Name: REVIEW: Incontro Offers Upscale and Outsized Italian-American Dining in the Heart of Coral Springs • Coral Springs Talk
Uploaded: 2024-01-25T11:59:17-05:00
Description: Incontro Italian Cuisine and Steakhouse just celebrated its second anniversary, yet I had never had a chance to visit before. My wife and I stopped by for a pricey but lovely meal.

By Han Okcuoglu

Incontro Italian Cuisine and Steakhouse just celebrated its second anniversary, yet I had never had a chance to visit before. My wife and I stopped by for a pricey but lovely meal.

I don’t think there’s a better location in all of Coral Springs. Incontro sits at the literal heart of Coral Springs, in The Walk, and the location is gorgeous. It’s in front of the beautiful fountain roundabout, with outdoor seating that stretches along a pleasantly lit and upscale area, with a dark wood interior that is very classy.

We got to pick the brain of the owner, Pedro Bitar, who has been a restaurateur for 16 years. He mentioned he recently hosted a 200-person wedding, including the ceremony. The restaurant’s interior is quite large, just like the size of the portions.

I usually go right into the appetizers, but the bread was that good. Pedro explained everything is homemade, including the pasta cut from a custom machine he purchased from Milan. Besides butter, the bread comes with sun-dried tomatoes softened almost into a paste and garlic cooked in the pan so they were tender but not crunchy.

Things took a slight turn when we ordered both the salmon and the beef carpaccios. The salmon carpaccio was so fresh, moist, acidic, and every mouthful was very good. The beef carpaccio, on the other hand, was bland. The difference was startling, especially when juxtaposed with the salmon. The meat was soft and clearly quality, but we almost wished the salmon carpaccio dressing or marinade had made its way to the beef one.

Prices for apps may seem high at $24, but like most things here, the portions are massive. It is easily double the size of some restaurants I’ve eaten at.

I’m a sucker for a good penne alla vodka. This had to be the single most unique and tasty one I’ve ever had. It’s hard to describe how pleasant, buttery, rich, and deep the flavor was.

Usually, my wife studies my face to see my reactions to our meals and vice versa. She looked at my face after my first bite, convinced I wouldn’t say I liked it because I looked at the plate so quizzically. If you blindfolded me and asked me to take a taste test, penne alla vodka wouldn’t be my answer. It didn’t have a lot of tomato paste and clearly used a bit of sweet cream instead of heavy cream. It wasn’t even the right bright pinkish color I expected. It was almost the reverse of regular penne alla vodka with a splash of tomatoes in a cream butter sauce. And I loved every second of it.

The specials change every two weeks, and after we were shown pictures on a tablet our waitress gave us, we decided to try the veal chop. We definitely had sticker shock seeing a $70 entree. Of course, the pictures don’t do the size justice because there is no way one person can finish this by themselves. It would make more sense as an order for two people and then have them split it.

The veal was perfectly cooked, thick, fried, and breaded. Bubbling on top were slices of premium mozzarella. Underneath was homemade spaghetti coated in the sweetness of house marinara. As my wife explained, this is Italian and American-Italian food. Very interesting.

Our waitress came back with the tablet to show pictures of the desserts. The pistachio and chocolate cannolis were delicious but not great. The panna cotta with diced strawberries and strawberry sauce was fantastic. It had a great texture with hints of vanilla, and it was an excellent nightcap.

Overall, the food is excellent; as long as you understand, you probably bought tomorrow’s lunch with the leftovers.

Incontro Italian Cuisine and Steakhouse

2752 N University Dr
Coral Springs, FL 33065

Hours

Mon – Fri
4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Sat – Sun
12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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Author Profile

Han Okcuoglu

Han Okcuoglu is a curious foodie, Turkish-American and resident of South Florida for over 35 years. He graduated from FAU with a degree in Information Systems Management. He also writes food reviews on various websites and social media groups. He loves to see new restaurants and mom and pop shops get the attention they deserve and flourish.