Ok, this review is going to be briefer than most of my past reviews because I don't, in all honesty, feel as enthusiastic as I have felt about many previously reviewed restaurants.  Some of you may have read a glowing review in The Palm Beach Post from January, 2011.  I too read it and, as a result, was very anxious to try Casa Mia.  I must say that, in general, I was somewhat disappointed.

The ambience was ok, nothing to write home about, the service was friendly and they all seemed to want to please.  They offered an outdoor dining option, but the weather was too warm to be comfortable outside that night, so...in we went.

Now, on to the food...a caprese classic salad had good fresh Florida tomatoes and basil oil, but the mozzarella was not buffalo.  But if you have never experienced the difference between cow's milk mozzarella and the soft and sweet "clouds" of buffalo mozzarella, you may not notice the lack of taste and texture in the cow's version. Their Casa Mia salad, mixed greens with a few other uninspired vegetables and raspberry vinaigrette, was, however, declared fresh and generous in size.  Hubby and I shared penne alla mediterranea.  It was a blend of fresh tomatoes and basil, mozzarella and calamata olives.  The waitperson did not tell us when we ordered that it was an uncooked sauce.  Consequently, it came out room temp to cool.  To me, it did not present with much flavor and I asked them to heat up my portion.  Still not much excitement no matter what I sprinkled on it.  We also split a branzino al forno.  Now that was more like it!  Branzino is a Mediterranean sea bass, delicate and moist, which I absolutely adored here, and I order it whenever I see it on a menu. L. ordered a veal chop with a wild mushroom sauce, not on the menu, but offered that night. I tasted a piece of her veal and found the one little taste a bit tough. The sauce, although it looked wonderful with a beautiful color, was rather tasteless.  That said, it was cooked just the way she liked it.  H.'s vitello al limone was very good according to him.  Again, my opinion of his veal was that it was just ok and the lemon sauce was bland.  R. had to send back his chicken Milanese because, even though ordered without any garlic, sure enough, the crumb coating was loaded with the dreaded flavor.  When are chefs going to "get it"?  There are other flavors in this world.  Anyway, it was replaced by vitello al limone which he declared "ok". There were a number of wood fired oven pizzas which we did not try nor see so I cannot comment.  There is a lunch menu as well as a take-out menu, but, again, no comment. 

We tried two desserts: a piece of ricotta cheesecake was flavorful, but too cold...oftentimes, when foods are served too cold, flavor and texture will be sacrificed. However, I will concede that ice cream can never be too cold!!!!  R.'s tartufo was very good: a dark and chewy chocolate shell enclosing a pistachio ice cream filling. (That should be cold!) Prices are reasonable, with antipasti, salads, soups, individual sized pizzas in the $6.00 to $10.00 range.  Primi piatti, pastas, ranged from $10.00 through $17.00.  Secondi piatti, (entrees in this country) on the regular menu ranged from about $15.00 through $20.00. 

So, would I go back to Casa Mia?  Frankly, I'm not running...

Fisherman's Wharf

337 East Indiantown Road     

561-972-6888