Talk of The Villages Florida
Page 2 of 2 1 2
Show 40 post(s) from this thread on one page

Talk of The Villages Florida (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/)
-   Restaurant Discussions (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/restaurant-discussions-90/)
-   -   Great Italian food needed (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/restaurant-discussions-90/great-italian-food-needed-77582/)

dolpterry 11-09-2013 04:20 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by gemorc (Post 683665)
My wife and I enjoy Riccardo's. It is located on 441, just north of the Marion Market. It is in a strip mall just past Big Al's Barber Shop. The food is delicious. Riccardo's is a mom and pop place with an excellant menu. The pizza is also pretty good.
I second this review, we found this place about a month ago. Great service, good prices, and best food around.

2BNTV 11-09-2013 05:30 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by alicehelen (Post 675800)
Sorry-there is none! I am a retired Italian Chef-nothing here is authentic nor good! The places do not realize "Less is more" & put so much junk & garlic in the food (which they do NOT do in Italy!) that most of it is barely edible! My husband will not even go out for Italian here - he only eats it at home. The best homemade ravioli are at Mom & Dad's in Lady Lake. The second best are at Bellview Pizza (cash only place) in Bellview - as is their thin crust pizza. Other than those couple of items, you need to go all the way to Naples Florida (Campiello) or a really large city!
Being of Italian descent, I agree that any restaurant will not measure up to real good home cooking. Since I am not a picky eater when it comes to pasta, anything except out of a can is acceptable. :smiley:

I guess I'm one of those Italians who doesn't have a discerning palate except I know when something is made like mom's.

mixsonci 11-10-2013 04:59 AM
OK, I have a strange question for you all and would love a "positive" answer. I love Italian food, love it. However, I NEVER go to an Italian restaurant to order food, because I do NOT EAT ONIONS, EVER. I HATE HATE HATE them and of course, except for pizza sauce, every Italian restaurant puts onions in their sauce on all pasta dishes. I also don't like mushrooms or peppers (I know very picky), are there any restaurants that have just a plain tomato sauce without all the veggies in it? I would love to go out and get a great chicken or veal parmagian (sp?), any ideas?

jblum315 11-10-2013 06:19 AM
Mezza Luna in Colony Plaza is the best there is in The Villages. I'd say it's the best I've had since leaving NY - NJ.

senior citizen 11-10-2013 06:23 AM
................

jblum315 11-10-2013 06:25 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mixsonci (Post 777421)
OK, I have a strange question for you all and would love a "positive" answer. I love Italian food, love it. However, I NEVER go to an Italian restaurant to order food, because I do NOT EAT ONIONS, EVER. I HATE HATE HATE them and of course, except for pizza sauce, every Italian restaurant puts onions in their sauce on all pasta dishes. I also don't like mushrooms or peppers (I know very picky), are there any restaurants that have just a plain tomato sauce without all the veggies in it? I would love to go out and get a great chicken or veal parmagian (sp?), any ideas?
I don't think you're going to have much luck. Onions are a pretty basic ingredient in most cuisines, not just Italian. What do you use when you make spaghetti at home, Hunt's tomato sauce, or ketchup? Oh, no, ketchup has onions in it.

jblum315 11-10-2013 06:26 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Parker (Post 682933)
Any reports on Red Sauce, good or bad, at Lake Sumter Landing?
Red Sauce is awful.

senior citizen 11-10-2013 06:34 AM
...............

senior citizen 11-10-2013 06:52 AM
Yes this should be under recipes
 
................

Patty55 11-10-2013 06:59 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mixsonci (Post 777421)
OK, I have a strange question for you all and would love a "positive" answer. I love Italian food, love it. However, I NEVER go to an Italian restaurant to order food, because I do NOT EAT ONIONS, EVER. I HATE HATE HATE them and of course, except for pizza sauce, every Italian restaurant puts onions in their sauce on all pasta dishes. I also don't like mushrooms or peppers (I know very picky), are there any restaurants that have just a plain tomato sauce without all the veggies in it? I would love to go out and get a great chicken or veal parmagian (sp?), any ideas?
How about picatta?

My mother's secret sauce. One can DelMonte tomato sauce, two cans water, heat it up. They say you like what you grew up with. NOT, even as a kid I knew this was not normal-LOL.

If you like the pizza sauce why not ask for that to be used on your dinner?

