A Friendly Italian Restaurant with an Accent on Freshness
By Skip Sheffield
Chef Lillo is back with his own friendly neighborhood Italian restaurant, “Piattini,” at 187 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Royal Palm Place, Boca Raton.
If the address sounds familiar, it should. Caruso’s Restaurant was at this very same spot, and Lillo Teodosi was the head chef. However, Lillo left Caruso’s, the quality declined, and so did the business. Caruso’s closed.
Now Lillo is back with a new business partner, Alex Pepaej. Pepaej also serves as the restaurant’s host.
“Alex is up front, and he has a great personality,” declares Sue Heller, wife of artist Yaacov Heller, whose Italian-American themed paintings are on display in the restaurant. “He’s like a fashion model too. His clothes are always the latest and the best.”
There are many elements that are combined to create a fine dining experience, but at the core is the food. Lillo Teodosi personally inspects everything that goes into the kitchen.
“Our cuisine is fresh food, Italian, of course,” says Lillo, who was born and raised in Rome, Italy. “I go to the market every day. Our seafood is only the freshest and finest. The octopus comes from Spain. We steam it for an hour before we grill it.”
Lillo points out some of his diners’ favorites: lamb shank and lamb chops; meat balls that are 100 percent veal; savory Argula Cioppino (seafood stew). Prices are moderate. The most expensive item on the menu is the $26.95 lamb chops.
Lillo Teodosi immigrated to America in 1979, settling first in Chicago, where he opened his first Italian restaurant in 1984. He sold his last Chicago restaurant in 2007. It is still in business.
“The menu changes frequently,” says Lillo. “It is a seasonal thing and a daily thing.”
While Italian cuisine is big on lamb, veal, chicken and seafood, vegetarians are not excluded at Piattini.
“I’m a vegan,” says artist Yaacov Heller. “Lillo does it specially for me. It is absolutely delicious.”
Winner of the 2014 Open Table People’s Choice Award, Piattini can be reached at 561-367-8851.
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