All Entries in the "Italian" Category
Restaurant Review: Pizza Uno
It’s not often that I’m frustrated with a name I know and trust in the restaurant business. I found a perfect example of that frustration in Largo’s own Pizza Uno (12561 Ulmerton Rd, Largo, FL 33774-3629, (727) 517-0111), a mockery of the name made famous in Chicago for awesome pizza and otherwise amazing food. For anyone who has been to Chicago and has tried the real Pizza Uno, you know that everything on their menu is excellent. The food is hot, fresh and plentiful. The atmosphere is jubilant, fun and welcoming. It’s a genuinely fun place to be. Then there’s Largo’s interpretation, a completely different experience all together.
We’ll start with the actual building itself. A little place with one table as the dining room is hardly the atmosphere I came to know and love from the Uno name. When you enter the small dining area, you’re immediately met with a counter, a bare wall and a bad attitude. Even when they are not busy, the three men in the background seem grouchy, either ignoring their customers all together or snapping at them when they go to order. I was immediately put off by their attitude and the dull and uninviting nature of the restaurant.
I decided to order a philly steak sandwich, as it’s generally universally impossible to mess up philly steak. Begrudgingly, the guy behind the counter took my order said, “Give me 5 minutes”. I sat down and waited. 17 minutes later, he arrived with my white carryout container with a sandwich in it. Never once did he ask if I wanted to eat it here, or wanted a drink. He simply assumed that this would be a to-go and sent me on my way. I accepted, as just being here was making me uncomfortable.
The sandwich was absolutely everything I hate about the fast food industry. Firstly, the sandwich itself was smaller than I expected. When I pay close to $10 for a sandwich, I expect a foot long with lots of content. What I got was maybe 9″ of sandwich with dried out bread, tough meat and a disguising layer of cheese which was fooling no one.
The included pickle had no snap, no crunch. It was warm and lacked much flavor. The steak, even after grinding it with my tough repeatedly, was difficult to chew. It was as if they had some steak left over from the night before and just tossed it into a hoagie. Overall, very disappointing.
While I’m sure they aren’t connected to the famous Pizza Uno, it’s important to note that so others don’t make the same mistake I did. Lousy attitude, lousier food and no bargain, Pizza Uno is largo is the kind of crap I avoid all together.
Restaurant Review: Grande Pizza Largo
Located stumbling distance from Wild Willys, Grande Pizza (13355 Belcher Road S, Largo, FL 33771, 727-530-4703) makes New York style pizza at a reasonable price.
When entering, it’s a stereotypical pizza place. Open view of the oven with a simple counter and wood paneling. Everyone is hustling back and forth, filling orders. A thin kid comes to the register, big smile on his face and I order. He tells me it will be about 20 minutes, but it’s out in 12 minutes. That’s service!
Since I was getting a pie for the whole crew, I went with a large steak pizza. Generally, steak pizzas can either be really good or really bad. Grande Pizza uses thick cuts of steak, not that crappy shaved steak stuff that philly steak sandwiches are often made of. The pizza is large and thin, a tradition in New York style pizza. The sauce is a bit spicy, not what I’d call hot, but a bit of a bite back. The cheese, while thin, is fresh and tasty.
Overall, it was a very fulfilling pizza for the $12 I paid for it. While I wouldn’t rave about it as the best NY-inspired pizza I’ve had, I’d say it was a decent value and a fulfilling meal.
Restaurant Review: The Laughing Cat
Along the 15th street corridor of Ybor’s Gaybor District, the Laughing Cat (1820 N 15th St, Tampa, FL 33605, (813) 241-2998) touts itself as “New Progressive Italian Cuisine”, a fusion of traditional Italian ingredients with new bohemian presentation. Their description lives up to the name, including hiring pseudo-jester waiters to bring out the food while the hustle and bustle of Gaybor street traffic remains clearly visible through the glass windows of the dining room.
