I walked into La Masseria, located in PGA Commons, severely underdressed. I had just come from making Pizzas with the Pizza Girls down the street, so I was sporting a ballcap, T-shirt, and shorts. I was greeted by the general manager, a friendly Italian gentleman named Massimo De Luca, who dismissed my wardrobe faux pas as if it was nothing (it was something, La Masseria is a beautiful place). He was wearing a perfectly pressed button down shirt, sports jacket, Italian loafers, and very nice jeans. He made me feel like we were old friends; like one of those friendships where you don't see each other for ten years but immediately pic up where you left off.
With an Italian accent, he ordered me a prosecco at the bar. As the bubbles made my tongue tingle, he started telling me about his new restaurant. Chefs and longtime friends Peppe Iuele, Enzo Ruggiero and Pino Coladonato joined forces to bring their popular menu to South Florida. The trio operates two locations in the heart of New York City as well as one in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
Massimo insists his establishment is a close to authentic Italian food you can get outside of Italy. It's a farm to table establishment; they go to the market every day to get the freshest locally-sourced ingredients. There is only a small freezer in the corner of the kitchen for a few ingredients like ice cream that have to be held at a chilly temperature.
Massimo even takes fishing trips with his restaurant staff off the Florida coastline to get the freshest catch for their customers. The concept for La Masseria is inspired by the Puglia region of Southern Italy, where the word masseria is translated to a large farmhouse.
“We are real Italians cooking real Italian food, and we know there’s an audience for that here in Palm Beach County,” said Chef Coladonato. “We are certain our customers will immediately taste the difference.” I could tell a huge difference as each course arrived.
The Bread
The Appetizers
1) I Cucuzielli Fritti Alla Chef Pino (Delicious crispy fried zucchini)
2) Tavolaccio Del Salumiere
An assortment of Italian cured meats and cheeses flown-in from Italy.
The Entree
Massimo insisted I try a little of each of these dishes. I'm glad he did. He ordered me a 1/2 order of each.
1/2 Pappardelle Alla Bolognese
Homemade Fresh Wide Fettuccine Pasta with Homemade Meat Sauce
1/2 Gnocchi Alla Moda Di Sorrento
Homemade Potatoe Gnocchi with light Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese
The Wine
The wine menu seems to be endless. There is even a large wine vault in the restaurant, and the back walls have wine cases for extraordinary bottles.
The Limoncello
This little cocktail packs a powerful punch.
The menu is full of favorites including traditional pastas and various meat and seafood entrees. Multiple vegetarian options are also available. Prices range from $15.50-$14.50 for lunch and $18.50-$49.50 for dinner.
La Masseria's Hours
Sunday and Monday: Noon – 10 PM
Tuesday – Thursday: Noon – 11 PM
Friday, and Saturday: Noon – 11:30 PM
Happy hour runs every day from 3 – 6 PM5520 PGA Boulevard, Suite 104
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
Phone (561) 660-8272