The Acai Bowl At Voi-La Is An Exquisite Treat For The Senses

Story and Photos by Julie Unger

There’s a new restaurant in Wellington with Venezuelan roots and a French name. It’s called Voi-La, which means “look there” or “there it is.”

“It’s the idea that when you have it, it’s easy, you take it and just grab it and go,” chef Andrea Larrazabal explained. “Even though we don’t have French food, we have a lot of things to take and go. It’s for busy people who don’t have the time to spend two hours at a restaurant.”

Both in the front of Voi-La and toward the back are grab-and-go options such as milanesas de pollo, milanesas de carne, milanesas de tilapia, milanesas de cerdo, chicken parmigiana, broccoli quiche, empanaditas de pollo, torta de platano Chiquita, arepitas, lasagna, fresh salads and other items to make a quick meal.

Voi-La is owned by Maria Fernanda Asuaje and professional Argentinian show jumper Ignacio Maurin. Asuaje is a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef and equestrian, while Maurin’s wife, Larrazabal, is a trained chef from the Venezuelan Center of Gastronomic Training.

The restaurant opened in the beginning of August, but Larrazabal and Asuaje have been catering together since the fall of 2015. They were catering for friends, birthdays and other events and were encouraged to open their own local restaurant. Within a few months, Voi-La was born.

The signature dish at Voi-La, Larrazabal said, is the acai bowl. It comes with banana, kiwi, pineapple, strawberries, granola, honey and coconut flakes, and customers can add almond butter.

“Acai, it’s fruit from the Amazon. You can find it in Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia and a lot of the South American countries. It has antioxidants, is very trendy, and is really good for you. We have it in a version that is a sorbet,” she explained. “It’s something that we really like, and it’s South American. We want to take advantage of what the acai is bringing and the properties.”

An acai bowl, or smoothie, is very popular right now, but Voi-La’s twist of making it a sorbet is unique. By adding fruit and almond butter, it adds another layer of nutrition and flavor. Teenagers are choosing the nutritious fruit bowl over chocolates and sweets, Asuaje said.

Granola, fruit and coconut are arranged over the acai sorbet and then drizzled with honey. Almond butter can come on the side. The acai bowl is an exquisite treat for the senses, with a variety of tastes and textures, while providing a nutritional powerhouse.

There are many Venezuelan treats on the menu, including tequeños, which are like mozzarella sticks; meat, chicken and cheese empanadas; spinach and feta croquettes; and baked brie with honey.

“There’s nothing like this around here,” Larrazabal said. “It’s a mix of a lot of things.”

Another special item on the menu is the cheese course. With more than a dozen cheese choices, ranging from robiola bosina, brie couronne, port salut, gruere, mahon, valdeon blue and more, customers are able to assemble a cheese plate with meats — including horzoiberico de bellota, prosciutto di parma, jamon iberico and smoked salmon — and accompaniments such as plum jam, mango chutney, pesto, truffle honey and more. This creates a plate that is perfect for gathering with friends and having a relaxed conversation while enjoying the music, Asuaje said.

Recently added to the menu are gourmet paninis, such as one with jamon iberico, manchego and sweet onion jam; one with mozzarella, tomato confit, basil pesto and a balsamic reduction; one with prosciutto, goat cheese and a fig spread; and a one with brie, bacon and honey.

Fresh smoothies, be it the Greenest Favorite Smoothie, the Carolina Smoothie, the Banana Blonde, Blue Grape or Blueberry Sunset, offer a fresh mix of fruits and vegetables to cool off and get nourished. The soup of the day varies, but is always made fresh. Specialty teas add another drink offering full of flavor.

Guests can custom make their own salads, allowing customers to pick their favorite greens, toppings and dressings to create a light and healthy meal.

The mission at Voi-La is to make delicious, high-quality food that is good for the body and soul, with an emphasis on hospitality, service, passion, creativity and never-ending improvement.

“It’s our dream come true,” Larrazabal said. “I never imagined having this.”

