Old World Italian Meets Hip Modern Eatery In Taste Of The Town

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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- Chef Louie Bossi is the man behind his namesake popular restaurant off Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. It is part old world Italian, part hip modern eatery. The 10-thousand square foot restaurant with seating inside and out has become a neighborhood hotspot.

In the piazza, dining al fresco, CBS4's Lisa Petrillo spoke to Chef Louie.

"My goal was to open a restaurant that was a foodie restaurant, where chefs can go on their days off, having people from Miami come up, so it feels like a real Chicago and NY restaurant where people are eating and having fun," explained Chef Louie.

In the kitchen, Chef Louie prepares two dishes he made at The South Beach Wine and Food Festival's Barilla Italian Bites on the Beach event.

The first is hand-pulled mozzarella.

"We're going to pull it until it's nice and tender and then stick it in ice water that is salted," he explained. He serves it with baby tomatoes and aged balsamic vinegar. He pairs it with their classic steak tartar, adds a truffle vinaigrette to the meat mixes, adds salts and fresh Basel.

"That's a beautiful thing," said Petrillo getting a taste of this delicious dish.

Chef Louie said he was thrilled to be back at the festival for his fourth year.

"We're really excited, we love Barilla Bites on the beach. It's an awesome event, everyone is top notch here, it's unbelievable," he said.

For his second recipe, Chef Louie seasoned up a 14-ounce aged ribeye.

"All of the steaks are aged in-house," said Chef Louie, who has been into culinary delights his entire life.

"I started making pizza as a kid and worked my way up through the ranks in the kitchen. I had no formal training. I just had a passion and desire and I just loved food," he explained.

Petrillo sampled a delicious piece of that 14-ounce ribeye with roasted garlic, aged in house 21 days.

"It kind of melts in your mouth," said the Chef.

"Yes, you think it would be hard to talk just after eating but I was able to right away because it's so tender and delicious. It's an incredible piece of steak," said Petrillo.

The Rigatoni Bolognese made with chuck roll and ground veal is another mouth-watering dish.

"You get the texture of the chuck roll and the ground veal, and the texture of the pasta," he explained.

"Yes, and it's al dente which I love and you get the sweetness of the meat and the sauce is to die for," described Petrillo after enjoying her taste.

Louie Bossi, in the heart of Fort Lauderdale, is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner and brunch on weekends.