Fort Lauderdale's Louie Bossi's Ristorante Announces June Grand Opening

Big Time Restaurant Group has announced the grand opening date for its latest concept, Louie Bossi’s Ristorante, Bar & Pizzeria. The restaurant located at 1032 East Las Olas Boulevard will open in June. The 10,000­-square-­foot restaurant space offers five distinct indoor and outdoor dining experiences including an outdoor piazza with a fire pit and bocce ball court, a salumi bar, indoor dining room and bar, and a large outdoor bar facing Las Olas Boulevard, while a wood burning pizza oven and open kitchen sit center stage.

Billed as a "high energy" Italian eatery, the restaurant is inspired by the traditions of the great Italian American restaurants in New York and Chicago. It will be a neighborhood spot where you can order up house made pastas, wood burning Neapolitan pizzas, home cooked Sicilian comfort food and chef-partner Louie Bossi's own house-cured salumi.

Signature menu items have been crafted by Bossi and Big Time Restaurant Group chef and co-founder Lisabet Summa. Not your typical chef, Bossi grew up in an Italian household in New York where he learned to cook at the age of eight. Working his way from dishwasher to cook at the local pizzeria, the chef developed a love for the art of pizza making.

The executive chef at Big City Tavern in Fort Lauderdale, Bossi’s do-it-yourself approach has lead him to obtain a certification from Chef Brian Polcyn in the ancient art and technique of charcuterie, as well as becoming a Master Pizza Maker from The Scuola Italiana Pizzaoili. 

As a result, Louie Bossi's menu will include a number of hand-crafted items, including hand-formed meatballs served in a San Marzano sauce; a Quattro Formaggio pizza topped with ricotta, gorgonzola, provolone, and Calabrian oregano;  Pizza all Tagglia — aka "grandma style" served by the slice on a fresh-baked focaccia; spaghetti Carbonara made with house-cured pancetta, eggs, and parmigiano reggiano; risotto alla Frutti di Mare with shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari, fresh tomato, and basil; Salsicce, a sweet fennel sausage served with grilled apples and arugula; and Bistecca, a dry-­aged and bone-­in steak served with roasted garlic and rosemary.

A beverage menu will showcase an impressive wine list, with a heavy focus on Italian vintages including 50-plus wines by the glass, a number of handcrafted cocktails, craft beers, house made limoncello, and locally sourced coffees.

"Ever since I started cooking, I’ve had a passion for handmade Italian food and the wood-fired pies from New York,” said Bossi. "Opening a new concept on my favorite street in South Florida is a dream come true, and we look forward to becoming a cozy hangout for all our neighbors on Las Olas Boulevard."

Likewise, chef and partner Lisabet Summa says she is looking forward to serving homemade breads, artisan jams, handmade pasta and pizza dough, gelato and crema di limoncello.

Founded in 1993 by Todd Herbst, Bill Watson, and Lisabet Summa, Big Time Restaurant Group is a South Florida-­based restaurant group with five concepts operating ten locations including Big City Tavern, City Oyster & Sushi Bar in Delray Beach, City Cellar Wine Bar & Grill in West Palm Beach, Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar, and GreaseBurger, Beer & Whiskey Bar in West Palm Beach. 

Louie Bossi’s Ristorante, Bar & Pizzeria is located at 1032 E Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-365-6699, or visit LouieBossi.com.

Nicole Danna is a food writer covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on the BPB New Times Food & Drink Instagram.