Voi-La is located at 13889 Wellington Trace, Suite A8, in the Wellington Marketplace near Walgreens, between Dunkin’ Donuts and Wellington Florist. Closed Monday, the restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (786) 281-1589.

Try The Gabriel Salad At Gabriel’s Café, The Oldest Restaurant In Wellington

Story and Photos by Julie Unger

A staple in the community, Gabriel’s Café & Grille has been operated by Gabriel Finocchietti and his family since 1990. That alone puts it among Wellington’s oldest eateries, but the location as a restaurant dates back even further, to the late 1970s.

Serving breakfast and lunch every day, it’s almost like Wellington’s own Cheers bar. They know your name, what you like to eat and how you like your coffee. There’s a friendly atmosphere and a familiar face at every turn.

One of the dishes that makes Gabriel’s special, Finocchietti said, is the Gabriel Salad, with chicken, gorgonzola cheese, cranberries and pecans, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, onions and olives over a bed of mixed greens.

Chef William Camacho, who has been with Gabriel’s for 15 years, said it is a signature dish because “everything comes together with a good flavor.”

Finocchietti chose the Gabriel Salad as a signature dish because of how well his namesake salad comes together.

“It has a nice presentation, it’s a nice-looking dish. It’s well known, and people like it,” he said. “There’s a variety of items in the salad that pleases customers, and it is light, healthy and tasty at the same time, with the cheese and the pecans and the cranberries, and of course, the chicken.”

With 26 years under his belt at Gabriel’s, he has seen three generations of customers. It’s a family tradition for many within Wellington to visit the café.

“The kids, the neighbors, the friends get together. It makes them more comfortable than going to a place where nobody knows them,” Finocchietti said.

Many of the staff members have been working at the café for more than 20 years.

The family atmosphere is what has kept Camacho at Gabriel’s for so long. “We do something special,” he said.

Everything moves like a ballet in the back, where employees work together in a way that only those who have worked together for years can. They have their own unique shorthand, quick language and ease when working together.

“When you get to that point where a customer comes in, 90 percent of the time, they know how they like their coffee, or how they like their toast done, or how they like the cream on the side, so they’re not repeating themselves all the time,” Finocchietti said. “The staff already knows half sweet tea, half unsweetened. They get their drink without saying anything. The drink is there waiting, just how they like it.”

Now, Finocchietti’s grandchildren — the third generation — are coming into the restaurant.

“It’s a comfortable, homey environment, where they don’t have to pretend anything and everyone knows each other,” Finocchietti said. “Everyone’s comfortable, and that’s why they keep coming.”

One great feature is the outside patio, he explained, where people come and bring their dogs.

“When they drive down Wellington Trace, the dogs get so excited because they know they’re going to Gabriel’s,” Finocchietti said.

Gabriel’s is not just a restaurant to Finocchietti, it’s his second home.

“My restaurant is a place for me to be home every day,” he said. “People say, ‘Oh, you work seven days.’ Yes, it’s seven days, with my customers. I’m there seven days a week. I make sure that the customers are happy. I talk to them, and we discuss things.”

For some customers, the Gabriel’s family is their family.

“When they come in, we tell them our stories; they tell us their stories,” Finocchietti said. “It makes them part of our family because they come in and talk to us about the old days, when they used to do this or that.”

A few couples have even been introduced at Gabriel’s, he said. “That’s why it’s special,” Finocchietti said.

Gabriel’s offers a wide variety of delicious meals, including three-egg omelets; eggs Benedict with crab meat, asparagus, Canadian bacon and other specialty items; hamburgers, hot dogs, garden burgers and more; many specialty salads; frittatas with ingredients like zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus or broccoli; waffles and crepes with pecans, peaches, banana, apple, strawberries or Nutella; French toast, pancakes and egg sandwiches; many varieties of sandwiches, melts and wraps; and popular classics like fish and chips, quesadillas, liver and onions, hot roast beef, fresh roast turkey, country fried steak and more.

“We do everything,” Camacho said. “Our customers, they know what we sell is homemade. Everything is homemade. That’s why they keep coming.”

