TCPalm tells you where to find food locally on the Treasure Coast
TCPalm’s entertainment reporter Laurie K. Blandford finds the best food, reports on new restaurants and goes behind the scenes to tell their stories.
Italian ingredients and cooking techniques date back to Roman times, but notable changes occurred with the colonization of the Americas and the influx of ingredients such as maize, potatoes and sugar beets.
It is a cuisine heavily steeped in tradition with regional variations that perpetually exchange styles and traditions.
Italian food is one of the world’s most popular cuisines due to its flavor, simplicity and focus on fresh, quality ingredients and over the difficulty of preparation.
Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties have too many delicious Italian restaurants — in our downtowns, lining our main drags and tucked away in our strip malls and neighborhoods — to list them all, but here are some standouts.
All things food: Roundups of the latest reviews, inspections, new and best restaurants
INDIAN RIVER COUNTYItalian Cousin
Chef Michele Hennessey and her chef-husband, Gus, opened Italian Cousin in Sebastian in 2018, five years after opening the River Grill. They closed the latter so Hennessey could spend more time with her son while Gus focused on the restaurant. Gus, an immigrant from Mexico City, trained under a Sicilian restaurant owner for 10 years. Menu items include stuffed clams, fresh mozzarella caprese, chicken Parmesan, shrimp scampi, veal Marsala, potato gnocchi, house-made lasagna, and sausage and meatball rigatoni.
Trattoria Dario
Dario and Diana Bordoli opened Trattoria Dario in Vero Beach in 2013. Dario grew up in Lake Como, Italy, and worked in Switzerland and the United Kingdom before moving to Florida. They have six sons. The South Beach restaurant serves upscale Italian food with an authentic Italian experience and a trattoria-like atmosphere — open, inviting, casual and family-friendly. Menu items include beef carpaccio, burrata mozzarella, bruschetta caprese, polpette (housemade meatballs), soups, salads, homemade gnocchi, spaghetti carbonara, cannelloni (ground veal, pork and beef rolled with spinach, bechamel and tomato sauce in homemade pasta), along with chicken, fish and steak plates. It also offers daily dessert specials.
Scampi Grill
Dominic “Memo” Amelio opened the Scampi Grill, which moved to its current Vero Beach location in 2016. Chef Alessandro Amelio was 36 when he took over for his father. He spent his childhood working at the family’s first restaurant, the Italian Grill, which they sold in 1998. He later worked at the Black Pearl and other Vero Beach restaurants until reuniting with his father at the Scampi Grill when he was 20. Menu items include bruschetta, polpette (meatball), duck sausage, carbonara, lasagna made with a 12-hour braised veal osso bucco, house-made ravioli, lemon chicken (pan roasted chicken, lump crab meat, garlic, basil, angel hair pasta and a chardonnay-lemon cream sauce), veal piccata, veal and shrimp a la Scampi, and lemon Parmesan risotto. It has indoor/outdoor seating and nightly specials.
Armani’s Cucina
The Banks family opened Armani’s Cucina in downtown Vero Beach in 2020. The matriarch, Angelina, previously owned a pizza place before moving into the country club and private event business. Daughter Tara Banks is the general manager. Her husband works in the kitchen and her grandfather, Tony, is the maître d. It has nightly specials, outdoor seating, a full bar, cigars, an Italian market and hosts events such as its annual Italian Festival. Menu items include penne alla vodka, gnocchi Sorrentino, rigatoni Bolognese, shrimp scampi, lollipop lamb chops, veal parmigiana, baked brie oysters, pear and gorgonzola fiocchi and specialty pizzas such as the fig pizza, rucoletta pizza and white pizza.
ST. LUCIE COUNTYCasa Pasta Cucina
An Argentine family opened Casa Pasta Cucina in the downtown Fort Pierce’s Galleria of Pierce Harbor building in 2023. Patricia Albornoz is the head chef and her son, Matias Asenjo, is the sous chef. Cousins Rodrigo Eboli and Alejandro Parera are part of the restaurant too. The family moved to the U.S. during the COVID pandemic in 2020. Patricia got her passion for cooking from her mother, who escaped Italy during World War II, and grandmother. They serve authentic and innovative dishes made with fresh, locally sourced produce and authentic Italian imports. It is open for lunch, dinner and brunch on weekends. Menu items include burrata caprese, daily fresh home-made pasta dishes, bolognese, carpaccio, risotto ai funghi (mushroom risotto), pistachio panna cotta and connoli.
Tutto Fresco
Tutto Fresco Fine Dining & Patio Bar has a foundation steeped in family-owned endeavors, but it redefines Italian cuisine for the modern palate. It serves classic dishes with a fresh, contemporary twist. The interior is sleek, sophisticated and modern. The indoor seating has a fine dining ambiance, and the patio bar embodies a more relaxed atmosphere. Menu items include fresh mussels, calamari fritti, stuffed shrimp, carpaccio, “world’s best” giant meatball, handmade ravioli, scallop and crab risotto, homemade pappardelle alfredo and twin lobster tails.
