Reliable excellence is rare, but Boca consistently exceeds expectations. Chef/Owner David Falk conducts a masterful orchestra behind the famed red door on Sixth Street. Every meal is a symphony, and every note of the performance is planned and executed to perfection. You can’t talk about the restaurant without mentioning the pommes soufflées (spiritually ascended French fries). They demonstrate how elevated technique can serve up an astonishing experience, and these proud, puffed potatoes double as a homage to the long-lost Maisonette, a restaurant whose figurative shoes and literal footprint Boca has filled since the latter took over the former’s address.
Boca doesn’t rest on its laurels. The classics—like chicken with mushroom truffle risotto—remain as comforting and rich as ever, but Falk always leaves space for cultivated twists on trending dishes. Refined takes on popular flavors include the Corn Elote R.A.D. Cappellacci. This is comfort food dressed in finery. The pasta shapes the bite, but there’s no containing the filling’s brightness. The sauce plays on the sweet corn’s role at center stage, and the delicate heat from slivered peppers makes it a party.
It’s a challenge to save room for dessert when the menu whispers sweet promises of diver scallops, lobster bisque, and crudo, but it’s always worth the wait. Dessert is never an afterthought; first impressions matter but so do farewells. Again, the classics that made Boca famous, like the Candy Bar 3.0, will always make the heart sing, but if you haven’t stopped in for a while, go for a seasonal dessert.
The pomme d’amour looks and tastes like the dream of a caramel apple. Falk understands guests eat with their eyes first, and this dessert is a piece of art. The autumn fantasy hides apple namelaka flesh and a Dulcey caramel core inside candy skin. It’s an adventure to crack open and a delight to taste. It’s creamy without feeling heavy, and the blend of tart apple, lush caramel, and salty peanut clusters is immaculate. It sums up Boca as an experience very well: thoughtfully inventive, ambitiously designed, and always memorable…