Hubby is Italian and I learned many years ago how to make all his favorite traditional Italian meals from old family recipes. We also enjoyed the many superb Italian restaurants where we lived in upstate NY, prior to moving to TV. That said we have been, until now, totally unimpressed with so-called Italian food served at restaurants here in the bubble and surrounding areas. We dined out this week at Roberto’s and found that it is the most authentic Italian cooking we’ve had in a long time! Hubby’s Chicken Sorrento and my Penne with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage were outstanding. Can’t wait to go back and try other dinners from their extensive menu!

A group of 4 of us ate at Roberto's last night, and we all agreed it was ok-not great. The other couple likes Giovanni's and likened the food to it (We don't care for Giovanni's as the sauce was consistently watery and the protein always overcooked). My Chicken Parmesan was pounded thin, a bit on the tough side as it appeared overcooked, and the sauce (not gravy) was "flat". I couldn't put my finger on it, but I have had better as well as worse. On the plus side, I did have a glass of house wine and I would say that I received a "healthy pour" which I would hope is the norm.

The service was acceptable, although I wasn't offered my choice of pasta as indicated on the menu. The restaurant was clean, and it filled up quickly with people also waiting for takeout. We got there early and were in the "first seating", with a line behind us.

I don't know if the apparent inconsistency in food preparation is because the kinks may not have been worked out, or if it will be the norm. Given the spectrum of reviews, I would suggest giving it another month or so and see if things might get better. I would definitely say try it and see if the food is to your liking. We may go back in a couple of months, but for right now, we prefer a different restaurant.

We went to Roberto’s for an early dinner tonight.

My husband had a veal dish that was really good.
I had the eggplant parm with spaghetti. It was thinly sliced and was wonderful.

The portions were a good size so we both came home with half our meal.

Would not hesitate to return.

It is endlessly interesting, amusing, frustrating, and maddening to read restaurant reviews from TOTV. Everyone has their own taste and ambience standards and seem to believe that their opinion is the final answer. I tend to be very easily pleased (apparently unsophisticated tastes despite having eaten at some world class eateries) and am more interested in the company of my wife or our family and/or friends and the camaraderie and the experience, than the food. Now if the service is poor or the food really intolerably bad, I will complain and not likely return, but hope that is not a common occurrence. When we get down I will enthusiastically try Roberto's, happy to have them nearby and will make my own determination of their competence (which is likely to be positive).

You are so right! If we listened to the "will never return" crowd all the restaurants would be closed.

I think that restaurant reviews are very interesting and useful, especially those that provide details. But, I consider each review to be just one person's opinion about the restaurant.

Had pizza 3 times at Roberto's. First time, they put on banana peppers instead of green pepppers which we ordered. I took it because we had waited 50 minutes but it tasted terrible, made the pizza taste sweet.

Second time green peppers and pepperoni and tasted great, was foldable and crust was very good.

Third the pizza crust was hard and the bottom of the pizza was hard and not foldable, wasn't very good and probably won't order pizza there again.

Went to his brother's place Giovanni's at Southern Trace last Tuesday and had spaghetti with meat sauce, salad with house dressing and bread at lunch for $6.95, best deal in town and it tasted great.

Went to the new Piesanos at Lake Deaton Plaza. Arrived 3:45 on Thursday and the place was packed, waited on the bench with a beeper for about 15 minutes, outside dining was available.

After seated they brought 3 rolls similar to pizza crust in dipping oil, they were good but very rich. The pizza was excellent, probably the best I've had in TV. Had one draft of Coors Light and it was very cold, also excellent.

If you liked Stavros, you’re going to love Paisano’s Brick Oven Pizza.

We were there this week and enjoyed it. No problem with wait (none), or service. We also like their sister restaurants, Gio's and Giovanni's. Our favorite in the immediate area is Naples in Leesburg, followed by Angelo's. Now, do I like them as much as the Italian restaurants back in Mass and RI? Absolutely not, but that's because that's where we're from, and are accustomed to their food. And, if you've ever been to Federal Hill in Providence, you know that they have a high concentration of world class Italian restaurants there. These restaurants down here are fine, and, if the locals here were to eat back were I'm from, they probably would prefer their own hometown places. If you find the italian that bad here, try Mesa De Notte in Ocala. It's our overall favorite, but don't get there alot because we don't feel like traveling the 30 or so miles. If you don't like it there, then I don't know what to tell you.Mesa de Notte - Dinner Menu

The best Italian food I've had has never been in places that I would call fine dining. It's always been in little places.

I grew up in a very Italian city just outside of Boston. The best Italian food I ever had was my mother's. Outside of that it was little hole in the wall places in my home town and in East Boston and the Boston's equivalent to Little Italy, The North End.

Giovanni's is much more than a pizza place and is very good Italian food. Probably the best I've had around here.

By the way, if I see a restaurant that has the words Italian and Fine Dining attached to it, I stay away. They're usually not very authentic Italian and usually overpriced.

BTW, there is an excellent Italian place on Clearwater Beach called Al and Stella's that is also very good.

It's surprising how different food is in Italy. My grandparents came from Avellino in Campagna. My grandmother cooked pasta with tomato sauce and some kind of meat every day and my mother used her same recipe but most of the food in Italy is very different than what they made. I have to wonder if the types of food are very localized. Tuscany is in the north. I guessing that most Italian food that we have here is more from the south. I think that originally a lot of the early Italian immigrant were from Sicily.

As you get into the very northern part of Italy you'll find people with blond hair and blue eyes and very, very different food. They are more like the Swiss.

I guess my point is that we have restaurants in this country that are owned by people who have come from Italy yet the food is very different than what they have over there. I am wondering why.

Yup! Also, if you review a restaurant positively, you run the risk of the self-anointed arbiters of food quality calling you out for lacking refined taste.

Absolutely agree. There are regional differences. In Tuscany, pasta is the star of the dish, not to be drowned out by the additional ingredients. Most Italian food in the U.S. emanated from immigrants from southern Italy and Sicily. They cooked with what they could find which wasn't exactly what they found back in the Old World. Restaurants further devolved the recipes to appeal to Americans of UK and Northern European descent. And that's why we have cheese and sauce laden "Italian" here today.

Pizza is a perfect example. In Napoli, pizza is a simple thin crust, some olive oil, tomatoes, maybe a meat, pieces of mozzarella (Never shredded) and a little fresh tomato sauce. Here, when the GI's brought back the love for pizza after WWII, we've made it into a calorie laden cheese and meat loaded, diet disaster - Not that there's anything wrong with that! Some of the best pizza I've ever had was at Ristorante Andrea in Amalfi. Tutto Bene!

We've been to Roberto’s 3 times for lunch. Arrived at 11:15. Starting to fill up. Completely full by 11:30. Enjoyed food and service. We will be back.

1st Visit we'll be back food & service were great..Could do without the music