Gabriel’s is open for breakfast and lunch from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. Take-out and catering are available.

Gabriel’s Café & Grille in located in the Wellington Plaza at 12793 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite G. For more information, call (561) 793-0675.

Wellington The Magazine-August 2016

Ginger Lime Salmon At Stonewood Grill & Tavern

Story and Photos by Julie Unger

Wellington’s Stonewood Grill & Tavern may be part of a larger chain, but it’s run like a local restaurant, where customers are honored guests, and the staff accommodates them with dishes made to order.

Executive Chef Khaliah Morris’s favorite dish, Ginger Lime Salmon, was once dropped from the menu, but now it is back, with a bright shining spotlight to let guests know that it is one of Stonewood’s signature dishes.

On the menu, multiple items are emphasized with a box, denoting them as some of the most popular favorites. The Ginger Lime Salmon is one such item, and Morris calls it a must-try.

“It’s served on a bed of Asian vegetables, or Asian slaw really — zucchini, yellow squash, red peppers and onions tossed in a sesame ginger dressing. It’s served with a ginger lime sauce,” Morris explained. “The salmon itself is marinated in a ginger lime marinade. It has a little citrus, has some honey. The base of it is pretty much soy and citrus. It is marinated for up to eight hours, then we grill it, and we garnish it with a little bit more of that ginger lime marinade and cilantro sprigs.”

From start to finish, the Ginger Lime Salmon is made in house, with fresh Atlantic salmon.

“It goes really, really well with the marinade,” Morris said. “It’s really subtle. It’s very light. Especially since it’s so hot outside, I think it’s a great summer dish. It’s not a heavy meal… Especially during summer, it’s just something light, refreshing and not too heavy.”

The flavor profiles blend together to provide a unique dish that may seem unassuming, but is quite special. It truly is one of her personal favorites, not only to make, but to eat herself.

“It’s probably, in my opinion, a sleeper hit,” Morris said. “People are hesitant to try it, because there is a little bit of crushed red pepper in it, but once they try the dish, every time they come back, time after time, I’ll do a table visit and I’ll hear, ‘That’s my favorite dish on the menu.’”

Morris should know — she has worked at Stonewood for almost nine years in multiple capacities, including as chef for about seven years.

General Manager Craig Conerly has been with the company for six years and thoroughly enjoys being able to bring a unique experience to those visiting Stonewood.

“We treat every guest who comes in like they’re family. That’s what makes us special,” he said. “When a guest wants something that’s not on the menu, or something a little different, we tell them, ‘Yes, no problem, we’ll take care of that.’”

Though Stonewood is corporate-run, the individual restaurant leaders are empowered to take care of the guests.

“It’s not just a place to eat food; it’s a dining experience,” Conerly said. “From the minute they walk in the door, the ambiance, the nice dark woods, the lights, the music, it all plays a role in the whole experience. And, of course, the food that Khaliah puts out is just the icing on the cake, so to speak.”

There is a family ambiance with many regulars coming in weekly, and some almost daily.

The menu boasts meat and fish, along with plenty of other options to suit all types of palates. Fresh, tasty food is on a menu large enough to be comprehensive but not so large that it is overwhelming.

Stonewood is primarily a steak and seafood place, Conerly said, but they feature other dishes, such as the Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon, Roasted Beet Salad, Oak Grilled Cheeseburger, Emerald Bay Crab Cakes and more.

And just about anything can be altered. Gluten-free? The menu denotes meals that can easily be altered. Don’t like a certain vegetable? They can switch it out. One of the benefits to everything being made fresh is that there is a sense of creativity that is able to accommodate any taste while still providing the Stonewood experience.

Opening every day at 4 p.m., Stonewood isn’t somewhere to just pop in for a quick meal. It is a place to sit back, relax and enjoy the experience.

“Make it memorable” is a saying at Stonewood, Conerly said, where they want the dining experience to be something guests look forward to.

Stonewood Grill & Tavern is located at 10120 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in the Pointe at Wellington Green. For more information, visit www.stonewoodgrill.com or call (561) 784-9796.