The Laughing Cat is not a big place, probably just big enough to sit 10-12 tables comfortably. That said, they also don’t ever appear to be busy. I’ve eaten here a few times and have always gotten a table quickly. The waitstaff is jubilant, buzzing around blissfully, tending to your needs often and always quick with a quirky observation. Some may find this annoying, but I find it endearing and really like being here because the staff is so friendly and outgoing.
The staff brings out bread to our table quickly with our drinks. From the time we sit to the time we’re spooning butter onto bread is less than 5 minutes. The bread comes out hot and tender, a far cry from the bread I’m used to and traditional Italian places. When pulling it apart with your fingers, a puff of steam escapes rapidly. I wish I could have better captured how fresh and amazing this puff of steam really is, but take my word for it that you taste the freshness in every bite. It’s a nice change to see the butter melt in the bread instead of sitting there, waiting for me to consume it half-melted.
Another plus of this place in terms of hot and cold is how cold the drinks are served. They’re almost “hurt your teeth-cold”. You can see from this picture that steam and condensation overtake our glasses, as the chipped ice quickly cools our sodas.
Dustan ordered the Filet Mignon Cat Style, a hearty portion of Filet mignon sautéed with portobello mushrooms, artichoke hearts
and red peppers in a white wine sauce with fresh basil. At $40, this is not an inexpensive meal, but he continued to rave about it’s taste and quality. It’s a lot to take in at over a pound of meat is mated with so much cheese and other fresh ingredients. Again, it’s served so piping hot that you stand in awe as you wait to eat it.
I ordered the Insalata di Cesare, a Romaine lettuce Caesar Salad made with homemade Caesar dressing, parmesan
cheese, and cracked black pepper. While the salad was as simple as a Caesar can get, it was very flavorful. The dressing, chunky and rich, really drew out the power of the romaine and the parmesan cheese. Even without chicken or fish, this was a substantial take on a dinner favorite that I have eaten hundreds of times.
Kara had the Tortellini Genovese, a combination of Prosciutto sautéed with cheese tortellini in a pesto sauce and topped
with fresh mozzarella and basil. The prosciutto was pronounced and evident in every bite, shredded throughout the dish in a way that made each bite a sample of the whole flavor profile of the dish, instead of that constant hunt for the next piece of meat. The cheese tortellini, softened by the cooking process, was the perfect blend of firm but done. Tortellini can go wrong so quickly, but Laughing Cat pulled this off. Kara finished her plate quickly, continually commenting on how tasty it really was.
As we finished our meal, we all let out the “I’m full” grunt, knowing we had a long night ahead of us in Ybor City and Channelside. The Laughing Cat has been a continually reliable source of good food, good times and entertaining staff. It rides that fine line between classy and elitist, high value taste at relatively reasonable prices and nice atmosphere without being too preachy about it.
Restaurant Review: Bellisimo Ristorante
Last week, Courtney and I met her boyfriend at Westchase’s Bellisimo Ristorante (10102 Montague St Tampa, FL 33626-1856 - (813) 792-7879) for dinner. This restaurant offers mid to upscale Italian favorites are a reasonable price range averaging $15/person. While the dining area is relatively small, outside seating offers another 30 or so people a chance to enjoy the Westchase area’s upscale living.
Service was a little slow, as it appeared there was only one waitress working. She did come by to get our drink orders within about 10 minutes and she did come back every 20 minutes or so. I generally expect more refills, but I understand why she was busy, especially considering that most every table inside was full throughout the evening.
While waiting for Courtney’s beau, we ordered a double order of Garlic Knots. These were magnificent. While the bread itself was just fine, the real start here is the big chunks of fresh garlic and butter that they sit in. Unlike garlic powder or crushed garlic, these with quart inch chunks of garlic that had been roasted into the butter for an infusion that was hearty and overwhelming. I love garlic, and I could have simply drank the juicy goodness from the pan if it wasn’t bad table manners.
After the garlic knots came out, a side salad featuring raspberry vinegarette came out. It was standard fair, but the dressing was noteworhty. The sweet drizzle was pungent with fresh raspberry taste, bringing the flavor of the salad together.