Golfingnut 11-10-2013 07:46 AM
The fact is, when folks on here LOOK, RECOMMEND AND RATE so called Italian food, you need too know if they are taking about the American style that is over spiced, over cooked and served with WAY too much gravy (sauce).

I like American style pasta like they serve at Carabbas but that is not Italian.

2BNTV 11-10-2013 08:05 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mixsonci (Post 777421)
OK, I have a strange question for you all and would love a "positive" answer. I love Italian food, love it. However, I NEVER go to an Italian restaurant to order food, because I do NOT EAT ONIONS, EVER. I HATE HATE HATE them and of course, except for pizza sauce, every Italian restaurant puts onions in their sauce on all pasta dishes. I also don't like mushrooms or peppers (I know very picky), are there any restaurants that have just a plain tomato sauce without all the veggies in it? I would love to go out and get a great chicken or veal parmagian (sp?), any ideas?
This is not a smart alec answer but I would tend to think that you might want to consider making your own sauce and eat at home. If you love pasta but with no onions, it's probably only the only option, as most Italian restaurants would consider onions as a basic ingredient. You can make a big batch of sauce and freeze it, for several meals when you want to eat pasta.

Personally, my body needs pasta several times a week but in small amounts as I feel a craving, if I don't eat pasta.

BTW - I love onions.

senior citizen 11-10-2013 08:21 AM
...............

2BNTV 11-10-2013 08:42 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by senior citizen (Post 777497)
I love onions also.......but I do not put onions in my marinara pasta sauce (unless I'm making a meat sauce and then I definitely would)......

You are lucky you are not intolerant to the nightshade family of veggies to include tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, etc.etc., etc.

I forgot to tell the poster that sometimes we grate carrot into the sauce to make it sweeter (rather than sugar); some folks find tomato sauce to be too acidic.

Do you have any good Portuguese recipes? My husband worked with a Portuguese couple FIFTY (50) years ago. She would bring in the most delicious Portuguese white fish (I think it was cod) covered with crushed tomatoes and probably oregano, etc., etc......not sure what all went into that topping......then broiled. My Italian dad made something similar but hers was really really delicious.

Glad to see your posts back again. Everyone missed you.
My father was Portugese and we went to the restaurant in Newark, N.J.

My favorite is paella and my best friend loves mariscada, (seafood made in a brandy based sauce. The Portugese sausage, (chourica), made by the same friend is delicious with potato's and onions, with of course, Portugese bread).. He is a very good cook and imaginative.

My brother used to love the bacalau, made portugese style.

I am not a cook but I am handy with a fork. :smiley:

The Ultimate Paella Recipe : Tyler Florence : Recipes : Food Network

Mariscada Portuguese Seafood Rice

Maria's Portuguese Bacalau Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Gotta go, I am getting hungry. :smiley:

mixsonci 11-10-2013 08:44 AM
As I said in my original post, sine I cannot go to an Italian restaurant for the reasons I stated, obviously I do only eat it at home. I am not a great cook, but I can make a sauce, but that was not the point, which was it would be nice to go out to an Italian restaurant if there was one around with such options. So evidently the answer is no, I guess I will continue going to a steakhouse.

mixsonci 11-10-2013 08:57 AM
Thank you all for your very charming answers. My question was a legitimate question, I thought this was the place to get help from all of your expertise. Yes I do like ketchup and pizza sauce, but not on my pasta, I also do like garlic a lot, what I do not like is to be ridiculed. So thank you all, I have no more questions.

2BNTV 11-10-2013 09:02 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mixsonci (Post 777525)
Thank you all for your very charming answers. My question was a legitimate question, I thought this was the place to get help from all of your expertise. Yes I do like ketchup and pizza sauce, but not on my pasta, I also do like garlic a lot, what I do not like is to be ridiculed. So thank you all, I have no more questions.
I am sorry if you felt offended by my comments. I didn't intend to ridiclue you.

Please stay on TOTV as it is a wonderful source of information.

Again, I apologize.

senior citizen 11-10-2013 09:03 AM
..................

2BNTV 11-10-2013 09:09 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by senior citizen (Post 777529)
THANK YOU. Love those recipes. I do make Paella....the Spanish version. Our son spent some time in Granada Spain as a high school foreign exchange student; then the girl came and stayed with us.

I LOVE Paella and it's a great party food......makes a huge batch.
My problem is I never could find saffron here.......but our daughter gets it for us from her health food store........I'm also getting hungry.

