[As published in WPB Magazine Summer 2025 Edition.]
Ciao, Bella! If you haven’t yet dined at one of Delray Beach’s newest culinary attractions, you are missing out! Yes, I am talking about Gabriella’s Modern Italian, owned by restaurateur Frankie Brusco.
The place is stunning — a replica of an old Italian restaurant with a modern design. Classic wooden tables and Mediterranean hues in various shades of deep blue fill the interior spaces, while the courtyard’s fresh decor aims to evoke the feeling of being in Italy. And the food and wine? The innovative and modern interpretations of Italian cuisine are exquisite. The housemade pasta and rustic Italian cooking make for an unforgettable, authentic Italian dining experience. The ambiance is chill, with an open seating arrangement that inspires great conversations with your table and even those around it.
I met up with Brusco at Gabriella’s to discuss life, restaurants, Delray Beach, and his thoughts on the culinary industry. During my first couple of hours, I put my journalistic skills to good use and watched him interact with his staff. They simply admired him. My first impression of him when he welcomed me into Gabriella’s was that of an old-timer Jersey boy restaurateur. Still, I discovered that he had purchased his first restaurant, Patricia’s of Holmdel, in Holmdel, New Jersey, only ten years ago.
Industry Insight
“I had never been in the [restaurant] industry in my life before,” he said as we sat down in a corner near the bar, featuring an attractive, modern, minimalistic display of wines and cocktails. “I was visiting a restaurant with my children after coaching a soccer game. I went in there, and I had a bad experience.’ Not only once but twice in a row. At the same exact place, ordering the same exact food. One thing led to another, and I had an opportunity to purchase the restaurant, which I did on the spot. I was pretty gutsy,” he chuckled.
That opportunity led to another and another, and today, Brusco owns Gabriella’s Italian Steakhouse in Red Bank, Over Easy Kitchen in Holmdel, Marlboro, & Fair Haven, Madison Modern Social in Old Bridge, Jackson Square Pizzeria in Jersey City, New Jersey, and his latest dame, Gabriella’s Modern Italian in Delray Beach, Florida.
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Staten Island, Brusco made his business in the commercial printing space his whole life. Then, one day, he turned from one production space to another — from paper goods to Italian food.
“Since then, I have learned everything about this business, including what is involved in putting together a beautiful, phenomenal team. But let me tell you, this is not an easy industry. It looks great. It looks like a lot of fun. Very, very glamorous, for sure. But behind the facade, there are so many moving parts of this restaurant industry that you need to be on top of it all the time. You need to be incredibly organized, and you cannot be a customer in your own restaurant. There’s no drinking at the bar. You need to stay on top of the game.”
Brusco was here to work, he said, and he did just that. And being the perfect host, he invited me and my party to savor the endless Italian flavor at Gabriella’s. For starters, our table ordered the Antipasti: Firecracker Shrimp, which were spicy and tangy, and the Pork Meatballs — a delightful mix of textures, and melt-in-your-mouth delizioso!
If that was not enough of a feast, the entrees that followed burst with flavor. The Skirt Steak, accompanied by an onion and mushroom hash and smoked chimichurri with an added side of pasta, was a grilled sensation. The NY Steak, a 40-day, dry-aged steak, was served with a mushroom bordelaise sauce and a pasta dish in a red sauce, both of which were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The red wine we paired with the food created a pleasing meal experience.
After such a remarkable meal, the only thing left to try was the dessert menu. We ordered the traditional Tiramisu, and the tableside preparation was a nice touch, a growing theatrical trend in some restaurants, I’ve heard. Next to us was a happy group celebrating somebody’s birthday. Several servers rushed in with cake and flashy candles, and we all celebrated Italian style — a vibrant and energetic atmosphere that reflects Italy’s appreciation for family, friends, community, tradition, and the enjoyment of life.
At the beginning of our conversation, Brusco suggested that I try one of his most popular plates, the Frankie Famous. This includes three meatballs with romaine, red onion, cherry tomatoes, pecorino Romano, and red wine vinaigrette, but while it sounded fabulous, I didn’t have room for more. Still, it’s the perfect excuse to return to Delray Beach to visit Gabriella’s.
Gabriella’s Homecoming
As Brusco’s eighth restaurant and his first one out of state, he is delighted to be here in Delray Beach, he said. “The town and its people have welcomed me warmly, and Florida’s East Coast is a gem, attracting a phenomenal customer base.”
