The first time I visited Trevini Ristorante in Palm Beach, they were tucked into a small spot on the second floor of 150 Worth on Worth Avenue. A few years later they moved to their current location across town at 290 Sunset Avenue where the restaurant offers indoor or al fresco dining on the large outdoor courtyard of the Bradley Park Hotel.
White linen, impeccable service, and recipes that come from both the northern and southern regions of Italy fill their menu. The restaurant’s owners Claudio and Gianni are usually on-hand to ensure their guests have a flawless experience.
Our latest visit was on a Monday night where the outdoor courtyard was pretty full with hungry diners and inside was pretty much empty as most were enjoying the cool evening air. We chose to dine inside.
We were presented with menus and asked for a choice of tap, still or sparkling water. Some bread was brought over, pretty standard and probably not homemade and we were told of the evening’s featured entrees.
As we sipped on wine and sparkling water, an ever attentive staff made sure our glasses were filled at all times.
For starters we went with the Calamari Fritti ($14), a pretty standard, unremarkable fried calamari dish served with Trevini’s homemade marinara sauce which was the highlight of the dish. There was nothing special about the calamari and I even remarked that it was like what you would find at any pizza or Italian joint.
Next up was a nice Insalata Caprese ($16) salad with different types of sliced tomatoes, roasted red peppers, imported mozzarella and fresh basil. The tomatoes were fresh, the mozzarella firm and overall this was a good starter.
Time for the entrees first was the Lemon Sole Francaise served with steamed spinach. The filet was lightly battered and the lemon sauce was flavorful yet not overpowering. The sole itself was mild and flaky with a nice buttery texture. It was an exceptional dish in every way.
Next was Trevini’s version of Chicken Francaise ($27). Instead of just a chicken breast battered and plated with Francaise sauce, this breast was topped with eggplant, sliced tomato, and mozzarella. Like the sole, this was also an exceptional dish and a unique take on a classic Italian entrée.
We wanted to try the pasta, so we ordered Fettuccini Bolognese ($26) to share. The pasta was cooked al dente and the veal Bolognese sauce was rich and meaty, and just as good as the marinara from the appetizer we had earlier.
We skipped dessert, but the menu was full of Italian favorites including Spumoni, Tiramisu, Tartufo, sorbet and more.
The menu itself has a good selection of pasta dishes including ravioli, taglioni, orecchiette, fettuccine, tortellini, as well as risotto and traditional spaghetti. Chicken, seafood, veal, lamb and even calf’s liver round out meat choices.
If you’re looking for something different, there’s also a Tuscan Meatloaf with an oyster mushroom sauce that we were told is something that people come in for on a regular basis and is a must-try.
If you’re looking for a spot for some great Italian food coupled with equally great service, this is definitely a place to hit up on the island where “good” Italian is often hard to find.