As a countdown to the Best of Broward Palm Beach 2011, coming in June, Clean Plate Charlie is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in South Florida. Send your own nominations to [email protected].
No. 7: Hog Snapper Oreganata from Sette Bello
I have a request for you, Mr. Italian Restaurant Server. Please, don't tell me about the branzini you flew in from the Mediterranean for tonight's special. I don't care about the
dorade, either, no matter how much you praise its "snapper-like"
texture. What I do care about is a chef that recognizes flying in
pricey Italian white fish to his Florida restaurant makes about as much
sense as trying to import sun and retirees. Which is why I've got to
give props to Franco Filippone and his Sette Bello, a charming,
romantic Italian restaurant in northeast Fort Lauderdale. Filippone --
who cut his teeth at Casa D'Angelo before opening Sette Bello in 2008
-- buffs up his daily-changing specials menu with fresh fish from our
own coast lines. He showcases the delicate, juicy flesh of local fish such
as hog snapper and yellowtail, and treats them as any wonderful Italian
chef would: very simply. In this case, that's sauteed gently in olive oil, white
wine, and garlic, then topped with house-made, seasoned bread crumbs
and gently broiled. His oreganata is classic, but refined. And the fact
that it originated in our native waters makes it taste even better.
Sette Bello.
6241 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale
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