"We’re not new to the restaurant business, but you know, we’re zero percent Italian."
Chef Michael Velicu and his son, Daniel, have built careers on opposite sides of the food and beverage biz.
Michael — who trained with the likes of Jacques Pépin, André Soltner and Alain Sailhac at The French Culinary Institute in New York City — was the chef/owner of the popular Mediterraneo restaurant in Ridgewood, N.J. Daniel held management positions at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria and the Conrad Midtown as well as with Hilton Hotels, where he was the director of catering and events.
But now, the dad-and-son duo have combined their talents in Medi Terra, a restaurant in Boca Raton that features dishes from the coastal areas of the Western Mediterranean — Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Having replaced the former Ristorante Sapori, at the dining/shopping/entertainment enclave Royal Palm Place, it quietly debuted under the new moniker on Nov. 1 and has 54 seats inside, 30 outside and a small bar.
Read more at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel