The WebButcher
Loves Casa Bella

It's our all time favorite restaurant. My wife discovered it driving home from school in 2000. She thought it looked interesting so one night we decided to try it out. We've returned dozens of times. It's a charming place, located right on Federal Highway (US-1, if you're from out of town) in Dania (between Hollywood and Ft. Lauderdale). It's in an old cracker house, circa 1912, kitchily (is that a word?) decorated in a sort of Victorian, recycle store style. But the food, oh, my!

First the service, which is top notch. Much of the staff has been there quite a while, and they really know what they're doing. If chain eateries or “restaurants-around-the-mall,” where the goal is butts-in-seats/hour, are what you're accustomed to, you may at first think you've been put on ignore. But early on, Larry, one of the owners, explained to us that their philosophy is to let the diner spend as much time as they wish at Casa Bella. If you want a fast meal, they'll help you, but the default is a leisurely pace. You won't be forgotten, however, and you definitely won't be rushed.

Okay, the food. To start with, if the garlic bread (baked to order) isn't the best you've ever had, send me the bill (and the left overs). Teddy, the other owner, does a lot of offshore fishing during his off hours, and often the daily fish special is something he caught earlier in the day. It doesn't get fresher than that. And for those dishes using a breading (veal parmagiana, for example), it's made from the leftover garlic rolls from the previous day. It's unbelievable.

Although I've been happy with several top notch entrees over the years, I find myself falling back on the veal marsala most often. None of my choices has ever failed to disappoint, however. Any of the veal dishes, the steak Diane, or various fish entrees have always been first rate. My wife declares the roast duck a l'Orange to be the best she's had anywhere, and it has long since been the only thing she orders at Casa Bella.

They have several of the usual suspects on the dessert menu—crème brûlée, tiramisu—to name two, but I found and have latched onto the chocolate cake as my favorite. Try it and let me know when you find a better one. It's definitely a “milk cake” although the coffee goes well, too.

Casa Bella also features an upstairs dining area suitable for parties of perhaps 25 (or more—and it's often used for regular dining, too—we enjoyed a very private, incredibly romantic dinner upstairs one Christmas Eve), so a group outing is possible as well. In 2002, we celebrated a significant birthday of my wife (which I'm not permitted to specify) with a surprise party at Casa Bella, and our friends and family still talk about it. It was a wonderful, wonderful experience.

Try to visit around Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving, or Christmas—the decorations are sumptuous. Okay, it's not cheap. Quality places like Casa Bella aren't. However, you won't be disappointed in the value received for your dining dollar, if our experience is any indicator.

By the way, it's not like we've never eaten at top restaurants—we've dined at Morton's in Boca Raton, Houston's in North Miami, Shula's in Ft. Lauderdale, the 95th in Chicago, Lawry's in Chicago, The Berghoff in Chicago (and the Brauhaus, the better, though lesser known of the two), and other well regarded joints, and we think Casa Bella is the equal of any of them.

Last updated: 28 January 2009