Month: April 2025

Fresco’s – Lakeland, FL

If you want a southern restaurant with a modern twist, check out Fresco’s in Lakeland, Florida.

Grab a seat at the bar and start enjoying some of the great cocktails they have to offer.

The Blackberry Basil Cooler is sweet and refreshing. It blends vodka, basil, blackberry syrup, lemon, and orange bitters.

An Aperol Spritz is a classic cocktail that Fresco’s does well. It includes Aperol, lemon, simple syrup, Prosecco and a splash of soda for bubbles. If you want something that is not overly sweet, this is the cocktail for you.

Their Old-Fashion keeps with tradition, smooth and your choice of bourbon.

Plus the bartender like us so I was able to get a few of those special cocktail cherries just for myself!

If you like whiskey, then make sure to do a Whiskey Flight. You get the sample four options. We got to try:

1. George Dickel 8 year

2. Stranahan’s Colorado single malt

3. Barrell Seagrass Rye

4. Barrell Dovetail

Fresco’s has more than just drinks. They have a great menu offering unique takes on classic dishes. They also have great appetizers that are able to be shared.

The FSKB Loaded Baked Potato Wedges are amazing. The potatoes are covered in pimento cheese, bacon, chives, and sour cream with herbs. The pimento cheese is a unique element. It adds a saltines and a creaminess.

The Deviled Eggs have the southern style creamy filling, but they give it a unique twist with bacon crumbles and candied jalapeños. It’s a nice salty sweet combination.

The Fresco’s Eggrolls are different. They use chicken, bacon, cheese, and salsa inside crispy wonton wrappers. They serve an avocado cream sauce for dipping. It’s a unique take on southwest style eggrolls.

They have a few flatbreads on the menu we ordered the Fig. The sweet dough was covered with an apple fig chutney, mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, arugula, and slices of apple. The pizza overall was sweet and the arugula gave it a slight pepper taste.

I loved everything we tried at Fresco’s. Check them out if you’re in the area.

www.frescoslakeland.com

Enjoy!

T

Kennedy’s – Breezy Point, NY

With great views overlooking the beach and water, Kennedy’s is the perfect spot to have lunch with family.

Grab a refreshing cocktail and enjoy some fresh made rolls while you look over the menu.

The Burrata is amazing. It comes with sun-dried tomatoes and truffle pesto. They serve crispy garlic parmesan crostini on the side. The burrata had a delicious creamy soft center. It was perfect to spread on the crostini or even the dinner rolls.

The fried calamari is perfect  to enjoy at a beach side restaurant. They were lightly breaded and served with marinara sauce on the side.

The Little Neck Clams were my favorite dish of the day. They baked clams with a seasoned mix of garlic, parmesan cheese, and Italian oregano. The flavor was exceptional. The clam was tender, and the saltines from the cheese complemented the herby flavor of the oregano.

The wrap special for the day was the Reuben. They added sauerkraut and melted Greer cheese to a large portion of corned beef. The wrapped help make it not as messy to eat the way a sandwich normally can.

My main dish was the Puglian-style Orecchiette that was mixed with sweet sausage, broccoli rabe, tomatoes and parmesan cheese. The flavor was spectacular. The pasta was tender and soaked up the flavor of the sausage as well as the sauce that was drizzled over the pasta. The sausage was sweet and really paired well with the bitterness of the broccoli rabe. I highly recommend this dish.

We saved a little room for dessert. The Keylime Pie was a great share. The tartness from the limes helped balance out all the savory flavors that I enjoyed from the main dish.

If you have an opportunity to visit Breezy Point, New York, make sure you stop by Kennedy’s.

www.kennedysbreezypoint.com

Enjoy!

T

Capo’s – Las Vegas, NV

If you’re looking for a fun mob themed Italian restaurant with an old-school Las Vegas lounge singer, you have to check out Capo’s.

The speakeasy style entrance to the restaurant is fun. You walk up to a red door, expecting someone to open it but then a door behind a phone booth opens up.

When you walk into the restaurant, your eyes will need to adjust because it’s extremely dark.

We were able to get a table up by the stage near the singer.  He had a “Rat Pack” look to him and he sounded just like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. He was very entertaining.

The fresh bread came out as soon as we sat down. It was crispy on the outside and soft inside. It tasted wonderful after dipping it in the creamy olive oil.

I ordered a Cosmopolitan because why not I was in Vegas!

The Genovese Calamari was the best appetizer to start with. It came out with pepperoncini peppers that added a nice texture to the calamari.

The other great appetizer to share at the table was Ma’s Meatballs and Peppers. These oversized meatballs were covered in a lightly spiced sugo sauce (sugo means sauce in Italian). The meatballs were moist and seasoned well.

For my dinner, I ordered the Goodfellas Piccata. I got the chicken that was sautéed in lemon, butter, and white wine to make a delicious sauce, along with garlic and capers. The chicken was juicy and soaked in the flavor of the sauce. They served the chicken on top of creamy mashed potatoes. The potatoes captured all of the sauce as well, which made them irresistible. This was one of the best chicken piccatas I’ve had in a while.

The Da Don’s Lasagna is a customer favorite. Fresh made lasagna noodles were layered and stuffed with crushed meatballs, homemade Italian sausage, fresh ricotta cheese, and then topped with mozzarella cheese. They baked it until the cheese got crispy on top and then covered it in a red sugo sauce. The slice they served was a very generous portion. The blend of sausage and meatballs made the lasagna more filling than if it was just cheese.

