In this month’s installment of our Mom & Pop series we’re chatting with Angelo Abbenante, the great grandson of Lynora and owner of this collection of local Italian restaurants. Set to open his fifth location in South Florida in Uptown Boca next month, Abbenate is sharing with us his family’s history and what we can look forward to in the future.
Lynora’s granddaughter, Abbenante’s mother Maria and husband Raffaele immigrated to New York in 1974 from Ponza, a small island off Italy’s Amalfi Coast. In search of warmer weather they then ended up in Lake Worth and opened up their first small take out pizzeria. From that point on they’ve slowly expanded, but have always kept that mom and pop feel to each restaurant.
“The touch of a family-run restaurant is much different than a chain,” Abbenante says.
Abbenante and his brother grew up in the restaurants–working their way up from dishwashers to waiters and bartenders. Today, he visits every restaurant weekly alongside his brother and sister-in-law, and you can still catch Maria and Raffaele in the kitchens. Abbenante’s passion is evolving the brand, opening up the restaurants and putting the right teams together to support his family’s business.
Catering to all diners, from lively brunches with DJs and cheers-worthy happy hours to family dinners with out-of-town grandparents and executives with clients, Lynora’s has something for everyone. Plus the restaurants feel homey, something that Abbenante is proud of. The kitchen, pizza oven and bar are all connected; it’s an open concept that feels more like a home.
Abbenante’s favorites are the pasta dishes–all made in house daily. The Pasticcio is their take on a traditional lasgana that’s made with crepes instead of noodles. A recipe that originated in Ponza, this is a dish Abbenante remembers his grandmother making for him.
Home chefs can now also enjoy a part of Lynora’s at home with the recently debuted lined of Italian sauces that you can purchase exclusively at Whole Foods Market.
Lynora’s; lynoras.com; Locations in Boca Raton (coming soon), Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, and Jupiter.
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