Although it is his first establishment in South Florida, it is not his first time in Delray Beach, he added with a chuckle as he recalled the “good old days.’ He came here as a child and, several years later, took a drive down to Delray Beach with his friends.
“A lot has changed in the last 30 years, but the truth of the matter is, I love the location. People think it’s up and coming. I say it came! It’s here! This town, the real estate, and the number of people in this area — it’s not as seasonal as people think. Many people now live here year-round, which is great.” After 90 days in business, Gabriella’s Modern Italian already feels like a timeless Delray Beach staple. She stands out, never still, just like her owner. When it opened its doors last March, the people came in and welcomed this fine Italian dame with open arms. For Brusco, whose parents immigrated to America from Italy on a boat and established a life on the Upper East Coast many years ago, it feels good not only to grow and expand his business down to South Florida but also to honor his heritage and his family’s traditions.
Authentic Italian Roots
“My parents had a great garden in our backyard. There were no lawn chairs, no pool, no Jacuzzis; there was strictly a garden,” he explained. “There were vegetables, vegetables, vegetables. I also have an uncle who was like a mentor to me growing up; very ambitious and aggressive in business. I learned that you have to take risks with anything you do. On a business level, I thought, ‘You know what?’ I feel confident. I love a challenge, and this has been a phenomenal challenge. And, as far as the culinary aspect, I felt very, very comfortable knowing that I do have family that’s in this business.”
There’s something about certain Italian dishes that reveals the authenticity of both the recipe and the restaurant. Gabriella’s meatballs — known as polpette in Italy — indeed bring authentic flair to the dish. Brusco explained that recipes can differ based on region and even individual family traditions, and Gabriella’s meatballs showcase the authentic flavors and textures of his family’s cuisine.
“We eat together every Sunday,” he said. “It’s all about family.” And that’s precisely what inspired him to start from the roots and create his first great restaurant, Patricia’s of Homedell, named after his great-grandmother. The restaurant initially had only 100 seats and later expanded to 240.
Gabriella’s Italian Steakhouse was also inspired by another woman in Brusco’s life. “The name came from one of his best employees who was working for him at Patricia’s of Homesell. She wanted to open up a restaurant, and they decided to try something new together — Gabriella’s Italian Steakhouse, his second restaurant in New Jersey.
With Gabriella’s Modern Italian, they decided to switch it up a bit, creating a hybrid between their two leading restaurants. One was a steakhouse, and the other was an Italian restaurant. So, they called it a modern Italian. And the name fits well. Gabriella’s is modern and delicious. Some of the dishes that are on Gabriella’s menu originated at his family’s kitchen table. One of them, in particular, is Frankie’s Famous. “I remember my mother sitting in the kitchen saying, ‘Let’s have some salad.’ So, we’d run to the garden, grab some salad, wash it, and set it on the table in a big bowl. We would grab a plate, place the salad on it, and then add whatever the next course was on top of the salad. There was no changing the dishes out and getting a new plate. My mother was like, ‘You want meatballs? Put it on top of the salad. Do you want chicken? Put it on top of the salad.’ That’s what we call it here, Franky’s Famous. But things like that were not even funny. It’s just the way we grew up.”
At first, people were hesitant to order it, Brusco admitted. Then, the curious ones tasted it and loved it. Now, Frankie’s Famous is the number-one seller at Gabriella’s in Delray Beach.
NYC’s Sixth Borough
As our conversation ended, I wondered why Brusco chose Delray Beach for his new restaurant. He could have gone to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, or any other coastal South Florida city, for that matter. Why this town?
“About three or four years ago, I came here and started walking around this whole area and realized there are a lot of people who know who I am and that I remember seeing at some of my other restaurants. Many people from New York and New Jersey reside here and there. This is New York City’s sixth borough! There was one time when I was in town, and I went to a Starbucks. So, when I went to pay, the gentleman told me, ‘Hey, that couple right there paid for it.’ I looked at the window, and I was like, ‘Wow! Those are the guys from Patricia’s. They have a seven o’clock standard reservation every Friday night.’ It was nice. Suddenly, I realized I felt at home here.”
It doesn’t hurt that the beach is just around the corner from Gabriella’s. Delray is beautiful, with excellent hotels and clubs, and the airport is a 25-minute drive away. There’s also a cool vibe in this town. “You can’t go wrong with that,” he said with a big smile. “That’s the reason I chose Delray.”
Great answer.