Best Italian in Town

[aclchampion]

I have to put in a vote for Casa Dora on East Forsyth downtown. Great food and Freddy the manager is a character.

[JaxByDefault]

I'm not Debbie, but I can tell you luigi's is still open. I was in there 2 weeks ago. Maybe they were on vacation? I'm going to call them tonight and pick up a pizza, if closed, I'll report back 

Thanks! I drove by yesterday and they looked open--lights on and more cars than I've ever seen in their parking lot. Let us know for sure after you go tonight.

[ben says]

I'm not Debbie, but I can tell you luigi's is still open. I was in there 2 weeks ago. Maybe they were on vacation? I'm going to call them tonight and pick up a pizza, if closed, I'll report back 

Thanks! I drove by yesterday and they looked open--lights on and more cars than I've ever seen in their parking lot. Let us know for sure after you go tonight.

Jeez. Some days it looks abandoned/shut down/closed for good. Some days it looks like you couldn't get a table if you wanted to. I wonder what their deal is...

[Debbie Thompson]

Luigi's. Don't know. Some days may be slow.  They may have closed for vacation last week.  I ordered take out for 25 last month.  It was GREAT.  Ziti and meat sauce, and a couple dozen of the amazing meatballs.  I have their phone number programmed into my cell, and sometimes I'll call them as I leave work, and stop and pick up a meal on the way home.  One meal feeds both of us with leftovers.  One of these days, I'm gonna have to order a pizza.  I appear to be a one-note song with their lasagna.

We went in LaCena one night, but it was a bit too pricey for our budget, so we didn't stay to eat.  We ate once or twice at Joseph's on Main Street, and it was good, but the lasagna wasn't as good as Luigi's. IMO, you may feel differently.

[coredumped]

Thanks! I drove by yesterday and they looked open--lights on and more cars than I've ever seen in their parking lot. Let us know for sure after you go tonight.

They are OPEN. Was there last night and picked up a large pie to go, it was pretty good too. I'll be back for sure. There were about 3 tables with people so it was pretty quiet. If you haven't been, it's nothing fancy. Vinyl tablecloths, tiled floor and a counter to get takeaway orders from. But don't be put off by that, it was clean and the waitstaff was friendly. Might not be a great romantic first date, but certainly worth visiting.

[JaxJerry]

What, no love for Pele's wood fire?

[ben says]

What, no love for Pele's wood fire?

Gross

[coredumped]

What, no love for Pele's wood fire?

I believe the minefield you want to dance on is located over here:
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php?topic=14028.0

[DDC]

Have to agree with The Professor +1 Tonino's Trattoria.  Merrill Road in Arlington. Good food. I'm a chicken marsala guy.  And excellent lunch specials. Live music Thurs - Saturday.  Check out Harvey on Friday nights. Great atmosphere. A real treasure located in the Arlington area.

+1 on The Professor for Tonino's. Great food, nice little martini bar, oh and the Thursday night live music is my daughter, WWW.AlainaColdingMusic.com. 

Dean

[Kaiser Soze]

What, no love for Pele's wood fire?

Too expensive for what you get.

[RiversideLoki]

I just can't get behind eating Italian food in a restaurant setting. I dunno.. growing up we had three major influences in our house for cooking. Those influences being good ol' southern food, Pennsylvania Dutch cooking and Italian.

Italian food has always been one of those "you make it yourself if you want it done right." Because no one will ever make the ravioli the way that you like them, or make the sauce the way that you like it, or put the love into it that you do. Something always comes up short of expectations. No matter where I eat Italian. It's easy enough to slop some Restaurant Depot mass produced sauce on some pasta and call it spaghetti and charge 10 bucks a plate. But it's something entirely different when the chef puts attention and love into a meal.

That being said, I've never eaten at La Cena, mostly because I can't see spending that much for something that I can probably do better in my kitchen. So I won't compare it to anything that I've had and I won't trash it, because I have no experience. But after eating at almost every other Italian place in town, I find myself returning to Kosta's over and over again. Mostly because it's cheap and tastes good. But also because you can look right there in the kitchen through that little window and watch that man cook his heart out , and I can watch him love every minute of it. I don't want this to be a "glowing" review of the place. Because the place is old and dirty and the decor is the same as it was (as someone mentioned before) in 1984.

I dunno, that's how I feel about Italian. I'd rather spend all day making the perfect marinara than going some place to be served sauce out of a giant tub or jar.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Tonino's Trattoria

&

Have to agree with The Professor +1 Tonino's Trattoria.  Merrill Road in Arlington. Good food. I'm a chicken marsala guy.  And excellent lunch specials. Live music Thurs - Saturday.  Check out Harvey on Friday nights. Great atmosphere. A real treasure located in the Arlington area.

+1 on The Professor for Tonino's. Great food, nice little martini bar, oh and the Thursday night live music is my daughter, WWW.AlainaColdingMusic.com. 

Dean

Took my son there tonight for his birthday, dude loves italian food, and it was incredible.  I won't swear because I don't know, but it felt like the gnocci was hand rolled based on the appearance and texture.  The little bits of onions in the vodka sauce made me think it to be made from scratch, too.  They had to make an extra run to Publix for the bacon for mini-me's carbonara, so I know that sauce was from scratch. 

My favorite part of the meal, aside from the food itself, was walking up to the counter, we were the last ones there at 8:30 so no need to make the server come all the way out to the patio 3 times to collect the payment, and saw 2 older women (I assume to be the owners/owners wives) eating the same dish I had - really makes me think it's as authentic as I was hoping.

Thanks Professor and others, you guys were spot on.  I'll make that drive anytime.

[tufsu1]

bump

I went to Casa Dora for dinner tonight....possibly the best stromboli I've had since I left Philly 18 years ago!

[exnewsman]

bump

I went to Casa Dora for dinner tonight....possibly the best stromboli I've had since I left Philly 18 years ago!

Hit Casa Dora for lunch today. Always a favorite. Freddie and Andrew cook up some great food.