Our entrees came within another 15 to 20 minutes. Here’s Courtney’s take on her dish first hand:
“I had the Chicken Francese. It was chicken that seemed to be cooked like battered fish. The chicken and chicken were cooked perfectly, but they seemed to be lacking flavor initially. The chicken is served with a slice of lemon on top. Once I covered everything with lemon, I felt the dish came together and the lemon took charge.”
I ordered the Chicken Sicilian, a combination of roasted garlic, mushrooms, artichokes and red pepper over a penne style pasta. It was flavorful and robust, especially the garlic. At this point, I was so overwhelmed with garlic from the knots earlier that it may have been too much, but I trucked on. The penne was cooked appropriately, just a bit stiff but definitely done completely. Artichokes, being a bit bitter, offset the garlic and the parmesan perfectly. It was a complimentary Italian dish, exactly as I expected. While this probably wouldn’t win any awards, I consider it a fulfilling meal for $13.
Bellisimo runs specials quite often, including $4 Spaghetti nights and beer specials. Even if you don’t like Italian food, I recommend going for the garlic knots. The only thing I can think of that would make them more perfect would be a red sauce to dip, but they were very good on their own.
Restaurant Review: Johnny’s Pizza & Restaurant
Good things come in strange packages, and gas station turned restaurant Johnny’s Pizza & Restaurant (3001 28th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33713-2604, (727) 323-3919) is a fine example of that principle at work. To look at Johnny’s, you wouldn’t assume much. From the outside, it looks like a carryout place that used to be a gas station, and it is. From the inside, the hustle and bustle of a diner is apparent in everything you see. On the surface, there’s nothing classy or proper about it. Then the food arrives and you’ll find yourself blown away.
I knew about Johnny’s from one of my clients who ordered us in a Greek Pizza during a meeting. It was nothing short of amazing. I knew I had to try it in person. At another meeting, she and I and another business associate decided to go there and do Johnny’s right.
We showed up around lunch time on a Saturday and the place was packed. There were people standing around picking up to-go orders and most every booth was filled. Everyone seemed pretty pleased, and other than a bit of slow service on refills I would agree with the sentiment. The waitstaff was complimentary, attentive and sweet all while juggling a dozen or so tables full of people. I’d say considering all of that, they did a good job.
Our food order took about 40 minutes, a bit longer than I expected. Jeanette ordered the roast pork and Thomas ordered the roasted lamb, both low-cost specialties under $10. I decided to take on a large Greek Pizza, the same as I had tried before. I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat it all, so bringing it home to enjoy over the next few days was the most logical decision. I’m very glad I did. I’m only miffed that I didn’t take advantage of their “Buy 1, get 1 half price” pizza deal, as this would have been a great meal to keep around all week.
The thing about Johnny’s Pizza is that you get something more than just a pizza. The Greek is a fine example of this, being based on a white sauce and covered in spinach, gyro meat, feta, tomatoes, onions and pepperoncinis. The pizza is piled thick at probably 1″ from crust bottom to bubbling cheese. While I’ve had a lot of Greek pizzas with feta and the vegetables listed above, very few take it the extra step with the gyro meat. The crust is a bit crunchier than I like, but the pile of toppings more than make up for any misgivings I may have for the base. This pizza is a bargain too, with the large being under $20.
Thomas continually commented on how great his lamb was. He pulled me off a piece (with his fork, it was that tender) and it was truly melt-in-your-mouth magnificent. They cover it (and the accompanying potatoes) in this red sauce that is a bit spicy but incredibly flavorful. This may be the best lamb I’ve had outside of a Greek community. Leaving the bone in adds to the flavor and the portion size is outstandingly large. Once you throw in the corn on the side, the meal is overwhelming in scale and flavor. Everything a restaurant can do right with a lamb dish was done right here.
The roast pork was made with the same care as the roast lamb. It’s slow roasted in a way that keeps the pork intact until you hit it with your fork and then it begins to come apart. Very little knife work is required to break the pork down. Jeanette also commented about the quality of the pork and my confirmation bite supported her claims. It really was exceptional Greek-style roasted pork.
