Adriatico Trattoria Italiana: The Italian Restaurant You Need To Know About
Adriatico Trattoria Italiana is unspoiled, traditional, Italian cuisine in the heart of College Park. Plenty of restaurants in Central Florida are well equipped with Italian fare, but they’re rarely untouched by American influence. Adriatico Trattoria Italiana is the exception to the rule. In fact, Adriatico is the only restaurant in the area that has been recognized by the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce, by awarding the distinctive Ospitalita Italiana – Seal of Quality – which certifies authentic Italian Restaurants around the world. This is real deal Italian cuisine. Most of the items on their menu are made from scratch, and by hand, daily. Anything not made from scratch is imported from Italy. Scratch kitchens are our favorite, but it doesn’t matter much if the chef doesn’t know how to prepare a proper meal. Luckily, at Adriatico, that’s the farthest worry from your mind.
Rosetta and Marco are the Italian natives who have owned and operated Adriatico Trattoria Italiana for the last 15 years. It’s evident that cooking and hosting is a passion for the two of them. This pride and passion for their cuisine really shines through their plates. Chef Marco must be particular and have an exquisite palate to be able to produce the quality and flavor combinations coming out of the Adriatico kitchen. This really isn’t something you see every day, and you owe it to Rosetta, Marco, and yourself to reserve a table and taste some of their amazing creations.
Adriatico Trattoria Italiana Is A Rose Among Thorns
Adriatico is quaint, and upscale. Abstract art decorates the walls, painted by the one and only Chef Marco. Smooth jazz plays over the radio and the faint patron chatter culminates with the atmosphere to create an extremely pleasurable experience for the senses. There is a huge difference between Italian American, and traditional Italian, when it comes to cuisine, the biggest difference being flavor, and Adriatico has flavor in spades.
Have you ever tasted something so delicious that your knees buckle, and you can’t seem to utter anything other than “Wow, that’s delicious!”? That’s Adriatico in a nutshell. We actually contemplated licking our plates clean, until we realized we were in the middle of a restaurant. We’ll discuss some menu items and wine throughout the rest of this food review.
The Soup Of The Day And Pinot Grigio
Before we speak about our meal, it’s worth mentioning that Adriatico serves the most deliciously warm, rustic, Italian bread, while you wait. Of course, it’s served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Your server will take a small plate and pour your olive oil from the container, straight from Italy, and then add your balsamic in the same manner. It’s a fantastic little touch of class and very delicious. It’s difficult, but try not to fill up on bread.
We know a bit about traditional Italian cuisine and Adriatico is absolutely unspoiled cuisine from the old country. They even go as far as to grow their own fresh herbs for use in the restaurant. First, we were served the soup of the day, which happened to be one of our favorites, pasta fagioli. Made with fresh pasta and imported Italian beans, that are soaked overnight, this is the first time we haven’t salted our soup during a visit to a local restaurant. We finished our bowl by tilting it upward to squeeze the last drop onto our spoon, literally. If Chef Marco goes through so much trouble for something as simple as soup, can you imagine what the rest of the menu is like?
With our soup we were served a few different types of wine. We’re not usually big on wine, but the wine offered at Adriatico is absolutely delicious. We decided on the Pinot Grigio, but there is quite an extensive list of wines to choose from. Anyone who enjoys a nice glass of wine with their dinner will be more than happy with the selection offered. Ask your sever which wines pair well with your meal, they won’t steer you wrong.
Artichokes May Be Our New Favorite
Secondly, we were presented with the Carciofini Mama Mia, consisting of baby artichoke hearts sautéed with sun-dried tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and mint in a homemade lemon butter sauce. We would drink the lemon butter sauce from a mug if it weren’t looked down upon. Artichokes have an earthy flavor and are usually served with some form of butter, whether it’s served with melted butter or cooked in butter.
The flavor combination of the earthy artichokes, butter, the homemade lemon sauce, and the sun-dried tomatoes have been meticulously slaved over. This is a dish that we’re betting you’ve never seen and once you take your first bite, you’ll be coming back for more. It’s an elegant dance of flavors that touch all the taste receptors on your tongue, creating an explosive flavor that is not easily recreated.
Veal: It’s What’s For Dinner At Adriatico Trattoria Italian
Now that we had gotten our feet wet with our soup and artichokes, it was time for our entrée, and we were happy to try the veal. The Vitello Alla Senese is described as tender veal medallions sautéed and topped with Prosciutto di Parma and Fontina cheeses, in a demi-glace reduction sauce, over a bed of fresh spinach. This is another dish that you won’t find in many places around town, if any.
This is real, old world, Italian cooking that you just have to try for yourself. The spinach is cooked just enough to make it wilt without sacrificing flavor which makes for a great bed of greens to lie those cheesy, saucy, veal medallions down on. Again, everything works in unison here. The beefy flavor of the veal with the cheese and demi-glace all combine to create a world of flavor that’s difficult to find. It’s a warm, flavorful, saucy, and cheesy dish that you’ll automatically love. It’s similar to southern home cooking here in the United States; you feel great while you’re eating it, it’s packed with flavor, and it’s inviting. There’s nothing bad to say about it.
We were also served a side of homemade fettucine in a homemade marinara sauce. This is the first time we’ve ever been served, simply, pasta and sauce, without anything added to it. But you know what? It works; it works so well. Because the pasta is made from scratch and the marinara sauce is made from scratch, it’s a much higher quality dish than you’re probably used to.
Just because you make pasta and sauce from scratch, doesn’t mean it’s going to be tasty. But you’re not Rosetta and Marco, these two are masters of their craft. Every bite of every dish is packed with such an overwhelming flavor profile that you can be served a simple dish of pasta and sauce and it will leave you stunned. Also, you can bring some sauce home for yourself. Adriatico proudly sells Pronto sauces made in house, and rightfully so.
Please be sure to visit Adriatico and try some of their amazing meals. You won’t be disappointed. Also, be sure to follow them on Facebook, not only for support, but to keep up with anything new that they have going on. Trust us, you’ll want to know about it.
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