Category Archives: Italian

Caprino’s Italian

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**** (4 stars)

Caprino’s is a much better restaurant than anything that has previously occupied this space. Run by Chef Stefano, who previously had the restaurant at the entrance to Summerport, and also has Stefano’s Grill in Dr Phillip’s Marketplace, Caprino’s strikes a balance between neighborhood Italian restaurant and sports bar.

The space is still the amalgam of Rialto’s ornate fine dining restaurant wrapped around a somewhat incongruous bar dotted with big screen TVs, but this serves the menu well, with its emphasis on combining traditional Italian dishes with sports bar food.

Whether your party wants wings, hoagies, pasta or pizza, there is likely something for everyone. And at the higher end, the beef is reportedly all prime; it and the seafood are butchered on site.

Our server was friendly and well-informed, and the service in general seemed quite polished for a restaurant open less than two months. On a moderately busy Friday night the kitchen was having trouble keeping up, which caused some service issues, but presumably these will be corrected.

The pizza is thin crust and has an authentic Naples taste to it. We tried two specials: the osso buco was heavily over-salted, but the lobster ravioli was well-prepared. Caesar salad is conventional and includes house made croutons.

Desserts are the same offerings as at Stefano’s Grill. The tira misu was generous.

Wine by the glass selections are somewhat limited, but there is a nice list of 29 bottles for $29 each, and also extensive cocktail offerings.

Chef Stefano was circulating throughout the dining room on the night we were there, and his hands on approach has certainly improved the experience at this neighborhood restaurant. So far it’s paying off with increased patronage.

Caprino’s Italian
7782 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
Ste 140
Windermere, FL 34786
(407) 500-3663
http://www.yelp.com/biz/caprinos-italian-windermere

Labriola Ristorante & Cafe

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**** (4 stars)

This is one of the best places for outside dining in the Magnificent Mile area, because the sidewalk cafe is actually a balcony far above Grand Street, so there’s no automobile traffic.

The usual pasta dishes are on offer, but we concentrated on appetizers, and loved everything we tried, particularly the zucchini blossoms, which were very lightly fried and stuffed with a creamy smoked mozzarella that was delicious.

The ricotta appetizer was also excellent, with fresh honey and crusty toasted bread.

Clams and mussels are served in a garlic laced broth that’s not too rich.

We also shared a pizza. The offering changes weekly, so your mileage may vary. We loved the authentic Naples-style crust, but didn’t care for the raspberry and onion based sauce on our particular offering.

There are some nice selections on the wine list, and the service was friendly yet professional.

Labriola Ristorante & Cafe
535 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 955-3100
http://www.yelp.com/biz/labriola-ristorante-and-cafe-chicago

Fresco Cucina Italiana

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**** (4 stars)

A long time favorite, Fresco has moved across the parking lot from their former location, and their new digs suite them well. Completely new, and yet with a comfortable rustic air, the space is pleasant and inviting.

The menu seems largely unchanged. Most important, my favorite salad is still on offer. The Chicken Salad name does this dish a disservice, as it is a complete meal on a plate, with grilled chicken atop mixed greens, and then succulent sautéed mushrooms on top of that, then the whole thing drizzled with balsamic. Along with a fairly vinegary ramekin of dressing, the combination is one of my favorite salads in town.

The meal is preceded by tasty Italian bread and traditional dipping oil with herbs.

Lunchtime service is quick and efficient, and the kitchen does a good job of keeping up, even though the new location seemed to have increased their business. Definitely a move up for them.

Fresco Cucina Italiana
Bay Hill Plz
7721 Turkey Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 363-5775
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fresco-cucina-italiana-orlando

Bongiorno’s Italian Deli & Pizzeria

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**** (4 stars)

This homey little counter service Italian place off the lobby of River View Plaza is a great spot for lunch or dinner.

The price for a ten inch pizza is great, and it has a very authentic crust such as you’d get in Napoli.

You can get any kind of pasta with any kind of sauce, but I haven’t yet found a combination that excites me, although the serving size is large enough for two or more.

I do like the Caesar salad, which isn’t tossed, but has a tasty dressing.

And the very best item is the garlic bread, a generous serving with lots of garlic butter, fixed in the pizza oven so the edges have a slight char.

There’s a pleasant outside patio where you can enjoy the view of the Trump tower–if you look straight up.

Bongiorno’s Italian Deli & Pizzeria
405 N Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 755-1255
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bongiornos-italian-deli-and-pizzeria-chicago

The Mango Tree Restaurant

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**** (4 stars)

We’ve been going here for the past twenty years or so, and the place has improved over that time, especially after the ownership change about four years ago.

Live piano music has been replaced by very pleasant guitar music, which seems to make the space a bit more intimate. Certainly the volume level is perfect, allowing conversation, yet providing a great listening environment.

The window into the kitchen seems a bit disconnected from the rest of the ambiance, but this really affects only the table right in front of it.