Johnny’s has a lot to offer at a bargain diner price. Since it’s so close to this client’s office, I’ll be heading there again in the future to try more of their roasted meat specials.
Restaurant Review: Not Your Average Joe’s Pizza
Joe Redner continues to expand his empire, this time into the pie making business. Opened last month, Not Your Average Joe’s Pizza (2038 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa FL) serves up big slices and big pies for a reasonable price. The building, located next to Mons Venus, was once a Taco Bell and it still looks like it. The shape and colors are very much Pizza Hut, but it’s being formed. Shannon Adams, one of the girls who works at Mons is in charge of redecorating and she’s taking a punk-rock approach to it. Expect wild colors, customers writing on walls with a Sharpie marker and plenty of attitude to match.
Everything is made fresh daily and it shows in the flavor of their pizza. Dough is hand tossed as it’s ordered. Sauce is made daily in batches. They use the freshest cheese and ingredients. The special is two big thin slices of pepperoni pizza or cheese pizza and a soda for $7. This isn’t a bad price considering the slices are pretty big. They are served New York style, thin with minimal sauce and cheese, cooked hot and fast to a crisp crust.
The pizza itself looks like it’s going to be greasy and gut wrenching, but it’s actually a lot more flavorful and clean than I expected. The pepperoni is plentiful, the crust crispy and the sauce tangy and supple. It’s comparable to a lot of the New York pizzas I’ve had in the past, and the slices are big enough to fill.
If you need to feed more people or want something special, they make pizzas bigger than any I’ve ever seen. This one, the Gigantor, is over 2 foot across and a bargain at $20. Since they’re all made thin, the pizza cooks quickly and leaves that perfect crust that New York is known for. Specialty pizzas including steak are available as well.
Restaurant Review: Spaghetti Warehouse
Located in old Ybor City in a building that is older than most of Tampa, the Spaghetti Warehouse (1911 13th St., Tampa, FL 33605, (813) 248-1720) is a courtyard with a view with decent new-school Italian food inside. The price price point is affordable, the layout and furnishings quaint and the atmosphere dark and archaic, a symptom of and a tribute to the relic of a building it’s based in. When you walk in, you’re met with a mix of new and old. The new, a refined bar with fine woods and shelves upon shelves of liquor almost seems out of place against the brick backdrop. The old, cobbled brick floors and walls with tin signs and other remnants of days gone past are all in their place, a bit of dust on each one to keep the authenticity.
The service is decent, though it seems like they don’t always know what’s going on. Several times, I saw waiters breeze past us looking for a table that wasn’t there or bring out food to the wrong side of the restaurant only to run to another place with it. That said, they were prompt with our requests and their attitude and presentation was suitable. Another noteworthy compliment is the size of their glasses and how often they filled them. I ended up drinking 6 of these large (probably 32 oz) waters while I was there. It was a very hot day and they kept the drinks coming.
As is the tradition with Italian Cuisine, we were bought out a loaf of bread and butter to share with our meal. The bread was a little crunchier than I like in Italian Bread, forcing enough pressure applied with the knife to cut the bread to also smash it. The taste was appealing and as expected, with the garlic and chive butter being the star of this introductory dish.
Our orders arrived in about 15 minutes, starting with Kara’s salad and then mine shortly after. Her entree made it last, but it was all within a few minute span so no lost points for delivery time. Her salad was typical side salad fair, made of fresh lettuce, tomatoes and red onions with croutons and french dressing thrown in. Kara remarked that it was tasty, but “just a salad”.
When Kara’s Chicken Alfredo arrived, she made me try it. It was good, but a bit too cheesy for my tastes. The alfredo sauce they use is far cheesier than creamy and it’s a thick and chunky concoction, bordering on being too much. Kara liked it and finished it quickly.
