Can’t decide between casual or elegant dining? Amante Italian Cuisine and Bob’s Pizza let you leave the decision until the last moment: These are two restaurants in one.
For quiet elegance, there’s Amante Italian Cuisine, open only for dinner. Right next door is the more casual Bob’s Pizza, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Bob Amante opened the pizza restaurant about 18 years ago in an unnamed strip shopping center about a block from the Deerfield Pier. Five years later, he opened Amante next door. The two restaurants are connected by a doorway. A separate staff works each side, though there is some overlap.
In Bob’s Pizza, diners can order from both menus. On the Amante side, diners are limited to that menu. Delivery is available from both sides — or a combination of the two sides.
On the Amante side, linen tablecloths and napkins are on the tables, which are nicely spaced for privacy. A mural of Venice is on one wall, a mirror on another. A wine rack built into a wall is decorative as well as functional. Subtle music plays in the background. On the Bob’s side, the atmosphere is noisier, with casual tables and chairs.
We chose the upscale Amante for a recent dinner (although the menu has some entrees that start at $13.95, about 80 percent of the menu is still budget- minded).
Amante’s service was excellent. Our waitress was efficient and friendly, making sure courses were well timed and that water glasses were filled without prompting.
We began with one of the evening’s special appetizers, stuffed mushrooms ($5.95). Six medium-sized mushrooms were topped with a stuffing of surimi and seasoned bread crumbs and then broiled with a bit of butter. The mushrooms were tender and sweet; the stuffing, savory.
We then moved on to soup and salad, included with all dinners. The soup of the evening was a delicate chicken vegetable that featured tender, melt-in- your-mouth bits of pasta, ribbons of shredded chicken and tender vegetables. The broth was rich and tasty.
The salad was simple — fresh iceberg lettuce and tomato slices — but the homemade creamy Italian dressing served on the side was delicious. The only other dressing choice is oil and vinegar.
An entree of Ziti With Broccoli ($10.95) was a large serving of al dente ziti topped with crisp steamed fresh broccoli that had a hint of garlic.
Chicken Scarpiello ($11.95) was an equally large serving of tender white meat chunks mixed with sliced fresh mushrooms, olives, chunks of Italian sausage, garlic, a little bit of onion and pepperoncini. A wonderful, unusual dish Amante does to perfection.
Garlic rolls were large and crusty with a hint of garlic.
Other entrees from Amante include Fettuccine Pomodore, lasagna, ravioli, gnocchi and manicotti ($9.95 each); Pasta Primavera, Rigatoni Alla Vodka, and Rigatoni With Meat Sauce ($10.95 each); Chicken Milanese, Chicken Tetrazzini, Chicken Marsala and Chicken Cacciatore ($11.95 each).
From Bob’s Pizza, there are subs, including meatball or chicken Parmigiana, turkey or tuna ($4.95 each); Pizza Amante with broccoli, spinach, garlic and mozzarella, or Pizza Bianca with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses ($12.95 for a medium, $13.95 for large).
And remember, a change in atmosphere is only a few steps away.
AMANTE ITALIAN CUISINE AND BOB’S PIZZA
2068 NE Second St.
Deerfield Beach
1-305-426-1030
Hours: Bob’s Pizza open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; Amante open 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Both restaurants closed Monday.
Delivery: Free from both sides, within a five-mile radius.
Prices: Appetizers, $1.75 to $7.95; entrees, $8.95 to $14.25.
Reservations: Accepted in Amante.
Atmosphere: Non-smoking section in Amante.
Liquor: Beer and wine only.
Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diner’s Club.
Wheelchair access: Good.
Children’s needs: Booster, high chairs.
A Bite Out is a regular column of the Sun-Sentinel devoted to helping readers find inexpensive local restaurants. Oline H. Cogdill makes every effort to remain anonymous, and all the reviewer’s meals are paid for by the Sun- Sentinel.