The bartender here is fabulous, and gave us one of the best bar experiences we’ve had, encouraging us to sample different exotic liqueurs and concocting drinks from scratch, the old fashioned way (pun intended). I will return specifically because of his great service.

The Mango Tree Restaurant
118 N Atlantic Ave
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
(321) 799-2600
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-mango-tree-restaurant-cocoa-beach

Cariera’s Cucina Italiana

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**** (4 stars)

This latest incarnation of Cariera’s (December 2014) follows several previous ownership changes under that name, and several names before that. But this is the most significant in the span of 25 year we’ve been going there, because the interior space has been remodeled from pizza parlor to fine dining restaurant.

From what we sampled, the new menu backs up this move to upscale Italian dining. Both the Caesar Salad and the Grilled Romaine salad were excellent. The Lobster Ravioli was better than at any of the Italian restaurants in Orlando where we’ve tried it. And the Chicken Picatta (which they made special because I’m not a veal fan) was also quite excellent.

Wine corkage is available and reasonably priced.

Service was extremely accommodating, and the manager is gracious and professional. I suspect this restaurant will give the other Italian places in the area significant competition, because the food is better than any of them, and is a fraction of the cost of the closest competitor.

Cariera’s Cucina Italiana
The Market Place
7600 Dr Phillips Blvd, Ste 12
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 351-1187
http://www.yelp.com/biz/carieras-cucina-italiana-orlando-3

Tartini Pizzeria & Spaghetteria

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**** (4 stars)

Stylish on both exterior and interior, Tartini serves up authentic Naples style pizza. The thin crust is the perfect combination of crisp and chewy, and can be slightly charred around the edge if you request. There’s an almost infinite combination of toppings available, including arugula, pesto sauce, and ricotta cheese for something different from the typical American pizza.

Even the bargain priced side salad is a generous serving, and there are some excellent pasta dishes.

A brief wine list offers an interesting three glass tasting option, and there are some intriguing beers.

Service is friendly and helpful.

Tartini Pizzeria & Spaghetteria
6327 S Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32809
(407) 601-2400
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tartini-pizzeria-and-spaghetteria-orlando

Piazza Rialto Italian Restaurant

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Five cheese platter

Interior

**** (4 stars)

Rialto has now become the restaurant this neighborhood needs. After a rocky first year, new management and chef have elevated this to an outstanding experience. 

This was always a beautiful space, far nicer than one expects in a small shopping center. Its versatile design lends itself to group meals, family outings, after work time at the bar, pleasant outdoor dining, and romantic dinners for two–quite an accomplishment all in one space.

But now the food and service live up to the environment. New additions such as a cheese platter of mostly French cheeses and a chocolate creme brulee dessert add an international flair, and there are also American offerings such as a buffalo chicken flatbread. But the focus is still on Italian food, with a variety of pastas and classic Italian entrees. The freshly baked bread was top notch, and we particularly enjoyed the antipasto salad, a creative combination of greens, prosciutto and olives.

The biggest improvement is the service. Our waiter, Anthony, was obviously very concerned that we have a great time, and we could see that to be the case with other tables and servers as well. The hands-on approach by management, who visited our table, is also a dramatic change. Clearly everyone is now onboard to turn this into a great restaurant, and we will happily return.

It’s nice to finally have a great Italian restaurant in our neighborhood.

Piazza Rialto Italian Restaurant
7782 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
Windermere, FL 34786
(855) 474-2586
http://www.yelp.com/biz/piazza-rialto-italian-restaurant-windermere-2

La Macchina Cafe

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**** (4 stars)

This is one of the better Italian restaurants in Evanston, despite the confusing name that makes it sound like it’s a coffee place. They do indeed have good espresso, but it really is an Italian cafe.

I tried two specials of the day. The first was the “artichoke fritters” which weren’t actually fritters, but lightly battered artichoke pieces deep fried. A better choice was the mussels in cream sauce. These were nicely done, and the cream sauce was delicious without being too heavy. A basket with two types of bread was provided, and one of them proved perfect for dipping in the leftover sauce.

There is a thoughtful list of wines by the glass, including many Italian selections, and the pours are generous.

A macchiato was the perfect way to finish off the meal.

La Macchina Cafe
1620 Orrington Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 425-1080
http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-macchina-cafe-evanston

Noyes Street Cafe

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**** (4 stars)

I really enjoyed my lunch here, and they were able to accommodate my limited time frame.

The meal includes a simple green salad or soup. I had the salad with balsamic dressing.

I chose the broiled fish sandwich, which was a nice serving of salmon on a good bun. The sandwich was accompanied by lettuce, tomato, cole slaw, pickles, cucumbers, tartar sauce and thin slices of carrot, so I had no trouble finding an interesting way of dressing it! There was also a large mound of hot, crisp french fries.

This was a good sized lunch, all fresh and quickly prepared, and I felt the $11 price tag was quite fair.

Noyes Street Cafe
828 Noyes St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 475-8683
http://www.yelp.com/biz/noyes-street-cafe-evanston