Boca is now open in Downtown Stamford

Denise de Castro

11 years ago

Boca is the latest restaurant to open on the busy Bedford Street in Downtown Stamford. On the menu are Mezze, a selection of small dishes served in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Balkans. Chef Domenico Gurliacci has worked on the Boca menu since February, and what’s he’s created will have you coming back for more. There’s something on the menu for everyone – carnivores, vegetarians, pescatarians, and those on a gluten-free diet.

Fried Manchego

To kick off the evening, we had Fried Manchego with toasted almond slices and yellow pepper romesco sauce. Manchego was one of our favorite cheeses and this is the first time we had it fried. The cheese sticks were delicious, with the crispy shell and rich, nutty cheese. The romesco sauce complemented the cheese giving it a great flavor boost.

The Mediterranean Spreads Platter is a great item to try, especially when dining with a group. The platter comes with olives, stuffed grape leaves and beans and four delicious spreads – lemon hummus, spicy feta, tzatziki sauce, and olive tapanade – served with pita bread.

Shishito peppers

Another mezze we enjoyed was the Blistered Shishito generously dusted with fleur du sel. Don’t be fooled, they’re not spicy, so you can eat a plate of these wonderful mild peppers without breaking a sweat.

Other dishes we enjoyed were the Grilled Halloumi Cheese with a refreshing side of kumquats, cabbage, and sous vide beets and the Baccalao & Spinach Fritters with saffron and grapefruit aioli.

Grilled Halloumi

One of our favorite entrees was the Ricotta Gnocchi made with lobster meat, cream, shallot, mascarpone and chervil. The gnocchi is rich and delicious. There was so much lobster flavor in the sauce, and the flavor comes from the meat of the lobster, not from broths.

Ricotta Gnocchi

The Moroccan Spiced Lamb Loin chop was delicious. Perfectly grilled, the lamb was served on a bed of beluga lentil salad and topped with a baby white turnip and balsamic glaze.

After eating all that food, we still managed to save some room for dessert. Desserts are served in frosted shot glasses and presented on a tray. These beautiful creations can satisfy anyone’s cravings. From tiramisu to cheesecake, Boca’s got you covered. Our favorites of the 8 seasonal treats – Triple Chocolate Bavarian Mousse and the “Pana Colada”(panna cotta with coconut cream and pineapple jelly). The story behind the naming of the Pana Colada is amusing. Ask the chef when you see him.