I realize that this post is very old, but last night was my first time dining at Cafe Vico. We went on the recommendation of someone who we value their food opinion. I ordered the lasagna. It was good, surely different and much more authentic to what you would actually get in Italy, however, I was completely underwhelmed by the restaurant.
Cafe Vico was also a featured restaurant on Check Please! on PBS so I was doubly excited to try the restaurant.
We ordered one of our favorite bottles of wine (Baby Amarone- $48), so that was great, but while the bread basket was warm and delicious, the garlic oil dip was frankly too pungent. Clearly, the Owner likes spice (as do I) since there is a bottle of homemade jalapeno cream for what I do not know. It was blow-your-head-off spicy.
We also ordered baked clams oreganata (dry) and an order of shrimp Fra Diavolo. Shrimps were cooked properly but the entire dish lacked flavor.
I wanted to order a caesar salad but when asked I was told they do not make their own dressing (Kens?) so why bother?
The lasagna's filling was of very tender beef and probably pork. The bechamel was tasty. The pasta layers were somewhat gummy for my taste and I like a bit more cheese.
Dessert was a platter of Bindi desserts that did not look pleasing. We ordered the tiramisu which I believe was homemade and delicious but then plated with Reddi-Whip.
Service was just fine as was the ambiance. There is music in the bar area that plays kitschy music (at one point I thought it was the hokey pokey). This is not an elegant place.
Total price including tip and tax: $150

Papa's Raw Bar- I love just about everything, but especially the conch chowder, fried rice with chili shrimp (not on the menu, and this is not an Asain restaurant), and the cracked and grilled conch. https://www.yelp.com/biz/papas-raw-ba...

Nawty Dog (lunch on the water). I totally love the shrimp po-boy. Ask for pickles and hot sauce https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-nauti-da...

Fish Shack. Total Dive. Like, no joke, total dive but fresh and delicious! https://www.yelp.com/biz/fish-shack-p...

Yakuza- Sit in the bar area - it has more vibe. Awesome sushi and Thai. I really love this place. https://www.yelp.com/biz/yakuza-moder...

Mizner Park area: I saw Talia's (i think it's a second location from the original on Dixie) is opening next to Mizner Pizza across from Lord and Taylor and next to Boca Skewers. The place was closed when I checked it out, but if it is the same, yum! http://www.taliastable.com/

Royal Palm Plaza/Downtown Boca Raton: Carpicci Gelato opened down the block from Chops and across the street from the new Mark apartments. It is fantastic. Definitely worth your $5 for a small cup. The owner is from Venice and really knows his craft. http://www.capriccigelato.it/

I actually had one at the Nauti Dawg in Lighthouse point. Came with banana peppers (? don't get that), but asked for pickles as a substitute and extra hot sauce. A real dressed New Orleans po-boy has shredded lettuce, mayo, pickle and hot sauce. The shrimp were plentiful, cooked perfectly, crispy and not greasy. The breading/fry was thicker than I normally would expect, but I really liked how it was seasoned and the crunch. The bread was good, although not great (it did not hold up well). The remoulade could have used a little more pizazz, but was respectable enough. Overall, I'd give this po-boy a 7 out of 10 and order it again. Bonus: you get a water view.

I purchased at Glicks several times. The first time was better than the last, and was truly one of the best briskets I had ever eaten. But, as you know, that sometimes happens. One piece of meat is better than another. They have a butcher on staff so you can ask for something specific.
I have also found that by custom ordering at Joseph's and Fresh Market, I can get whatever I want there too and I've had really good results from their meats.
Smitty's is another choice.
Are you smoking the brisket? You may just want to get a whole brisket, break it down into segments and then make different dishes with each one.

Visited a new place called Roots Italian Gourmet Kitchen on Federal Highway (next to Basilic) on the back end of Royal Palm Plaza. It was adorable. The menu online was filled with focaccia pizza and fresh mozzarella, etc. The menu for dinner did not reflect that, although they did serve delicious homemade focaccia on the table. Fresh pasta, fresh salad, bottles of wine for $10-20. Fresh gelato. The service turned out to be a seasoned waiter from many NYC restaurants that I used to visit. Check this place out. It needs more patrons. It is simply delightful. https://www.yelp.com/biz/roots-italia...

I like many dishes, but some of my go-to plates include homemade dumplings, meaty but not cloyingly sweet ribs, chow fun, moo-shu anything, shrimp w/ lobster sauce (big shrimp that pop flecked with pork, hot and sour soup that is not ridiculously filled with thickener and is truly hot AND sour, chicken dishes with spicy brown sauce and peking duck. Vegetable dishes that are not simply filled with carrot and broccoli.

I know plenty of places sell all of the above, but their sauces are very often pre-made and bought, not homemade. Their noodles and dumplings are frozen and pre-purchased as well. Their egg rolls.... the same. I know there are some contenders in Ft. Lauderdale, but I want it in Boca. Is that too much to ask?

I'd love some Nashville fried too, but omg. You gotta try Bon Chon Chicken. Each location has a little bit of a different menu, but honestly, for me, it's the spicy chicken wings that I crave. http://38thstreetny.bonchon.com/ Crazy, crazy addicting and good.

