There have been many exciting changes at Englewood’s Boca Royale Golf and Country Club, including the addition of JP Marcino, 39, as executive chef. Boca Royale features a number of dining options, all open to the public, and Chef JP has worked hard to modernize the club’s menus. A graduate of Fort Lauderdale’s Art Institute Culinary School, Chef JP hails from Venezuela and is of Italian descent. Both Italy and South America influence his culinary vision and style, and his 17 years of experience creating delicious cuisine for Florida diners have given him the range to satisfy palates from those who want American traditional fare to people who love food from around the world. Married to his wife, Elizabeth, for 15 years and the father of a 9-year-old son, Stefan, Chef JP knows our community and cooks for our tastes with care and excellence.
“After culinary school, I went into country clubs, retirement communities, restaurants like Seasons 52 and quality mom-and-pop operations from Port Charlotte to Fort Lauderdale to Venice,” Chef JP says. “I was gaining experience everywhere in Florida. Now I am back in the country club setting here at Boca Royale, which is a great venue for wonderful cuisine. I am most interested in raising the quality of food that I can bring to the varied demographics here at Boca Royale. We serve people of all ages, all tastes, from teenagers to very established, influential people who really know great food. I love that Boca Royale is open to the public, and I can cook for everyone. The pace here is fast and demanding. I have a lot of freedom to experiment and please people with my culinary ideas.”
Boca Royale’s main dining rooms are open daily, both with full-service bars.
“We have made drastic changes to our menus,” Chef JP says. “We are bringing fresh ingredients and scratch cooking to our tables. Everything at Boca Royale is now totally fresh, from our sauces, to meats and fish, to vegetables, everything on the plate. Fresh is what I do. When you eat my cuisine, you are eating the freshest food possible, much of it sourced from Florida.”
Chef JP sees his new position at Boca Royale as an opportunity to let his skills shine.
“Boca Royale is giving me freedom to restructure our menus at a price that is a bit lower for our area,” Chef JP says. “Even at a lower price, our ingredients are way above the rest. Boca Royale is a great building opportunity for me in terms of creating menus.”
JP’s dishes include shrimp primavera, duck a l’orange, haddock puttanesca and roasted pork tenderloin. On Friday evenings, diners can enjoy prime rib for just $22.
Boca Royale’s food and beverage director, Phyllis Muscatello says of Chef JP, “He’s so exciting because he’s in tune with what is happening today in terms of freshness and ingredients. Everything he does is homemade. We were looking to make this change. People want handmade food, fresh veggies and organic ingredients. JP brings that, and people can expect that here. He has modernized our dining experience.”
1601 Englewood Road, Englewood
941.475.6464
BocaRoyale.com