At Franco Italian Bistro on Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington, the white tablecloths are a giveaway that these restaurateurs are serious. The wait staff is professional and personable, presenting daily specials while you’re pondering the already-lengthy menu. The wine list is excellent. Hot bread arrives tableside with spreadable, room-temperature ovals of butter flourishing the Franco imprint.
As a prequel for your entrée, save some of that bread for sopping up the juices from your buttery, garlicky Clams Oreganate or Zuppa di Cozze, mussels sautéed in white wine and garlic. Other antipasti include Carpaccio di Manzo, aged air-dried beef tenderloin with arugula, olive oil & lemon dressing and shaved Parmesan; Medaglioni di Granchio named for a tiny town north of seafaring Genoa, which are Maryland jumbo lump crab cakes on mixed greens; and Shrimp Positano, jumbos sautéed with pancetta (bacon), onions, white wine and lemon.
A gorgeous burrata (soft fresh mozzarella shell housing velvety strands of cheese and cream) was an appetizer special recently. Pasta e Fagioli, the classic Tuscan white bean soup, is always on hand along with a daily soup special. American-style salads include Avocado with mozzarella and roasted peppers; Arugula (avocado, fennel, mango, hearts of palm); Chopped (chick peas, bacon, bleu cheese, hard-boiled egg); Pere e Gorgonzola with candied walnuts on green; bleu-cheese dressed bacon & tomato Wedge; and Cesare.
With 18 pastas on the menu at Franco Italian Bistro in Wellington, you’ll be hard pressed not to order at least one: Fresh Pappardelle Porcini, the meaty mushrooms tossed with tender egg noodles and elegant truffle oil; Gnocchi Sorrentina, a toss of tiny potato dumplings (northern Italian) with tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella (southern); and Orecchiette Barese (“little ears” pasta, Bari-style), with broccoli rabe and sausage, a Puglia region specialty. Rich Spaghetti Carbonara, created in Naples for American WWII soldiers, is tossed with egg yolk, pancetta, onions and cheese.
Fish includes Mediterranean Branzino, baked with garlic, tomatoes, wine and clams; and Red Snapper with artichoke hearts in white wine. Scaloppine Saltimbocca, popularized as a Roman dish, is often mis-prepared, but here at Franco, the high-quality Dutch veal is stuffed with Parma prosciutto and fresh sage, sautéed in a cream demi-glace and topped with mozzarella. Skirt Steak is Genovese-style (with pesto sauce, an amalgam of olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh basil and pine nuts). Pollo Sorrentina, an ode to Naples’ neighbor city, is a pan-seared chicken breast topped with eggplant and mozzarella in a light tomato sauce.
Dessert choices are wide, from Limoncello Cake to Ricotta Cheesecake, Tartufo, Tiramisu, ice cream-filled and chocolate-sauced Profiteroles, and more. Hope you have room for it!!
