Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

;D

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Hey Jan,
You live here full time, you have to tell us!! LOL ;D

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Govanni's in Southern Trace is GREAT as is Little Joey's Baily Plazza :#1:

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

We like Dominic's... Good food, good pizza, good service, friendly bar... perfect on a hot summer day..!

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

In Leesburg, Naples is among the better Italian restaurants.

Enjoy. :bigthumbsup:

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

My preference is for the calamari at Giovanni's over Little Joey's. For caesar salad, my preference is Isabella's. Although Isabellas is not Italian per se, it is mediterranean and has a variety of Greek, Italian, Spanish tapas, etc.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

giovanni's in southern trace, dominics in sumter landing, mom's and dad's in lady lake(delivers to villages via go go gourmet)

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

I always liked Augustines. Unfortunately it is gone. Dominic's had very weak marinara sauce and tough sausages. Never went back.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

The concensus among us Italians is the Naples Resturant in Leesburg.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Opbob,

:agree:

Oh, no.. now the secret is out!

However, I hope eveyone has a chance to enjoy the great cuisine and reasonable prices at Naples. :bigthumbsup:

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

NAPLES IN LEESBURG BELLA LUNA IN OCALA :bigthumbsup: :bigthumbsup:

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

My 2 favorite Italian restaurants are Giovannis in the villages and Little Joey's on 27/441

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

We've never tried Naples yet will have to do that! Augustine's was the absolute worst food I have ever had, we even gave it a second and third chance and each time it was horrible. Prego out of a jar was better. We have never had a bad dinner at Dominics and have eaten there many times. Their garlic bread twists are to die for. Svc. has been slow a couple of times but I think like many restaurants in the Villages turnover of help sometimes leaves them shorthanded. Giovannis is pretty good, Little Joey's is good value nice place but Phil's in Belleview (suddenly gone) was wonderful!!!!

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

javascript:void(0); with Frank. I vote for Naples!
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Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Thought Dominics was very average food while the price seemed anything but average, i.e. high for the quality of food. I have only been there once though.

I like the little pizzas at Katie Belles. Anyone else like those? They seem reasonably priced too.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

???Really good Italian restaurants ??? Maybe Carrabbas comes close. Why aren't there any restaurants that have real Italian bread? Most of the breads are soft, like hot dog rolls, and smothered with garlic and oil, so you don't notice they're not really Italian breads. But, Hey, this is not New York, or Philly, so you take what you can get.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Naples is probably the best around. Delicious food, large portions, and good service. It can't be beat. Giovanni's is good if you want to stay local.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Had the chicken cacciatore at Olive Garden in Ocala on rt 200 yesterday. Very rich marinara sauce and a great tasting piece of chicken encrusted in a tasty shell. Great salad and bread sticks.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Isabella's was about the worse overpriced food I ever ate. Of the ten at our table all agreed to never go back.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Try Pasta Faire on north 441 near KMart.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Pasta Faire was like eating cardboard. Try Bella Luna in Ocala or Goodfellows in Bellview.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

I'm repeating what someone else said - Naples in Leesburg is great. I judge good Italian by the sauce and their sauce is the best.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

I agree Naples in Leesburg and Bella Luna in Ocala.
Both excellent :agree: :agree:

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Olive Garden is my all time favorite. No matter where you are (tried NH, NJ, and PA), you know what you are getting. I've never been disappointed.

Pat :)

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

There is no way i could call Olive Garden my favorite Italian restaurant. Not with all the fine places in the North End of Boston or even Federal Hill in Providence.

BUT - OG is certainly consistant. Not great but very good.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

THE OLIVE GARDENS MUST BE DIFFERENT IN FLORIDA I WENT TO ONE IN LONG ISLAND
AND ONCE WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Skip - Little Italy (in NYC of course) is a big disappointment now. It's mainly become a Chinese location with fewer and fewer Italian restaraunts. The Chinese restaurants are good but Little Italy is certainly not the same culture that is was years ago.

Boston's North end (its Little Italy) has remained mostly true to its roots and there are still dozens of relatively small true Italian restaurants.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

No - Little Italy in Inverness.

Skip

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Russ, its been 30 years since I lived in Manhattan and I'm not sure about this, but the Italian restaurants may have moved more towards the west village. 2 years ago was there on business and took a taxi from Jacob Javits south towards the village. Stopped the cab in front of 2 small Italian restaurants and after reviewing the specials, went into 1 that had only about 10 tables. Of course, I sat facing the front door.....

It was utterly fantastic. After so much food and lots of authentic red Italian wine (not Californian), I was very very happy.

So bottom line, I think they're still there but perhaps not in abundance as they used to be. But you can't beat that food... dreaming. Now I have to go eat sprouts!!!

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Regrettably, There are no authentic Italian restaurants in or near TV. No self respecting Italian food aficionado would think that the Olive Garden is one. I will admit that they do have great salad and breadsticks. Following that logic, Burger King sells a Chicken Parm. sandwich, does that make them an Italian Restaurant too?

My wife and I are on a mission to find a good Italian Restaurant. We did find a very respectable one in Clearwater, Fl a couple of years ago but haven't been back in that area in a while.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Check out "Antonio's" or "Enzo's on the Lake". Both in Orlando

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Jan:

Thanks for the two suggestions. We will check them out next time we are in the Orlando area.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

http://www.maggianos.com/locations/d...d=001.025.0199
Very good Italian,even better than Naples in Leesburg.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

I'll have to try Naples--thanks for the tip. Giovanni's can be good at times, but probably not on a weekend during "season." Ask for your pasta al dente, or else you'll get it overcooked ("scotto"). The Italian-American food down South just isn't as good as it is up North.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

If you're willing to go to Orland try Bucca De Beppo, at the mall. In fact, just viewing the web site makes me hungry.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Maggianos is very good BUT their proportions are just too large. A dogie bag is not an option if you are traveling.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

For a chain Italian we like Brio's Tuscan Grille at the Millenia Mall in Orlando.

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

Angelo's in Tavares is very good. I think Little Italy in Inverness is way over-priced

Re: Are there any good Italian restaurants around?
 

I'm Italian, and critical about restaurant Italian food. Try the Baked Ziti at Bravo's in Lake Sumter Landing - made with "fresh" sauce and 3 cheeses, served with salad and garlic knots all for $6.95. It's as good as I make. Give it a try - we'll meet you there.