Source: Amante’s

Reported By: Matthew Kennedy

For more than a decade, Amante’s was a neighborhood institution in Deerfield Beach, a place where co-owner Bob Amante served up soulful Italian-American fare and New York–style pizzas that felt like a direct import from the Bronx. From 2006 until its closing in 2019, the restaurant was as celebrated for its food as for its old-school warmth and family-driven hospitality. This October, Amante’s will return in an expanded and reimagined space at 2009 NE 2nd Street, just steps from its original home—ushering in a new era while staying true to its roots.

The new Amante’s arrives at a milestone moment: the Amante family’s 50th year in hospitality. Husband-and-wife duo Bob and Cristina Amante, along with their son Nunzio, have joined forces with Eddie and Christina Pozzuoli of P Hospitality Management to bring the restaurant back to life in a setting worthy of its legacy.

The partnership feels almost destined. Like the Amantes, the Pozzuolis are an Italian-American husband-and-wife team whose roots in hospitality run deep. Eddie, who recently relaunched the storied Tavolino as Eddie & Vinny’s Coastal Italian, recalls that their first meeting with the Amantes quickly led to shared plans:

At the heart of Amante’s revival is the same extensive menu that once made it a Deerfield Beach landmark. Bob, who learned to cook at home and perfected his craft in the Bronx, serves dishes that feel both nostalgic and timeless: fried calamari, eggplant rollatini, Italian sausages with broccoli rabe, lasagna, veal parmigiana, chicken scarpiello, and seafood favorites like snapper Francese and linguini alla vongole.

And then there are the pizzas. Using the same oven and mixer he has worked with for decades, Bob continues to craft pies that balance tradition and personal flair. Specialty offerings include The Bianca with ricotta and mozzarella, The Amante with broccoli, spinach, garlic, and mozzarella, and a classic Margherita with fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Pizzas will be available both for dine-in and through a speakeasy-style rear door for takeout, complete with its own neon sign—Amante’s in the front, Bob’s in the back.

The new Amante’s spans 4,000 square feet, uniting two former storefronts into a single airy restaurant with seating for nearly 200 guests. The design nods to its past while embracing a lighter, modern aesthetic: part of the ceiling woven with Italian flag–inspired canvas straps, an open kitchen lined with white subway tile, and expansive windows and nano-doors inviting South Florida sunshine inside.

The layout includes a private dining room for up to 40 guests, a bar that flows between indoors and out, and an eastern-facing patio with seating for 50. The design ensures that while the setting is refreshed, the spirit of conviviality that defined the original Amante’s remains intact.

With its reopening, Amante’s reclaims its place as a cornerstone of Deerfield Beach dining. It’s a story of family, heritage, and resilience—one that spans five decades and now enters a new era shaped by both tradition and reinvention. For loyal patrons and newcomers alike, October’s debut promises not just the return of a beloved restaurant, but the continuation of a community legacy built on hospitality, flavor, and family.