If you have enjoyed quality Italian food, I'm not talking excellent, but good. You would have one mouthful of what Ricciardis calls Italian food & walk out.

Pizza makes a pizza parlor not an Italian restaurant-Flippers & Bravos are pizza parlors, they are not Italian restaurants.

IMHO, you have to go to Sy.Pete for Italian food--it doesn't exist here.

I don't judge a restaurant by its ethnicity. I judge it by its cleanliness, staff and if I like the taste of the food. I like the taste of the vegetable stack I get at riccardis. It is food, not Italian food, and I like the way it tastes. I order seafood in a steak house, but that doesn't make it a bad steak.

The best Italian meat sauce I have ever enjoyed....and I am a person raised in a German Community in Ohio, is the meat sauce on spaghetti at Stavros in Leesburg. And very inexpensive too. half an order is as big as a full order other places and costs$4.99. Really, really, really yummy.


This is for the folks who don't know good Italian. I just know what tastes yummy. Stavros is not fancy, but the servers have all been there for years and years and are very nice. I hate the salad...it is Greek and I don't like it but the meat sauce served at Stavros is deeee lish a mus.

But also have a photo proving the server didn't wash his hands.

Not necessary.

Employees shall be prohibited from touching, petting, or otherwise handling dogs while serving food or beverages or handling tableware or before entering other parts of the public food service establishment.

If they are on the clock and walk back into the seating area, they violated the law. This statement doesn't talk about washing hands.

Skip

Several of us in our neighborhood are in total agreement that the food at Ricciardi's has deteriorated in the last few months. Management doesn't seem to care when brought to their attention. Don't know what has changed there recently but definitely not for the better and you will see many more complaints once the birds get back and see and taste the difference.

We still enjoy Ricciard's and think that their veal is the best. Never a problem with staff or management. A couple of weeks ago we had dinner at popular Italian restaurant outside of The Villages and the chicken Parmesan was so over cooked it was like shoe leather.

GG: The best Italian meat sauce I ever had was from one of the best Italian cooks ever, my mother. Italian sauce is an Italian's lifeblood.

The best veal scaloppine I ever had was at a restaurant in my home town called the Italian Rex (now Lasca's). Even my mother raved about this woman's cooking. What a treat this restaurant was until her husband got middle age crazy and flew the coop with a young waitress causing the restaurant to fold. I was a young kid when this happened and I still hate that guy for denying my hometown this wonderful chef and restaurant.

In my view Giovanni's presents a decent meal. I believe he does so because he emigrated from Naples and so when he calls his restaurant an Italian restaurant it rings true. too many call themselves Italian and all they do is apply Italian ingredients to food and any ethnic cooking is more than ingredients, its attitude..its like my mother would say "can't you hear that pasta dough speaking to me knead me more if you want your gnocchi to turn out well" and don't forget to rice the potatoes

I agree Ricciardi's isn't the most fabulous Italian food in the world but I wouldn't call it horrible. It is just mediocre -- like most restaurants around town. However, it sure is convenient to be able to jump in the golf cart and go there every once in a while. On occasion I'll accept mediocre for a five minute cart ride versus over the top fabulous but I have to drive a ways to get it.

Every time I've been there the owner is walking around talking to guests; on my last visit he came by our table three times. He seems very personable. If someone had an issue with a dish it appears they would be given every opportunity to let him know about it.

I've never seen a dog there, but if I did I would ask for the manager, as this is a violation of health code.

Would some explain to me exactly why their dish was so horrible. I see all the negative reviews.

Because it isn't as good as his/her mama made or you could eat in a GENUINE Italian restaurant from wherever he/she came from.

Jima: I suspect a part of the reason for negative reviews has to do with expectations. Expectations have to do with previous eating experiences at other restaurants, etc.

I also suspect part of the reason has to do with the manner or use of ingredients, ergo taste, taste being individual. I for one do not like the aroma of cumin or boiled chicken .

I also suspect it has to do with the quality of product. Ask a person from Maine what they think about lobster here or people from Maryland about grab cakes, New Yorkers deli or pizza places.....

I also believe a part of it has to do with the quality of service and the cleanliness of the restaurant. Let a restaurant close once for failing a health inspection and I will never return...never

In my view you can't blame people for complaining because they spend a good deal and expect value for their dollar.

what surprises me is that given that we have people from all over the world here. People who are captive customers that there are not more quality restaurants...and I don't equate five star with quality. I'd be satisified to have a few of those triple D restaurant that Guy Fiera brings to TV.

Finally I believe a good part of it has to do with very poor management

Personal Best Regards: