The White Sangria at The Breakers\' Italian Restaurant is called a \'no-guilt cocktail\' by Nick Velardo, the hotel\'s director of food and beverage. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post)

This week's bar: The Italian Restaurant at The Breakers

The scene: The Circle Dining Room and the Seafood Bar get all the press, so if you're unfamiliar with the Italian Restaurant at The Breakers, you're not alone. "It doesn't get a lot of attention, and it really should," says Nick Velardo, the Breakers' director of food and beverage.

Located on the southern end of the historic resort, the Italian Restaurant is part of The Breakers' Family Entertainment Center, a secure, fully supervised space that's home to a playroom for toddlers, a big-screen movie room, an arcade, a small basketball court and an arts-and-crafts area.

But the real artistry takes place in the kitchen, where chefs produce brick-oven pizzas, pasta dishes and parmigianas of every stripe. The atmosphere in the main dining room, and in a smaller bar area, is warm and inviting, and guests also can dine outside in a lushly landscaped area.

The signature cocktail: The White Sangria, made with The Breakers' private-label wine and vodka rather than brandy. "It's like a no-guilt cocktail," Velardo says. "You almost feel like you're drinking a really fruity wine."

Other drinks: The Basil Martini, made with mint and purple basil grown in The Breakers' garden, is a delicious way to ease into the evening. To complete your meal, nothing compares with the Affagato, a scoop of vanilla gelato surrounded by espresso and Amaretto. (And wine lovers, take note: Almost all of the restaurant's wine offerings are Italian.)

Bar bites: Italian food is comfort food, says Anthony Sicignano, The Breakers' executive chef of restaurants.

"We just try to maintain that comfort but at a higher level, and let the flavors speak for themselves." Antipasti include the Mozzarella in Carrozza, oven-baked fresh mozzarella in a lemony tomato sauce; a heavenly Burrata cheese plate dressed with heirloom tomatoes and kalamata olives; and tuna crudo dressed up with shaved fennel and Florida oranges.

"It's not typically Italian," Velardo says, "but people are blown away by the quality of that tuna."

Hours: Open from 5:30 to 9 p.m. daily

info: The Breakers, 1 S. County Road, Palm Beach; (561) 659-8488; TheBreakers.com

T H E C O C K T A I L

White Sangria

1 bottle sauvignon blanc

6 ounces X-Rated Liqueur (passion fruit and blood orange liqueur)

2 ounces Grey Goose L'Orange Vodka

1 ounce Cointreau

Juice of 1 orange

Diced pears, grapes and orange slices

Sprite

Combine the wine, spirits and orange juice, and marinate the fruit in the mixture for 24 to 48 hours. Pour over ice and top each glass with a splash of Sprite.