11/24/2025
DINNER AT SOPRANOS, A NEW BOYNTON BEACH ITALIAN EATERY, STARTED ON A HIGH NOTE, BUT ENDED FLAT
By ALAN J. WAX
A group of us went for a fairly early dinner on Saturday at Soprano’s, a relatively new Italian eatery in the shopping center behind Flakowitz in Boynton Beach. Arriving at 5:45 p.m., the place was packed —there are about 60 seats inside and a few more outside. The clientele, one might guess by their hair colors, are the folks who turn in for the night at 9 p.m.
We scheduled our early dinner, however, so we could play cards afterward. But after the two hours that had elapsed from the time we were seated until we departed, our evening of Canasta was cut short.
For those who are aware, this site was once home to Mamma Mia Express, and after that, Bella Mia, whose name still adorns the sign over the restaurant and the restaurant’s website. We’d heard and read the buzz about Sopranos, which opened just a few months before, so we decided to give it a try.
It’s a casual place with a traditional Italian-American menu and a short wine list that includes only house wines by the glass, half-carafe, and carafe. Rather than imbibe some unknown vino, I stuck to tap water.
Service, while gracious, was slow. The hostess provided menus as she seated us, and a food runner delivered a fresh-from-the-oven round loaf of focaccia with a plate of garlic-flavored butter —do-it-yourself garlic bread. We happily munched on the bread while we waited and waited some more for our server to appear to take our orders, while runners sped through the dining room carrying trays of pizza. Other servers appeared to be standing idle near the kitchen door. Perhaps we should have ordered a pizza.
We started on a high note. My wife’s salad was huge, and the soups were robustly flavored. For me, the minestrone was one of the best I’d had in South Florida, bursting with flavor and spoonfuls of diced vegetables.
But our empty appetizer dishes remained on the table long after we’d devoured the foods on them, taken away only after a long wait for our entrees.
Only one of our foursome enjoyed her entree, the eggplant parmigiana, which she pronounced delicious. To be sure, she says that no matter what she orders, or where. The Chicken Francese ordered by my wife, Jeanne, arrived swimming in a lighter-than-expected wine-butter sauce. It was just “okay,” she said.
Two of us who ordered veal and chicken parmigiana, respectively, were less happy. My friend’s chicken parm was okay, he said. My veal parm was less than tender, and the edges of the crispy fried cutlet were a tad blackened. My friend and I agreed that the red sauce on the entrees and on our al dente servings of penne left much to be desired. Thick and on the sweet side, it lacked acidity and spices, tasting like the kitchen forgot to do something to the heavy, grainy tomato paste that it resembled.
Only Jeanne ordered dessert — after waiting quite a while for our server to reappear — a chocolate fudge cake. It arrived with four spoons and small mounds of whipped cream. I’d swear it was made by Bindi, which supplies frozen cakes to eateries across the nation. Jeanne’s serving suggested it needed more time to defrost. It was a sad ending to a not-so-joyous dinner. For some of us, Soprano’s was a once-and-done.
Soprano's Boynton Beach
7410 Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach
561-509-0925
bellatrattoria.com
