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Florida Table Magazine / Dining Buzz / January 2010 / An Early Look at Customs House

An Early Look at Customs House

Here’s a few impressions on one of our newest and most interesting restaurants.

I had dinner last night at the new Customs House, former “Iron Chef” contestant Ralph Pagano’s eclectic, all over the culinary map Boca eatery. It’s a big place, lots of seats to fill, but it seemed to be doing a pretty good business, both in the bar and the downstairs “white tablecloth” dining room. (There’s also a more casual upstairs sports bar.)

It’s handsome space with plenty of dark wood, comfy booths and exhibition kitchen. In truth, it doesn’t look a whole lot different to me than in its previous incarnation as Old Town Tavern but it’s easy on the eyes and the noise level is easy on the ears.

The menu is huge and all over the place, from sushi and Chinese-Thai-Vietnam-influenced dishes to pizzas and steaks and Mediterranean preparations. It makes you wonder whether the kitchen crew and execute such a multiculti menu but most of the time they do a pretty good job.

You’ll have to wait for a full review in a coming issue of Boca Mag, but a few highlights: Arancini, basically deep-fried risotto balls stuffed with a bit of Bolognese sauce and cheese; porcini tortellini in a rich, luscious truffle-infused veal sauce; tender and tasty “Shanghai-style” rotisserie duck; and a textbook-perfect crème brulee.

Excellent service too from our very helpful and attentive waitress. This place is worth checking out.

FYI: Customs House, 10 E. Boca Raton Rd., Boca Raton, 561-347-9662.