I had to get a side of their Risotto. It was a mushroom risotto that was extremely creamy. This by itself could have been a meal.

We saved room for dessert, especially because we were going to share. Since we were an Italian restaurant, it was a must to order the Jimmy Two Times Tiramisu Tiramisu.

This homemade dessert was layered ladyfingers that were soaked in espresso and dark rum. Then they layered it with sweet mascarpone that added a creaminess. It had a calming effect against the strong flavor of the espresso. The sprinkle of cocoa powder on top helped add a nice finish to each bite.

If you were looking for a great meal that is off the Vegas strip, check out Capo’s. Make sure you make a reservation because they get busy.

www.caposrestaurant.com

Enjoy!

T

Cornish Pasty Co – Phoenix, AZ

If you’ve ever been to the upper Peninsula of Michigan, you may have heard of a dish called pasties. These are meat pie type items that were cooked for workers in the mines.  The pastry dough was filled with steak, potatoes, rutabaga, and onions. It was an easy meal for the minors to take to work but the history of the pasty date back all the way to the 1200s in Cornwall, England.

I was not expecting to find a restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona to have these pasties. But that is what I found with Cornish Pasty Co.

I could not wait to try the Cottage Pie. This was seasoned ground beef with peas, carrots, grilled onions, mashed potatoes, and cheddar cheese all stuffed into a flaky pastry. It was all the classic ingredients of a shepherd’s pie in a handheld meal. There was a great savory flavor to the meat. The potatoes added a nice creaminess that held everything together. The cheese added a hint of saltines. They served a red wine gravy on the side. It was perfect for dipping and added an extra savory element.

I was interested in trying something else unique, so I ordered the Cornish Meatballs. These were homemade meatballs that were wrapped in bacon. They were sautéed with onions and served in a white wine mustard gravy. The bacon was crispy and added extra flavor to the meatballs. The gravy was savory with the tangy taste from the mustard. It was a perfect compliment.

They had Scotch Eggs on the menu, which I had to order. I love scotch eggs, and do not see them very often. These are hard boiled eggs that are wrapped in savory sausage, lightly breaded, and fried. They sound like they should be served at breakfast, but they are a great savory appetizer that is perfect for sharing. They do usually serve mustard on the side, but I like mine plain so I can enjoy the flavor of the sausage.

To wash all these down, we enjoyed an Aperol Spritz and an Old-Fashion.

Cornish Pasty Co is in a great location. It is an old industrial building. They have a main restaurant and bar area plus a bar upstairs and downstairs. It’s a perfect place to go with a group of people.

Check them out at www.cornishpastyco.com

Enjoy!

T

BellaBrava – Tampa, FL

If you’re looking for an Italian restaurant in Midtown Tampa, check out BellaBrava.

Sitting at the bar is the perfect place to order cocktails and have fast service. We had an Old-Fashion and a Strawberry Balsamic Martini. The martini was sweet with a little sourness. It included vodka, strawberries, sweet balsamic, simple syrup, and lemon.

They brought out homemade Focaccia bread. It was slightly dense but melted in my mouth once it was mixed with the creamy olive oil and roasted garlic.

If you like gnocchi, then you must order the Stuffed Gnocchi al la Vodka. The gnocchi were like little potato pillows that were stuffed with a creamy cheese blend. They served it in a vodka sauce. The sauce was savory and creamy. They mixed roasted wild mushrooms, and oven dried tomatoes on top for some added texture.

The Pasta Brava is a must order. Radiatori pasta was blended with tender grilled chicken and cotto ham. This was tossed with peas and wild mushrooms in an asiago cream sauce. The texture was immensely creamy with a rich flavor from the cheese. I could not stop eating the tender pasta. The peas added a nice sweet touch to the dish.

If you like vegetables, then the Pasta Caponata is for you. Mafaldine pasta is in a Pomodoro sauce. There are tender pieces of eggplant, garlic, red, bell pepper, olives, and capers mixed throughout. These vegetables added saltines, as well as a sweetness. Fresh oregano, basil and pangrattato were accented on top. The pasta in this dish was also extremely tender. I love fresh pasta. It helps make the dish exceptional.

If you are looking for a great Italian restaurant then check out BellaBrava at www.bellabravatampa.com

Enjoy!

T

La Piazza Al Forno – Glendale, AZ

If you are in the Glendale Arizona area, you need to check out La Piazza Al Forno as soon as possible. After 18 years they will be closing their doors in July 2025.

This restaurant was featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, which is why I went to check them out.

They make all their pizzas in a woodfire oven, which is what makes their pizza so crispy.

They have many pizza options to choose from, but we ordered the Italian Stallion. This handmade pizza was loaded with San Marzano tomatoes, homemade mozzarella cheese, sausage, pepperoni, prosciutto de parma (cotto), and sopressata, which is a spicy salami. The dough was sweet. The smoky taste from the oven was a nice accent. All the meats added saltines, but that was complimented by the creamy mozzarella cheese. It was the perfect ratio of cheese, meat and sauce.

They have other items on their menu, and I wanted to try the Ravioli Fritti, which are fried ravioli served with marinara sauce on the side. The breading was crispy, and the cheese on the inside was extremely creamy.

The Polpette are their house made fried meatballs. They had a nice crispy texture on the outside. Inside they were moist and had great seasoning with nice pieces of sweet onion. They go perfectly with their homemade marinara sauce.

So if you’re in the Glendale area, make sure to check them out before they shut their doors.

www.lapiazzafamiglia.com

Enjoy!

T