Wellington The Magazine-July 2016

Tuna Tacos Featured On Expanded Menu At Romeo’s

Story and Photos by Julie Unger

Nestled in the Wellington Marketplace at Greenview Shores Blvd. and Wellington Trace, Romeo’s Italian Cuisine started out as a pizzeria, but has recently evolved into a full-scale Italian restaurant offering brunch, lunch, sunset and dinner. Glittering lights and soothing music create a warm and inviting atmosphere as the smell of classic Italian cuisine emanates from the kitchen.

Much has changed about Romeo’s in its nine-year history, with a grand re-opening in November 2015. Co-owners Tony Manglaviti and Sebastian Romeo expanded the operation from a 40-seat pizzeria to a 200-seat restaurant with a bar, outdoor dining, a soon-to-open private event room, tapas, brunch, lunch, dinner and entertainment. Now, the menu includes pizza, seafood and fresh pasta.

“We do everything from scratch, starting with the pasta and pizza dough. We use fresh, organic meats,” Manglaviti said. “We grew based on pizza, but what we want to bring to the community is that we do not just do great pizza, but we concentrate on healthy, organic, gourmet food. We have a little bit of everything. We accommodate everybody. We have seafood, pizza, pasta, healthy salads.”

The new menu reflects the focus on specialty foods with mussels, Maine lobster, grilled eggplant, seasonal vegetables, intricate salads and sophisticated meal combinations.

A signature dish at Romeo’s, the Tuna Tacos, is available both in a lunch serving (two tacos) and a dinner (three tacos) with bigeye tuna paired with pico de gallo stuffed tortillas.

“I’ve been working on this lunch menu with the chef,” Manglaviti said. “I had him buy the best quality he could find for all the fish. This particular fish is bigeye tuna. He seasons it, he sears it, and then he puts it over tacos with a special sauce.”

Tuna Tacos were added to the menu in the beginning of May when Romeo’s began opening for lunch, and has been the bestselling meal since. Bigeye tuna, Manglaviti said, is a high-quality tuna that often comes with a big price tag. Romeo’s sells the dish for $7, when similar dishes sell elsewhere for more, he explained, because they want their customers to enjoy the best and have the opportunity to taste something special.

Chef Joshua Flores perfects the dish using fresh tuna that comes in several times a week, cutting up the loin, cubing it, preparing it, cooking it and assembling the Tuna Tacos.

“This dish, for me, is very special because it’s a new item for the restaurant,” Flores said. “The tuna we’re using is very high quality. A lot of restaurants use it, but for different purposes. I decided to put it in the taco because people can have more appreciation for all of the flavors combined — the pico de gallo, the bigeye tuna and the spicy cilantro dressing that I make.”

The tortilla is finished on the grill, lightly cooking the flour tortilla, giving the tacos a nice finishing touch, Flores explained.

The new lunch menu includes specialty meals, salads and appetizers such as Beef Carpaccio, Ceviche, Grilled Calamari, Caprese Salad, Bella Donna Pizza and Insalata Pizza, Grilled Salmon with Mango and Avocado, and more. The dinner menu offers such specialties as Ceviche di Gamberi e Polpo, Blood Orange Arugula Salad, Ravioli di Aragosta, Involttini di Pollo, Seabass Oreganata, Filetto e Patate Gratinate, Brussels and Goat Cheese Pizza, White Clam Pie and Melanzana Parmigiana.

Lunch is from 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The Sunset Menu is from 4 to 7 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday with a four-course meal for $25. Dinner is served from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. during the week, and until 11 p.m. on weekends.

During the weekends, Romeo’s often features live music or a DJ. In June, Romeo’s introduced a brunch menu. Takeout is available, as is delivery. Romeo’s is also available for special events.

Romeo’s Italian Cuisine is located in the Wellington Marketplace at 13889 Wellington Trace. For more information, visit www.romeositaliancuisine.com or call (561) 793-7100.