Ristorante Corleone
Ristorante Corleone opened in 2018 with the mission to bring a taste of Italy and the Mediterranean to the heart of Port St. Lucie. It brings unique products imported from Italy and uses fresh ingredients for an authentic Italian fine dining experience. The ristorante differs slightly from a typical Italian restaurant because the menu has almost no Italian-American influence. As its website states, it made a clear business choice to assert itself as a “purist” ambassador of authentic Italian cuisine. The higher prices indicate its commitment to the quality of the ingredients used. Chef-owner Luca Fontanarosa was born and raised in Catania, Sicily. He came to the United States in 1991 and lived in Syracuse, New York, where he worked in several restaurants after retiring from IT and graduating from culinary school before settling in Florida. Menu items include crostini corleone (handmade garlic crostini with proscuitto), caprese, pappardelle al ragù di cinghiale (pappardelle with wild boar ragù), carbonara, spaghetti with Northern Quahog clams, homemade gnocchi, spaghetti termani made with the original meatball recipe of Teramo in the Abruzzi region of Italy, risotto and abbacchio scottadito (a full rack of lollipop lamb).
Casa Vincenzo Ristorante
Vincenzo and Anna Policno opened Casa Vincenzo in 2022 to bring an intimate, upscale restaurant to Port St. Lucie. It serves authentic Italian cuisine with handmade pasta dishes and bread. Vincenzo was born in Naples, Italy, and has worked in a handful of local Italian restaurants. Tables are limited, so reservations are strongly encouraged. Menu items include fettuccine bolognese, mushroom pappardelle, a house-made ravioli of the day, risotto of the day, sole with a lemon-butter-parsley sauce, branzino Mediterranean, salmon alla Italiana and filetto di manzo (8 ounce filet mignon topped with jumbo lump crab meat).
MARTIN COUNTYNonna’s
Treasure Coast chef and restaurateur Kyle Greene opened Nonna’s on Hutchinson Island in 2023. He also owns Kyle G’s Prime, Oak and Ember, Kyle G’s Oyster and Wine Bar and The Chicken Place, and plans to open Amore Italian chophouse in Port St. Lucie in 2025-26. Nonna’s pays tribute to Greene’s adopted Italian family. The menu is described as half-traditional, half-Greene’s own twist. Menu items include Nonna’s signature meatballs, pecorino fitters, fresh and imported pasta dishes such as gnocchi, fettuccine alfredo, linguine vongole and Nonna’s housemade lasagna made with chopped short rib, along with lamb shank osso bucco, chicken milanese and Nonna’s famous lemon chicken and risotto. It has outdoor seating, craft cocktails and desserts, including housemade Italian zeppoles.
10867 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach; 772-807-1404; website
Ristorante Claretta
Ristorante Claretta is an upscale Italian restaurant that uses premium ingredients imported from Italy, and when choosing locally, chef Francesco meticulously selects ingredients. The wine list expresses the rarity of all varietals of Italy, which have been matched throughout the centuries with the diversity of its regions and microclimates. Ristorante Claretta opened in November of 1997 and is owned by Clara Rusell and her children Francesco and Cristina. The family opened their first restaurant in the Piedmont region of Italy in 1993. Every summer, they visit Italy to observe new influences and trends in the kitchen. The buffalo mozzarella and ricotta cheese are imported from Campania, meats like speck are imported from Trentino-Alto-Adige and prosciutto from Parma. One of the house specialties is the handmade pasta made with imported type 00 Italian flour. Menu items include pepperoni Claretta, selezione di formaggi (selection of imported cheese from Italy), pepata di cozze (mussels, clams and shrimp with garlic, parsley, spices and EVOO), prosciutto crudo e melone, taglierini asparagi e proscuitto, tagliolini al granchio (crab meat), ravioli di ricotta al gorgonzola, gnocchetti al pesto, spaghetti alle vongole (Manila clams), risotto, bistecca alla fiorentina (50 oz certified Black Angus beef T bone steak grilled Tuscan style) and branzino al cartoccio.
1315 S.W. Martin Highway, Palm City; 772-219-9940; website
Pepe & Sale
Eric and Maria Cavallaro opened Pepe & Sale in downtown Stuart in 2020. Eric grew up in the restaurant industry with his parents, who immigrated from Sicily to Brooklyn, New York, and passed down their passion for food and dining. After years of running businesses in New York, the couple moved to Florida. Menu items include burrata alla caprese, grilled Sicilian fennel rope sausage and broccoli rabe, Portuguese octopus, ravioli alla zafferano (crab with saffron sauce), tagliatelle alla bolognese, spaghetti alla carbonara, chicken or veal alla Siciliana, wagyu tagliata di manzo (Australian wagyu) and filet mignon alla boscaiola.
