New Elisabetta's: Italian Times Two

Elisabetta's in West Palm Beach (NBPL Photo)

When we discovered Elisabetta's in Delray Beach, it instantly became our "go-to" place for Italian. Besides their authentic cuisine, the ambiance is just our style: Romantic and playful at the same time. 

This past January, they opened the second Elisabetta's, this time closer to home on the West Palm Beach waterfront. along Flagler Drive. Given the pandemic, we delayed visiting here (and all other dining venues) until we got our vaccinations.  With that accomplished, this week we had a chance to try it out.

Located at 185 Banyan Blvd. in downtown West Palm, it immediately seemed so much bigger. In fact, it is. They can seat 300 diners in its 10,000-square-foot space, as opposed to 200 at the Delray location. It also features a huge patio fronting the Intracoastal Waterway. 

Note that street and lot parking is available in the vicinity. If you decide  to valet, there's an $8 fee.

It was Thursday night, and the place was jumping. Our wait person told us Thursdays were sometimes their busiest night of the week, but it's pretty much packed regardless of the night. Despite the size, it's as noisy as you might expect if you had 300 people over for dinner. While it retains the authentic atmosphere of the original, it's more geared to fun than romance.

With light rain falling, we chose to sit on the covered patio and begin to peruse their extensive menu, which duplicates much of what Delray offers, plus new additions. Everything here, from the bread and pasta to the sauces and gelato, is made from scratch. You can choose from 70 wines by the glass or pick something from their 400-bottle wine list. So many choices!

While we decide, we opt for cocktails. Pam orders  an Hibiscus Spritz -- galliano aperitivo, hibiscus syrup, topped with prosecco -- while I try the Peach Martini, a blend of peach vodka, fresh peach puree and lemon/lime juice. Now we can tackle making our food choices.

Hibiscus Spritz and Peach Martini

They bring us some of their fresh bread with olive oil, always a welcome addition to any Italian meal, and we start off with one of our favorite appetizers, Arancini Con Tartufo -- crispy rice filled with fior di latte (fresh cheese) and truffle aioli.

Arancini Con Tartufo

For entrees, Pam went with fish -- grilled branzino. I was in a mood for traditional Italian, so I went with spaghetti, the Aglio Oilo Pepperoncini, featuring calabrian chile. Pam's  fish was absolutely delicious. My dish was on the bland side, but my bad -- I should have asked more questions. It was just as advertised -- garlic, olive oil and pasta, with the chile on the side.

Grilled Branzino

Aglio Olio Pepperoncini

Save room for dessert? You bet! And what's more Italian than Tiramisu? We ordered one to share, and it was ginormous, not to mention decadent and delicious.  Seriously, one of the best we've had. We were hoping to meet the restaurant's namesake, Lisabet Summa, executive culinary director, but she was not in that night.  So we'll just say it here: Congrats on your new location! We'll be back ... often.