil, and onions. This was yet another hit. Overall, I can say that everything we ordered was prepared, seasoned, and presented in a manner that one would expect while dining at a fine Italian restaurant. The front-of-the-house staff ran like a well-oiled machine. I observed them helping each other at numerous tables including ours, a site for sore eyes. Something that I wish would happen in other restaurants.

Regretfully, on this visit, we did not have wine. After browsing through the wine list, I can tell you that they have one of the most broad and diverse wine selections that I have seen in quite some time.

For dessert, Doris and I decided to split a Tiramisu, which again, was delicious. In all probability, it is one of the top five, that we have ever tasted. You owe it to yourself to visit. If you’re in the Surfside area, or searching for a really good Italian restaurant, we highly suggest that you visit Café Ragazzi in Surfside.

Please remember to let them know that their friends from SoFloDining sent you.