Two Meatballs cooking up something good in the kitchen

The local Italian restaurant scene, well-populated though it might be, was diminished when Sal Basile stepped away from it five years ago. He sold Bella Rosa and decided that after 20-some years in the business to be a landlord.

As owner of the Daniels Parkway strip center in which Bella Rosa still stands, that's what he was - and is. But one thing led to another and, as he built a second wing of stores and offices on an adjoining property, the planets aligned in a way that led him back to the restaurant business.

In late October, he opened Two Meatballs in the Kitchen, along with his son, son-in-law, wife and daughters. The eponymous Meatballs are his son, Alex, and son-in-law, Paul Torocco.

Long-timers may remember Mr. Basile from Nino's, the restaurant he started with his brothers many moons ago, followed by Taste of New York and Basile's on Winkler Avenue, then Taste of New York at Bell Tower Shops and, finally, Bella Rosa. 

Two Meatballs is a hybrid - casual and homey, like most of his places, but with some of the more creative foods of the more upscale Bella Rosa. Although

KAREN FELDMAN / FLORIDA WEEKLY Cannoli cake, one of the house-made desserts, consists of three layers of yellow cake with whipped cream frosting topped with a tiny cannolo.

it's casual, it's beautifully appointed, with brick walls topped with arches in which are mounted huge family photos. One shows two little girls standing in a soup pot, toques on their heads and whisks in hand (Mr. Basile's daughters) and another features two handsome young men in chef's jackets (his sons). Two more archways are due to soon have similar photos of Mr. Basile and his wife, Rose.

A glass dessert display draws customers' attention as they walk in the door, followed by the open and busy kitchen and, finally, the dining room. A half wall, also of brick topped with planters and Tiffanystyle lamps, divides the room, giving it a cozy feel.

Dinner began with those hot little garlic rolls that were a trademark of his previous establishments. They are little knots of dough baked to a golden hue then liberally lathered with garlic and oil. We made short work of the first basket and were rewarded with another, larger

KAREN FELDMAN / FLORIDA WEEKLY Owner Sal Basile and some of his staff, from left, Jon Salvatore, Paul Torocco and Tony Marquez.

basket of the little devils.

We moved on to appetizers of bruschetta and fried calamari, both of which were big enough for two to share.

Mr. Basile's calamari is first rate - satisfyingly crisp, with a well-seasoned batter covering tender squid served with a perfectly balanced marinara sauce. It was as good as I remembered, although the calamari could have been warmer. The bruschetta was beautifully presented, each thick slice of Italian bread toasted and topped with a bright red mixture of tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil and eggplant caponata. We were surprised that the topping was cold, as most I've had have been warm, but the flavors were vibrant and fresh.

The night's wine special was Renato Ratti Barbera D'Alba Torriglione 2005, a purplish-red Italian wine with cherry and spice notes and an oaky finish that complemented our meals.

As you might expect, pasta plays a major role in Two Meatballs' entrée lineup. We sampled three varieties, along with a nightly special of veal marsala.

The wild mushroom ravioli were excellent. The tender pillows of pasta contained three flavorful varieties of mushroom along with sun-dried tomatoes and basil, all of which was topped with a delicate pesto cream. A second dinner companion had the House Favorite - classic pasta with sausage or meatballs. He opted for sausage, which was nicely spiced and tender, atop a generous bed of spaghetti and marinara sauce that was fine when eaten with the sausage but a little sweet without it.

The veal marsala was delicious, with tender pieces of veal topped with a savory-sweet marsala sauce. It came with broccolini and tender potatoes and was a dish worthy of being deemed a nightly special.

I tried the rigatoni Alexander, which contained grilled chicken, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and a rosatino sauce over rigatoni. The chicken was tender, the mushrooms plentiful, with a pink sauce that clung nicely to the chunky pasta.

From the list of house-made desserts, we selected cannoli cake and tiramisu. The former was a three-layered yellow cake with a light whipped cream frosting topped by a tiny cannolo. As with most of the dishes we tried, it was large enough to share. So was the tiramisu, with its creamy combination of mascarpone cheese, cake, coffee and chocolate.

 

It was a satisfying meal at a surprisingly low price. For four people, the bill came to $130, including a bottle of wine and gratuity. The leftovers also served as lunch the following day.

The servers are uniformly young and energetic. What they lack in polish they make up for in their desire to please, clearing plates quickly, faithfully replenishing water (and rolls) and checking to make sure we were happy with our meals, all with smiles on their faces. This is a new restaurant and a new service team. I feel confident they will grow more seasoned by the time the tourist season begins in earnest in a couple of months.

Two Meatballs is fun and stylish, serving up good food with an extra measure of hospitality, all at a price that's easy to swallow.

It's good to have the Basile family back in action.