At Roots Italian Kitchen, don’t expect your typical ristorante. When you walk in, farmhouse kitchen walls welcome you with a pop of white bricks and rustic wood flooring, and the ceiling-to-floor windows provide abundant natural light.

Most of Roots’ ingredients are made fresh in house, and owners Yuri Kouzenkov and Chef Michael Latimore are committed to providing healthy, delicious food with at least one vegetable on the side. The Italian eatery is now open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and they certainly delivered an excellent menu during our recent visit.

The arancini bolognese reminded me of the heavenly antipasto that my mom used to make during holidays. I couldn’t get enough of the bolognese sauce that went with it, and ended up using it for my bread.

The chopped Italian salad had to be the most colorful collection of lettuce and vegetables I’ve ever seen. Fresh, ripe tomatoes mixed with perfectly hard boiled eggs mixed with a balsamic dressing made for a delicious appetizer.

For an appetizer we were offered three kinds of mozzarella and burrata. Can you say “triple threat”?

I have somewhat of a weakness for cheese (or anything involving dairy), but this didn’t just satisfy my craving for it. I truly savored every bite, the creamy burrata giving off the smallest trace of truffle oil, which is really all you need.

Risotto al porcini gave off just a hint of a savory mushroom flavor that didn’t overwhelm the dish. Chicken marsala, which can usually be a hit-or-miss entree, had a thick and tasty sauce that wasn’t too heavy, and we got our serving of vegetables, too: sauteed spinach. I had never seen yellowtail snapper prepared a la Francese, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the combination worked.

As dessert is my favorite part of any meal 85 percent of the time, I couldn’t wait to try the three different desserts prepared for us: cannoli, banana cream cheesecake and a classic tiramisu. The cheesecake tasted like a dream, and you can’t say no to cannoli when you’re eating Italian.

If you want no-frills Italian with a new and local flair, head to Roots and experience their new lunch menu for yourself.

Here’s what you can expect during dinner at Roots.

Roots Italian Kitchen
212 S. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, FL 33132
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Roots Italian Kitchen is open every day of the week except Monday. Friday and Saturday dinner is served from 5 p.m.-10.p.m.; Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday dinner is served from 5 p.m.-9 p.m., and each day they are open they serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 Olivia Feldman is a contributor for The South Florida Sage. Her favorite foods are anything that involves pasta and her mom’s cooking. When she’s not eating and drinking her way through South Florida, you can find her going to concerts, planning her next travel destination, and hosting her biweekly music show, “Back in Our Minds,” on Jolt Radio. You also can find her on Instagram and Twitter at @oliviafelds All images appearing in this post photographed by Olivia.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary tasting at Roots.