I went with the Chopped Salad, Warehouse Style. CHOPPED SALAD “WAREHOUSE STYLE”. This mix of Fresh greens, grilled chicken, smoked bacon, pepperoni, Genoa salami, bleu cheese and sautéed mushrooms tossed in a Parmesan basil vinaigrette was pretty hearty even for a dinner salad. It comes topped with marinated Roma tomatoes. While the chicken was a little dry, the strong tastes from the salami, blue cheese and vinaigrette made up for it. This is one of those salads that you find yourself eating and realize that you’ve actually been cherry picking all of the “Good stuff” out. Within a few minutes, I had lettuce covered in vinaigrette with little shards of other bits in it, but the bulk of the meat and cheese was gone.
Our total meal was around $25 and we were in and out in about an hour. While this isn’t the kind of place I’d rave about, I’d say that it was a good meal if you’re on a budget and want some hearty Italian food. It will never replace the mom and pop Italian kitchens that I love and crave, but I’d imagine it would be a good lunch or dinner spot if you’re in a hurry and want something that will stick to you for a while.
Restaurant Review: Primo’s Pasta and Ribs
A bad economy and a lack of snowbirds has left Primo’s Pasta and Ribs (3580 Ulmerton Rd, Clearwater, (727) 573-7656) a desolate place. Dereck and I went there for dinner earlier this week and we were the only patrons at 6PM on Sunday. The restaurant, one that has signs of once being a busy place, was down to a bartender and a cook. It was sad really, as I recognize the Primo’s name as one I associate with pretty good pizza.
When we walked in, we first noticed how incredibly hot and muggy the place was. If they had air conditioning, they weren’t running it. We decided to brave on anyway. After waiting a few minutes at the front, a frazzled looking guy came from the back and said, “I’m the only one here. I’ll be out in a minute.” We took that as the cue to seat ourselves.
The dining room is what you’d expect in a family restaurant, not too fancy but not fast food sterile either. There were a few niceties, such as the large skylight in the middle of the room that lit everything up even with the lights off. There were accents of dark woods throughout the room and, aside from the heat and humidity, it was pretty comfortable.
Once the cook came out, he apologized for the wait and came quickly with drinks. He could see that I was sweating like a pony from the heat, so he came out with another round while we looked over the menus. I noticed all the prices were pretty reasonable, so I decided to go all out with the Ribeye, one of their most expensive plates at only $18. Dereck decided on the appetizer plate which included breaded shrimp, cheese bread, cheese sticks and chicken fingers.
While the food was cooking, I took in just how empty the place was. I could hear the soft rock station playing clearly because it wasn’t drowned out by voices. It was almost eerie, not hearing clanging in the kitchen or orders being taken. It really had me worried. Dereck took this as an opportunity to go have a smoke.
The first round of food, bread and my salad, came up in about 10 minutes. There wasn’t much noteworthy about either dish. The bread was in that strange state between soft and hard that bread gets when it’s produced, allowed to cool and then warmed again. The knot shape made for good presentation, but it wasn’t anything worth ordering. The salad was much the same, with lettuce that was on the verge of wilting and salad dressing that was uninspiring. The lettuce was sweating profusely in the heat, leaving me with a salad that was water logged and relatively tasteless.
After 10 more minutes, our entrees showed up. Dereck’s looked pretty good and he confirmed this sentiment. It looks like typical bar food and he seemed to enjoy it.
My Ribeye came out and it both looked and tasted pretty good. I ordered it medium rare and it came out a little more well done than I like, but all around it was what I would expect in a ribeye. It was unseasoned and obviously had not been aged, but for a fresh cut of meat, it was acceptable. The meat was actually a good indicator of Primos as a concept, a little overdone but acceptable.
The potato that came with it, lacking bacon and dry, was lackluster as well. Instead of a cheddar cheese, they used a mozzarella which didn’t help the cause. I spooned out the hot insides, filled it with butter and sour cream and chipped away at it. Acceptable, but nothing stellar.
All and all, I guess I can see why Primos was so empty. It’s in a great location (on a busy section of Ulmerton road) and the prices are fair, but it’s nothing to write home about.