Piatto Divino
Eric Cavallaro and his cousin, Alfrio Trovato, co-own Pane e Vino near downtown Stuart. Trovato was born and raised in Catania, Sicily. He is an experienced restaurateur with a passion for Italian cuisine, which began with his studies in the tourism business. He worked for various companies in Sicily. The restaurant uses a traditional Neapolitan wood oven and is influenced by the renowned chefs of Sicily, Naples and Sardinia. Menu items include mozzarella in carrozza, cozze e vongole, red and white sauce pizza options, homemade tricolor Italian flag gnocchi dishes, pappardelle served in a beef short rib ragú, risotto alla zucca, homemade ravioli stuffed with osso buco, salmolne al limone and an array of desserts.
Giordi
Giordano “Giordi” was born in Milan, Italy, and is from a family of restaurateurs. He has been learning the family business since he was 8 years old, having inherited his passion for food from his mother. After school, he started working for prestigious hotels in Milan, where he expanded his knowledge of the industry. Giordi opened his first restaurant, Mister Marlin, in Milan in 1992, followed by Señor Marlin in 1998 and Mister Marlin Lounge Bar in 2002. He opened Mister Charly, dedicated to his father, in Formentera, Spain, in 2004. Giordi moved to the U.S. with his wife and children in 2009. He opened Giordi with his son, Alberto. Menu items include bresaola (dry-cured beef), crudo, burrata, octopus carpaccio, pizzoccheri (buckwheat flour flat ribbons, baby spinach, and Swiss, gruyere and fontina cheese), calamarata, eggplant gnocchi, daily special ravioli or risotto with seasonal ingredients, branzino, duck aux baies (berries, leeks and herbs) and crispy quails. It offers brunch on Sundays and has a seven-course tasting menu with beverage pairing options at their Chef’s Table only.
Casa Bella Restaurant
Casa Bella is located in a Key West-style house near downtown Stuart and has been serving authentic Northern and Southern Italian cuisine for over 27 years. The combination of regions is a tribute to chef-owner Gerry Profeta’s parents. His mother is from Northern Italy and his father is from Southern Italy. It has a romantic atmosphere and three dining areas, including a cozy alcove, a main dining area resembling a living room and a garden area featuring live plants and a fountain. Menu items include baked clams oreganata, frog legs provencal, lasagna, baked ziti trattoria, fettuccine alfredo, ravioli alla romano, pollo casa bella (chicken breast stuff with prosciutto, mozzarella and spinach), vitello milanese and desserts including homemade ice cream and strawberry zabaglione.
The Chef’s Table
The Chef’s Table near downtown Stuart has been serving fine Italian cuisine since 2009. Executive Chef Paolo Ferretti creates seasonal menus featuring handmade pastas, choice meats, fresh local seafood and peak-of-season vegetables using classically trained techniques. The restaurant has only 50 seats, and the main dining room is centered around a family heirloom table that seats up to six. Tasting options include five courses selected by the chef and a six half-glass wine pairing. Menu items recently included confit d’anatra (confit duck), tuna crudo, granchio e melone (crab cake with chilled honeydew mint purée and cripsy pancetta), branzino and carré d’agnello (half rack of lamb, mushroom gratin, polenta and chianti demi). The menu also has a housemade pasta section including gnocchi, cavatelli cacio e pepe, tagliatelle bolognese and porcini pappardelle.
Eighteen Seminole Street Italian Bistro
Eighteen Seminole Street in downtown Stuart serves classic Italian specialties with a fresh, vibrant twist in an intimate house in downtown Stuart. The building was built in the 1920s and still has its original wood floors and architectural features. It has outdoor seating and a unique setup featuring a series of doorways and smaller rooms. The pastas, sauces and desserts are made fresh daily. It uses locally sourced produce and fresh herbs from its garden. Menu items include fresh mozzarella, house meatballs, veal sorrentino, Tuscan veal, chicken scarpariella, baked eggplant marsala, shrimp scampi, lasagna made fresh in-house daily, linguine puttanesca and baked ziti.
Renato’s & Josephine’s Restaurant
Originally from Sicily, Renato and Josephine have mastered authentic Italian cuisine for almost 30 years. The family-owned restaurant has become a landmark in Sewall’s Point. They opened their first restaurant, Renato’s, in 1996, followed by Josephine’s Cafe and Bistro. They combined the restaurants in 2019. Dining areas include the bar, restaurant or al fresco, surrounded by the sounds of the fountain. It serves brick oven pizza, and menu items include baked French brie, chicken Milanese, panino Toscano, cannelloni stuffed with meat and cheese, chicken or veal piccata, risotto fruitti di mare made with imported Italian rice, calamari, mussels, shrimp and clams, lasagna bolognese, gnocchi sorrentina and tortelloni pera gorgonzola (tortellini pouch pasta filled with ricotta and poached pears topped with a gorgonzola sauce and walnuts).
3714 S.E. Ocean Blvd., Stuart; 772-266-9131; website
Eve Pierpont is a freelancer for TCPalm who looks out for the best things to do across the Treasure Coast. Do you have an upcoming event you want to be potentially included in this weekly roundup? Email it to her at epierpont@gannett.com. You can also upload your event to TCPalm’s event page at events.tcpalm.com.