[Aloha1]

Originally Posted by Chatbrat

Know your audience, if you come from an environment with zero ethnic restaurants, what you think is fine is mediocre to people with different experiences-

Spot on. Having traveled extensively in Italy, we cannot find any pizza place that compares to pizza in Amalfi or pasta in Firenzi or Venizia. A simple house made spaghetti with shrimp and cherry tomatoes or true Carbonara - not the cream and cheese laden stiff they make at Olive Garden but a dish where the pasta is the star. Oh, crud, now I'm hungry.

[xkeowner]

Drove past about 1:30 and the restaurant appeared to be very busy. Hopefully, reviews will start later this evening or tomorrow.

[Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by Aloha1

Spot on. Having traveled extensively in Italy, we cannot find any pizza place that compares to pizza in Amalfi or pasta in Firenzi or Venizia. A simple house made spaghetti with shrimp and cherry tomatoes or true Carbonara - not the cream and cheese laden stiff they make at Olive Garden but a dish where the pasta is the star. Oh, crud, now I'm hungry.

And I'll bet you can go back to Italy and not find any Gator Tail or Maine Lobster as you can here. Location matters.

[John_W]

First day I knew to cut them some slack. I've been eating at Giovanni's at least once a month for the 8 years we've been here, we're not big eaters and stick to the basics. I like spaghetti with meat sauce, lasagna and pizza. So Giovanni's and their other place Gio's has been great. They're prices are from 25 years ago. Spaghetti with meat sauce, with salad and bread for $6.95. I would pay $10, but don't tell them. Roberto's the prices are little higher, about like Olive Garden.

We figured we would just slip in and order a pizza to go. At least they have decent waiting area, unlike the Giovanni's. We order a large with with green peppers at 12:10. We sat down in waiting area and two other couples we knew from MVP were there waiting for take-out as well. So time went fast and even though we waited until almost 1:00 I didn't mind since it was their first day.

Unfortunately when he brought the pizza it had banana peppers and not green peppers. I don't think the guy taking the order knew the difference. He kept asking when I placed the order if I wanted sausage or anything else besides peppers, I said no, just green peppers. When I saw him later, I mentioned were waiting on the pizza with just green peppers. So when it finally came with banana peppers, I said I'll take it. It was OK, not great, not bad, I think the banana peppers made it too sweet.

Anyway, they have outside seating, I was surprised most all the outside tables were taken since it was so muggy with the light rain. One problem, they have one door. So everyone coming into the restaurant and leaving and waitresses with food are all going in and out through that same door. I hear them say there was about a 15 minute wait for those wanting a table, then I heard them say the kitchen is backed up so it may be 30 minutes more to get your food. This is the way it is at every new place, give it a couple of weeks or if you're not in a hurry, you can go now. It's at the end of Pinellas Plaza nearest the Village of Pinellas where Evergreen Buffet use to be located. Very convenient for those who live along Pinellas Place.

[Chatbrat]

Still waiting for an Italian restaurant within a 30 mile radius to offer scungilli fra diaviolo--

[M Mamros]

Went to Roberto's this afternoon. Thought it was pretty good. First day is always hectic, but we thought they did a good job of handling it. Had a terrific waitress (Laurel). Will try the pizza in a few days. Glad to have a new option in our area.

[Shimpy]

Originally Posted by Jayhawk

And I'll bet you can go back to Italy and not find any Gator Tail or Maine Lobster as you can here. Location matters.

Originally Posted by Jayhawk

And I'll bet you can go back to Italy and not find any Gator Tail or Maine Lobster as you can here. Location matters.

Where do you get Maine lobstah?l

[B-flat]

Just my 2 cents we never go to a restaurant the first week it’s opened, in fact we wait a couple of months until the newness wears off. Where we live some of the time in New England there was never a Sonic Drive-in. When they opened one in our town you couldn’t get near the place for months, in fact they had a police detail directing traffic. Fast forward to today and you can pull in anytime there are no longer crowds or even many customers.

[600th Photo Sq]

Had high expectations finally a good Italian Restaurant especially from a person who actually is from Italy!

It was terribly bland and just one step above hospital food. My question is why? I left 3/4 of the food behind my opinion was told to the owner and left.

[MorTech]

I lived in Tuscany... After that, all food in the USA is bland! Probably the most flavorless food anywhere.

[bilcon]

Some people are never happy. Forget where you came from and embrace where you are now.

[Northwoods]

Originally Posted by bilcon

Some people are never happy. Forget where you came from and embrace where you are now.

[B-flat]

Originally Posted by bilcon

Some people are never happy. Forget where you came from and embrace where you are now.

Good point we do embrace the area just not the food. With that said it’s tough to be the BBQ at Oakwood Smoke House. In Ocala is Ipanema Brazilian Steakhouse if you enjoy a real variety of meats all you can eat style in a beautiful atmosphere, it’s one of the better stops around.

[Aloha1]

Originally Posted by Jayhawk

And I'll bet you can go back to Italy and not find any Gator Tail or Maine Lobster as you can here. Location matters.

Correct, but we're talking real Italian here, not Maine or Florida.