Italian
 

Can anyone recommend a decent Italian restaurant in the Villages for lunch.

Depends on what you like. There's Carrabba's, Little Joey's, Luigino's, Olive Garden, lol. There are quiet a few.

True. Unfortunately, posts on all of them have varied from "great" to "terrible" so it's hard to recommend anything.

As far as chains go, I've never been disappointed in Carrabba's. Also, not a chain, Taki's is always good.

Some like Giovanni's on Wedgewood Lane. The first time we tried it I had gnocchi and hated it. Tried again making different selections and they were good. The last time was Spaghetti Aglio Et Olio & Anchovies. Loved it!

Giovanni's, The Villages - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor

I like Red Sauce - especially their 'carbonara'. They also do a good job with veal.

As an earlier post said tho', it seems to be very personal to taste and there are many likes and dislikes.

My vote goes for Little Joey's. Have never had a bad meal there. Consistantly good. Although it is not cart accessible. On 441 in the same center as Travern Red and the Sears store.

I always liked the food at Sears. Used to have a catalog taste to it. But no more. It's more like K-rations now. :icon_wink:

Skip

Another vote for Little Joey's - lunch or dinner.

You could get a tattoo while you are at it. There is one there in Baylee Plaza near Taverna Red. http://www.tavernared.com/home.html

We had a horrible Thanksgiving dinner at Taverna Red a few years ago. Never had their Italian though. We had heard rave reviews about Taverna Red. That's why we went there. Certainly did not live up to expectations.

Liked the Thanksgiving dinner at Red Sauce we had another year at that place a lot more. Their Italian is good.

Giovanni's has the best Italian in the Villages according to my taste but I do not have a very sophisticated palate.

Anyone been to Mom and Dads on 441 Lady Lake? They say they do home made pastas and have been in business 50 years.

No, just the name puts me off. I'm afraid they'd smack me in the head and make me clean the kitchen afterward.

Where did you go?

Stavros, 3223 US Highway 441/27, Fruitland Park

Belleview Pizza (cash only) and Pasta Faire on 441/27 in Belleview.

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Haha...actually the smacking in the head I can do without but I wouldn't mind cleaning up the entire kitchen if the food was good italian.

Giovanni's has a very good linguini with red clam sauce. Also their pasta Giovanni is outstanding. Ate there many times and the food is always consistent.

Belleview Pizza (cash only) on 441/27 in Belleview has delicious Italian food.

Tuesdays thru Fridays from 3pm to 5pm, buy one pasta dinner and get one free. The pasta dinners come in three sizes.

Giovanni's:thumbup:

I love Little Joeys! Stavros has been good. They say the pasta at Tierra del sol is good but it may only be dinner.

Come On A My House, I'm gonna give you everything!
 

Come On A My House, I'm gonna give you everything! I eat Italian every day at home. Oatmeal in the morning, it's Italian. Big salad for lunch, it's Italian. Vegetable soup for dinner, it's Italian.

But, seriously, I think when people say they want to eat Italian, what they really want is a boat-load of starch, cheese 'n' meatballs. That I don't do.

We went to Little Joey's but they were closed so we ended up at the Olive Garden. My wife had never been there and she wanted to try ti. It was a typical mediocre Olive Garden meal. Personally, I think that OG is overpriced and the meals I've had there have been horrible to mediocre but, she wanted to try it.

She had chicken scampi and I had a Pannini. Like I said, fair at best and the service is very slow

Olive Garden is NOT typical of Italian food. Best thing you can get at Olive Garden is their lunch special of soup, salad, and breadsticks. Anything else is not worth even ingesting (for the New Yorkers, that means eating).

I like Pasta Faire. It is a short drive and the food is consistently good. They also own Taverna Red but is Italian rather than Mediterrianian cusine.

I will let you in on a little known bargain. Not Italian but delicious. Go to Bonefish on 466. Sit at the bar. Have a Happy Hour priced drink. Order off of the bar menu. You can get two large soft Bang Bang Tacos plus one side for $5 on Monday thru Thursday. Delicious.

Don't like Red Sauce or Taverna Red. I love Carrabba's and Olive Garden isn't bad for a chain restaurant.

Not that everyone doesn't have a point of view but are there any first generation Italians that want to weigh in here?

I've been Italian for 69 years now. I have never tasted a red sauce as spicy as the one at "red sauce ". It's terrible . An Italian restaurant without a good red sauce is not one that I would recommend to anyone. Try Giovanni's.

Agree!

This is probably NOT on the menu, you must ask for Scungelli, we have had it several times and it was very good.......don't really care for their pizza, although it beats most in TV.......Loved Flippers Margherita Pizza, cooked tomato sauce (San Marzano), fresh mozzarella and basil.......

I went there and it was awful. The lasagne is not edible. The only good thing was the topping for the bread.

Carabba's

We had Thanksgiving dinner at Sakura, the turkey breast sushi was to die for...

Toscani's in Mulberry Grove seemed to be the most authentic that we tried.......they make their own Buffalo mozarella, etc.
When we were there I was able to get a great "caprese salad" with nice ripe tomatoes alternating with mozarella, basil leaves, etc. and drizzled with either olive oil or balamic vinegar, etc.

I'm pretty sure they came down from northern New Jersey......
If my memory is correct, they might be Sicilian.........

Olive Garden is not authentic Italian at all...........you can make better at home, believe me......it's not that hard. Tomorrow I'm making baked ziti al forno........with ricotta, etc. You won't find that in these chain restaurants.......and there is no lasagna like the lasagna one can make at home..........

We both had the various soups prior to our meal at Olive Garden.
My husband's soup tasted exactly like my minestroni.....but it was another soup............pasta fagioli. They were identical. Either the waitress made a mistake or they use the same exact broth, throw in basically the same ingredients and just label it differently......

No good crusty Italian bread was served. Just bread sticks.

Angelos on 441 in Tavares.

Carrabba's Herb-Olive Oil Dip
 

If you enjoy Carrabba's, here is a simple dipping oil for bread.....
Makes 6 to 8 servings........

(At Carrabba's, we sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the herb mix in a saucer, and add about 3 tablespoons of oil. At home, a single batch is more practical.)

When the bread comes to your table at Carrabba's, you are also served a dish of this herb-scented olive oil to dip the slices. It's a delicious ritual that many people would like to re-create at home, and now they can.....

1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil
3/4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/8 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
SLICED CRUSTY "RUSTIC" BREAD FOR DIPPING

Mix the parsley, basil, rosemary, oregano, granulated garlic, hot red pepper, salt, and pepper together in a small serving bowl.

Add the olive oil and stir. Serve with the bread for dipping.

This is from the "Carrabba's Italian Grill" cookbook...........

Actually, I never ever can remember my Italian father or his family putting butter on their Italian bread. ???????

Giovanni's !

belleview pizza was absolutely terrific. best pizza since I left new york 35 years ago

Mom and Dad's
 

As my late husband used to say, it was two visits in one; first and last

Giovanni's gets my vote. Florentine Lasagna and greek salad very nice!

Casa Mia, Italian Restaurant in Tavares
 

We tried Casa Mia an Italian restaurant in Tavares last evening. It's in downtown Tavares near the courthouse, about 20 miles from TV. The food was surprisingly good for Central FL. It's nice to discover restaurants away from TV especially during peak season where you can just walk in without waiting an hour and a half. Casa Mia Café -*Tavares Florida Restaurant - Home

When the hubby and I first arrived in TV 2 weeks ago (for the 1st time), we were driving around trying to find a place for lunch. Knowing we weren't going to go to a chain restaurant, we happened by Giovanni's and decided to give it a shot. We both thought the food was great.