I've tried Silver Pond and my companion, my picky, picky husband, kaiboshed it because it did not have his favorites on the menu.... and honestly, they did not have mine, so we just never went back. I liked it, but it just wasn't the complete package. You would understand, being from Long Island too. There seems to be either really, really horrible Chinese or passable Chinese that caters to their own (ie: Duck King or Palace on Federal, I forget the name at this point, which is fine, but not what I am looking for) I hear you though, and everyone else who say it is delicious, it is just not exactly what I crave. I WILL give it another whirl around though, just because you said so. :) I'll tell you, I'd settle for a killer Chinese noodle house. The kind where they make all their noodles, wontons and dumplings in house, sometimes in the front where you can watch and they take pride in their sauces. I really think this request is futile. When I go up North, I ALWAYS ask my favorite places to come to Boca and set up shop. No one does though.... too bad. I really think they would gain a following.

Steamers- I make them too. (1 can of beer, couple stalks of celery, butter for dipping) and I love them. But you know, it's hot out and you want to grab some beer and steamers and sit outside with friends at a restaurant.... that sort of thing. That and fried clams (don't judge, but I love the strips) with a big bowl of chowder. Heaven.

Have you tried Sapphire in Royal Palm Place? I thought it was pretty good. And it is nice looking inside too. I mean, it's not Little India in NYC, but it is a good place to satiate your cravings. http://sapphireboca.com/ I also agree, low rent kinda place would be successful. Sapphire, when all is said and done could be $125 for two because I can never settle on just one dish. Pretty hefty price tag.

I'll try the coffee shop. Thanks!

I heard Hurricane Alley is good for a lobster roll but have not had the chance to go yet. I crave fried clams, but I actually love the strips - if they are fresh! We used to go to a place called Bigelow's in Rockville Centre in NY. I just wish there would be a real clam shack here. Steamers on a picnic bench. Chowder, fried clams, lobster roll and fries. A bucket of beers. Can you get better than that?

There are no real good bakeries out there in my opinion, the kind that you open the door and that wafting aroma of yeast and sweet. I'm constantly disappointed. I just want a philly fluff or a really delicious chocolate cake with buttercream.... I love a bakery that sells cheese danish and rye bread (sliced, only if you want them to).

I have gotten some danish style cakes at Caketory on Palmetto and Powerline, but they are always closed when I want to go on a Saturday because it is Kosher. It's pretty good. Joseph's Italian Bakery in Deerfield is ok, but again, limited variety; Cannoli and true Italian pastry/cookies. I love the french bakery in Royal Palm Place called Cote France. They make their own pastries, croissant and baguette.

I have now been to Casa D'Angelo several times so I can report back.

Perhaps I am getting special treatment- I am often comped a few app's and given a good table- but, for what I have ordered, the food has been outstanding. Fresh pappardelle was cooked perfectly with a rich lamb ragu. I've eaten perhaps the best veal chop I have ever eaten (and that includes those I have had at many fine dining experiences in NYC). When a dish says that it comes with wild mushrooms, expect true-blue fresh porcini, something many restaurants cannot or do not bother to seek out and get. Fried zucchini blossoms are perfectly fried, not greasy.

If I had to nit pick, I'd say that I like my food a tad more salted and seasoned with almost every dish I've eaten, but this place caters to Boca and the crowd is possibly the reason for that. Not that it is "old", but it's sophisticated. As with a recent 3 1/2 star review I read from the SS, I too might like my pasta a little more al dente (an angel hair pasta dish my husband ordered), but from now on, I would tell them (IMO fresh pasta will never have the same toothsome quality as dried). However, both of these nit-picks are not glaring enough to make me give anything less than a stellar review.

Desserts were homemade and delicious. (Flourless choc. cake, cannoli cream, biscotti, an apple torte, etc.) Cocktails were properly made and large. And if you are interested, this restaurant, while always packed with people, isn't a crazy scene like Trattoria (which I like too, just not as much). They honor your reservation and treat you as if you are the most important person coming through the door. Even on a Saturday eve, with loads of lively tables, the acoustics allow you to hear your party. Big, big plus.

So, basically, my take on this place is- go! It is delicious. It has a feel like Milan. The help is professional and knowledgeable. The tab is not cheap, but it is also not over the top. You can easily celebrate there or go for a regular friday night meal. And as for Ricky, he is actually from Italy and is adorable. He aims to please and he does a good job at it.

Since you said Boca, I'll give you just Boca, but there are threads for Delray that might be good for you too.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1004291

Breakfast: Another Broken Egg (North Federal); Breakfast Club (SE Mizner); Brooklyn Bagel (Federal)

Heading to the beach? Pick up a sandwiches at V&S (I recommend calling your order in first. You might still have to wait 15 mins to pick up, but that's better than 30 minutes on line. Order on the "hard" bread. Federal)

Lunch or dinner by the water? Head to the Waterstone Hotel on the intracoastal off Camino Real. You can also rent jet ski's from there. Killer fried calamari, loads of other stuff. You can linger there in the sun and no one will ask you to get up.
http://www.waterstoneboca.com/dining-...

Family at the beach all day and you in a meeting and just want to meet up for an early dinner? Head to either 13 American table (Emeril just did a spot on them) or Rebel House (great fried chicken), both on the other side of the bridge from the beach at the end of Palmetto Park Road.

Dinner: Tucci's, Nick's New Haven (clam pizza, Glades Road); Basilica for delicious Vietnamese (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1006439 on Federal); Burgers-Charm City in Deerfield is great and super casual, they are owned by Rebel House (above) so they also make a good burger too, or Zinburger near the Town Center Mall.

Mexican in Boca is not stupendous, but you can get a pretty decent, and kid friendly meal out of Uncle Julio's in Mizner Park, then head over to Sloane's for ice cream across the street.

West Boca has Zingers, which is deli. The pastrami is outrageous. Want a green drink? Apura is across the street from Zingers on Powerline and Palmetto.

Here is a somewhat recent thread that might also be helpful to you- http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1001...

Have fun!