Mezzano-no

Jen braved a two-and-a-half hour wait at the new Mezzanotte — but then, she gets paid to put up with that crap

Comments (0) By Jen Karetnick Thursday, Mar 29 2001

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All the detractions are a shame, because the pastas, while on the pricey side, can be quite good. The dishes are both straightforward enough to please the pleb, with a list of ingredients in each menu blurb, and prepared well enough to satisfy the gourmet. For instance the "fettuccine 3 funghi" is really just noodles with mushrooms. But the long strands of pasta wind around porcini, shiitake, and portobello mushroom slices, and the dark woodsy sauce, deepened with sun-dried tomatoes, takes the noodles with mushrooms to another realm.

On the other hand, jumbo shrimp risotto reads simply. But the description doesn't do the fresh, sweet crustaceans, mouth-wateringly sautéed in garlic and olive oil, justice. Nor does the brief blurb, which clues the diner that the rice contains both saffron and clam juice, amply prepare the recipient for a near-perfect risotto, with each grain of rice just slightly al dente yet unified into a creamy whole.

Joshua Prezant

Make yourselves comfortable, folks, you're in for a wait

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CityPlace

700 S. Rosemary Ave.
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Category: Music Venues

Region: West Palm Beach

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561-655-3665. Lunch daily from 11:30 a.m. till 3 p.m. Dinner nightly from 6 till 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday till midnight.

CityPlace, 700 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach

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When the kitchen's focus on risotto, which takes 20 minutes of constant stirring to achieve the desired consistency, is so sharp, you can bet meat dishes will also have been watched carefully. We found the veal scaloppini piccata to be tender and of a high quality, napped in a delicate broth comprising white wine, lemon juice, and capers. Filet mignon, topped with a too-small disk of foie gras, was nonetheless supple flesh, coaxed to a juicy medium rare. Crisp, skinny French fries were a downscaling side dish to pair with foie gras, but they were nonetheless pleasing, especially when dredged in the filet's Madeira-veal reduction. The textures of fish entrées like the trio del golfo, an assortment of simply grilled salmon, tuna, and shrimp, also met expectations, with the salmon moist and flaky and the tuna and shrimp succulent. The preparation here was boring, though, and like almost everything we tried, had been oversalted just a bit.

If you can tolerate sitting still any longer, attempt dessert. But don't look for anything inspired; choices range from zabaglione to tiramisu to crème brûlée. Not a slice of cake among 'em. Then again, if you have the will -- and by that I mean another two hours -- there's a way: Other eateries are just down the block. But be prepared. Dessert. Cheesecake Factory. CityPlace. Ohmygod.