I have put chorizo? sausage into the paella, plus shrimp and chicken, peas, etc. (not looking at my recipe), onions, garlic, saffron, chicken broth, crushed tomatoes? RICE OF COURSE. I never used clams, etc.
I guess I figured the kids wouldn't eat it.

My dad loved bacala.......I think the food is very similar.
His was dried cod fish.

But he also used the fresh white cod fish, put on the "topping" and then broiled it I think.

What I ate as a child, my grandkids would NEVER touch now.
Such as ANCHOVIES. I loved them.

Thanks again for the recipe links........
We'll have to go to a restaurant, to get paella when you get down here.

I understand there is a good place, "Latina Y Mas", near TV. :smiley:

Portia 11-10-2013 09:52 AM
Casa Mia in EUSTIS

Patty55 11-10-2013 09:56 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mixsonci (Post 777525)
Thank you all for your very charming answers. My question was a legitimate question, I thought this was the place to get help from all of your expertise. Yes I do like ketchup and pizza sauce, but not on my pasta, I also do like garlic a lot, what I do not like is to be ridiculed. So thank you all, I have no more questions.
Some of my favorite Italian foods don't involve onions. As I suggested before, picatta is great. One of my all time favorites is Rao's lemon chicken. How about pasta with garlic and oil? I don't like alfredo, but it's quick and I don't think made with onions. There are many options if you're creative.

senior citizen 11-10-2013 02:02 PM
.........

rubicon 11-10-2013 02:54 PM
In re-reading these postings it suddenly occurred to me what the words
"real"" authentic" "good" mean when describing the meals at various restaurants specialized in Italian food.

For instance Giovanni is from Naples. So I am sure if someone used authentic in relation with his meals that would be an accurate statement.

Whereas Olive Garden is a chain of Italian Restaurants owned by Darden Corp. They also own Red Lobster. I wonder how many people from New England shore area feel about Red Lobster being äuthentic"?

rdhdleo 11-10-2013 03:07 PM
Italian food they way they make it in Italy is truly hard to fine. But that said everyone has their own tastes, for instance we tried Mom and Dads once and would never go back the spaghetti was awful as bad a Ragu we left most of it there. That said if anyone wants a great Italian Deli/Bakery/Market it is worth the drive to St. Petersburg to Mazzaro's Italian Market Mazzaro's Italian Market - Italian Deli, Italian Bakery, Gourmet Cheese & Wine, Meat Deparment, Pasta, Seafood, FL, Florida > Home
They have a bakery to die for awesome deli , sell fresh made pasta and sauces, fresh gelato, they stock many imported items from Italy, have wines and cheeses and even make fresh mozzarella, plus there meat department is hands above anything in our grocery stores. We makes trips there every few months and take a couple of coolers with us.

senior citizen 11-10-2013 03:11 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2BNTV (Post 777536)
We'll have to go to a restaurant, to get paella when you get down here.

I understand there is a good place, "Latina Y Mas", near TV. :smiley:
Sounds good. That would be very nice and something to look forward to, once we are settled.

senior citizen 11-10-2013 03:13 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by rdhdleo (Post 777760)
Italian food they way they make it in Italy is truly hard to fine. But that said everyone has their own tastes, for instance we tried Mom and Dads once and would never go back the spaghetti was awful as bad a Ragu we left most of it there. That said if anyone wants a great Italian Deli/Bakery/Market it is worth the drive to St. Petersburg to Mazzaro's Italian Market Mazzaro's Italian Market - Italian Deli, Italian Bakery, Gourmet Cheese & Wine, Meat Deparment, Pasta, Seafood, FL, Florida > Home
They have a bakery to die for awesome deli , sell fresh made pasta and sauces, fresh gelato, they stock many imported items from Italy, have wines and cheeses and even make fresh mozzarella, plus there meat department is hands above anything in our grocery stores. We makes trips there every few months and take a couple of coolers with us.

I'm saving your link as noted above.......everything looks really wonderful. Thank you.

rdhdleo 11-10-2013 03:21 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by senior citizen (Post 777764)
I'm saving your link as noted above.......everything looks really wonderful. Thank you.
You're welcome! It's a nice drive and you won't be disappointed!


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:17 PM.
Page 2 of 2 1 2
Show 40 post(s) from this thread on one page

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.32 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2025 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.