This week’s bar: Assaggio del Forno

The scene: Rustic with stacked stone, red leather banquettes and mixtures of dark wood, the dining room at Assaggio del Forno immediately puts you in an at-home mood. The wood-burning oven just adds to the warmth, figurative and literal. Near the long bar along one side, there is a healthy buzz without sounding noisy. This former small-plates restaurant has been refashioned since it opened in February to a more traditional one-plate, one-diner style. But all delicious recipes remain unchanged, particularly in the salumi bar, where the chef shows off his own selection of house-cured meats.

The signature cocktail: A little bit tart and a little bit sweet, the Red Raspberry Martini ($12) comes with only half the glass rim sugar-laced to invite some experimentation. The macerated fresh raspberries levitating throughout the raspberry vodka only enhance the flavors.

Other drinks: With a full bar, the selections are endless, but for a tropical treat, try the Malibu Bikini Martini ($12). With Malibu rum, Stoli vanilla vodka, pineapple juice and a grenadine floater, it’s a vacation in every sip—without the little umbrellas.

Bar bites: The small-plate excellence remain with appetizers. Every night, there is a different polenta dish. On this particular night, there was a roast pork ragu atop the cream corn-meal polenta. The meatball sliders are more than the sum of their parts, rich in flavor and perfect pair of bites. For something more traditional is the small “Bar”gerita pizza with cheese and basil.

Deals: All appetizers are just $4 at the bar during happy hour, between 5-6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to close every night. During happy hour, house cocktails are $5 and house martinis $7. Bottled beer drops to $3.

Info: 3011 Yamato Road, Boca Raton; (561) 613-6460; AssaggioDelForno.com

C O C K T A I L

RED RASPBERRY MARTINI

8 fresh raspberries, muddled

3 1/2 ounces Stoli raspberry vodka

1 ounces simple syrup

fresh lime squeeze

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail tin and strain. Garnish with four fresh raspberries on a pick