Wellington Table

Signature Dish: Try The Paleo Bowl (Or Build Your Own Creation) At Bolay

Story and Photos by Julie Unger

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring, bland and tasteless. Curating a fast, fresh and bold way of eating, Bolay is an innovative build-you-own-bowl restaurant with creative, satisfying and nutritious offerings. They’re so good, you’ll forget it is good for you.

“What we have done is put the consumer in the driver’s seat,” explained Outback Steakhouse co-founder Tim Gannon, who created the Bolay concept with his son Chris. “He comes in and says, ‘Wow, look at all this food. Now, here’s how I want to put it together.’ Enabling a consumer in customization is critical, which gives us endless variety and creativity. We’ve taken it from the hands of the chef, creating something unbelievable, to the hands of the consumer, letting them create. That is the engaging part of this enterprise.”

The concept is simple. You choose the size bowl you want. Then, you choose your base, or bases. With options like a marinated kale and currant salad, Peruvian quinoa, forbidden black rice, aromatic basmati rice and gluten-free cilantro noodles, there are plenty of flavorful and delicious choices to set the theme.

Atop the base are unique vegetables, such as smoky cauliflower, paleo sprouts, maple-roasted butternut squash, balsamic mushrooms and broccoli with a ginger orange glaze. Following the vegetables are proteins such as sesame tofu, Ponzu tuna, barbeque chicken, lemon chicken, pork tenderloin and Caribbean spiced steak.

Adding another layer of flavor are the sauce offerings and additional add-ons. Spicy Thai sauce, cilantro pesto and carrot ginger sauce, along with minted tomatoes, goat cheese crumble, parmesan and an Asian herb mix help to create an endless array of possibilities.

Chef Martin Oswald, a former protégé of Wolfgang Puck, helped create the Paleo Bowl, and the Bolay team created the other two signature bowls, the Aspen Bowl and the Thai Bowl.

The Paleo Bowl features kale, a nutritional powerhouse, with quinoa, mushrooms, sprouts, barbeque chicken, Caribbean steak and a carrot ginger sauce.

Everything at Bolay is 100 percent gluten-free. The only dairy is in the cheese topping offered, and instead of sugar in their desserts, they use agave. The restaurant doesn’t use fryers and utilizes small amounts of coconut and olive oil for flavor.

Everything at Bolay is about putting together nutrition and flavor, Tim explained.

Chris, who won the U.S. Open Polo Championship at age 16 on Outback’s team, has studied trends, and realized that when people go out to eat there is an innate curiosity as to how others eat. With the trend of eating healthier, people want fresh, clean food quickly, he explained. “We’re trying to grab all of those things by being fresh, clean and quick,” Chris said.

The high-protein forbidden black rice, Chris explained, is seasoned with ginger, cilantro and kafir lime leaf. There’s a variety of flavor in every bite. “Our restaurant has 20 sauces that we make every day,” he said. “Each item has its own marinate and its own sauce, and with that comes incredible flavors.”

Tim is bringing what he learned about flavor at Outback to Bolay, without the heavy calories.

“Here, we want to bring all that flavor that you love at Outback, and we want to infuse it with healthy ingredients,” he explained. “We’re that place that you want to go in, eat great, have great flavor, but walk out and go hit the tennis court, ride horses or exercise. That’s how much energy you’ll have.”

Bolay opened in late February in the new Buckingham Plaza on State Road 7. It has already been active in the community. They were at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce’s ColorFest 5K and Nic Roldan’s Sunset Polo & White Party at the Wanderers Club benefitting Brooke USA, as well as other community functions.

“The beauty of this concept is that it has got endless possibilities for creativity and change,” Chris said. “We’re really going to listen to what the guests like. That’s the most important part — not what we think, but what the guest wants.”

To wash down the fresh bowls, be it cultivated or designed by the guest, Bolay offers cold-pressed juice, infused teas, and craft beer and wine.

Bolay isn’t trying to be a health food restaurant, Chris explained, but rather a restaurant with bold flavors and incredible food that just happens to be healthy and good for you.

Bolay is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For more information, visit www.eatbolay.com or call (561) 899-0111.