We were “happy” we were going to FELICE, an Italian restaurant located at 366 South Rosemary Avenue, in West Palm Beach (Florida), as we heard it’s headed by Jacopo Giustiniani, who opened his first location, back in 2007, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
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According to the company’s website, the space is “inspired by the spirit of the Italian countryside and the wines of his family’s vineyard. Set in an inviting and cozy atmosphere, Felice offers an extensive, Italian-driven wine list alongside a rustic menu of authentic Tuscan dishes.”
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Polpettine, which are typically small balls of meat, cheese (e.g., ricotta), and/or veggies (e.g., zucchini or eggplant), are believed to have originated in Persia. And while the Ancient Romans are said to have enjoyed a variation of this dish, the earliest recorded reference supposedly dates back to the 15th century, in an Italian cookbook called Libro de Arte Coquinaria by Maestro Martino.
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Given that storied past, when we saw “Polpettine — homemade black Angus beef meatballs, marinara sauce, Parmigiano-Reggiano” ($21 pre-tax/tip), on the menu, we thought we’d give them a try.
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If you believe what you read, Black Angus is considered a superior beef, largely due to its “marbling,” wherein the fat is thinly and evenly distributed, and thus yields a consistent juiciness and flavor. Alas, these meatballs came to the table a bit dry, and we didn’t find them flavorful. Given that they were best described as “below average,” we thought the $25+ cost was excessive and unjustifiable. Although I thought this was a “fail,” the dish ended up scoring a subpar “C-.”
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I guess you can say this beef was out of range ….
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