Restaurant Review: Antonios Pasta Grille
After a glowing recommendation from my friend Pam, I decided to check out Antonio’s Pasta Grille (2755 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater, FL 33762) while I was out in Clearwater the other day.
The restaurant itself is very much “Every Day Italian”, a clean and traditional looking place that isn’t fancy but is very welcoming. The waitstaff is friendly and we were seated quickly. For a big guy like me, I found myself very comfortable in the booths. I imagine that knowing their clientele’s eating habits, they plan for plenty of big guys like me to frequent their establishment.
With a few minutes of being seated, our drink order came out with a serving of bread. The bread itself was a little harder than I like, but it was more than made up for by the garlic infused pesto that they serve. Oil mixed with a combination of parmesan cheese and herbs makes every bite of bread taste like I was touring the Old Country. I normally tell people not to fill up on bread, but this combination makes it hard to resist.
The bread course was followed by a salad course, a delightful side salad with thick cut vegetables throughout. The salad was actually unnecessarily fancy with cheese and pepper ground at the table. By the time I finished the salad, I was actually feeling myself getting full before the main course even arrived.
Kara ordered the Tortellini Con Prosciutto, a dish of cheese filled tortellini, sauteed with mushrooms, peas and prosciutto ham in a Parmesan cream sauce. If decadence could be purchased in so few words, this would be it. Talk about creamy and rich. I only had a few bites before I was overwhelmed by it’s richness. This is truly a dish only for those who really enjoy hearty, cheese-filled foods and the heat of prosciutto.
I had the Pork Chops Roma, which was a mix of hits and misses. Served in a bowl, this is a grilled bone-in loin chops topped with sauteed spinach, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and fresh diced tomatoes finished in a shallot garlic lemon butter sauce and served over Parmesan creamed potatoes. The hits included the sauce, a slightly tart but delicious drizzle that seemed to make it’s way into every bite.
The artichoke hearts were by far my favorite part of this dish, lightly grilled and tender. The spinach was a slight miss, being a bit too wilted and flavorless for my tastes. The only disappointment was the pork chops themselves, dry and hard. I admit I’ve been spoiled by amazing pork chops at places like Carmines, so I wasn’t expecting any miracles here. Overall, the dish was satisfactory even if the star of the show was sub-par.
As a whole, Antonios represents good value, good service and better than average taste. It’s a place you could take your whole family or a first date and you would be just as satisfied.
Restaurant Review: Paisanos Pizza N Pasta
I’ve been on a real pizza and pasta kick lately, so I decided to have a business meeting with one of my clients at Paisano’s Pizza and Pasta (6000 4th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33703, 727-521-2656). Paisanos is known for their excellent Italian Buffet, so I decided to make this an opportunity to try everything they offered.
The building itself is a bit difficult to find if you’re not aware of where it is. It’s on a busy road running into St. Pete and I passed it a few times before finding it. Once I found it, it was packed. This was a Wednesday night at 6PM and every parking spot was full. Any place that is that full on an average week night has to be doing something right.
I walk in and am immediately seated. Despite being very busy, they were accommodating and friendly. After a moment, the rest of my meeting showed up and we all headed to the buffet. At $8.00, it’s a bargain. All of the food is prepared fresh and nothing is left out to get leathery or stale, as I’ve seen in other buffets.
All of the food I tried was better than average. For my first plate, I tried buttered noodles, stuffed shells, pepperoni pizza, eggplant parmesan and a bread stick. The buttered noodles were good, if only a bit too oily. The stuffed shells were excellent. They tasted like the ones my grandmother used to make, stuffed with cheese and with a thick red sauce. The eggplant parmesan was my favorite thing. During following returns to the buffet, I ended up eating more egg-parm than anything else. The breadsticks were uninspiring, but it was mostly because I was getting full by the time I got around to eating them.
The pizza was quite good. Even after having my fill at the buffet, I ordered a Philly Steak pizza to go (which was eaten over the next few days).
Paisanos is definitely the best pizza buffet that I’ve tried since I moved to Florida. The price is reasonable, the quality of food is on the better side of average and everyone was very friendly and helpful.