Florence’s Veal Francese
I had not been to Florence’s since the 1990’s, when it was in a completely different Merrimack location and founder, Florence Foti, also had a Boston restaurant. Since Florence’s reopened (with daughter Florence at the helm) in the current location on the Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack, NH, I have intended to get back there, but it hadn’t happened until now.
My mistake. I have been missing a tremendous gem of yummy authenticity.
This is my new favorite Italian restaurant in New England. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable. Service is friendly and they immediately make you feel welcome and like family. Food is prepared to order and totally fantastic.
With a group of friends, we had a most splendid dinner. Salad is served family style with the three house dressings, which include poppy seed, balsamic, and Italian. Everything was fresh and beautifully presented. We enjoyed linguini and ziti pasta, homemade and perfectly cooked. One of our friends enjoyed the gluten free pasta with a nice Bolognese sauce. The marinara sauce is also perfect.
I tried one of my favorites… Veal Francese. Tender, light, and topped with sliced mushrooms, with its buttery lemon sauce, this dish is totally melt-in-your-mouth yummy.
There are so many wonderful specialties and classic entrees on the menu, it was hard to decide what to try. If it’s an Italian favorite of yours, it’s probably on this menu. We will most definitely return… again and again!
We also managed to taste some dessert. They offer classics like Tiramisu, Tartufo, Spumoni, Crème Brulee, and Cannoli. Chocolate fans will adore both the Chocolate Lava Divine and the Chocolate Layer Cake, which is supremely dark and decadently moist, thanks to a thick layer of what seemed to be a dense mousse. Awesome.
They are closed Sunday and Monday, but get there any other evening and indulge your taste buds! They also have a function room for 50-100 guests.
