66 F
The Villages
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Roberto’s Ristorante and Pizzeria serves authentic Italian cuisine

Roberto’s Ristorante and Pizzeria at Pinellas Plaza

When a new restaurant opens its doors in The Villages, it will immediately draw the curious.

So when Roberto’s Ristorante and Pizzeria opened July 25 at Pinellas Plaza, it was no surprise to see long lines out front.

Owner Roberto Manco’s reputation had preceded him before he opened his own eatery. He had worked for years as executive chef at his brother Giovanni’s namesake restaurant at Southern Trace Plaza, also in The Villages. Roberto, who came to America from Naples, Italy, had been at his brother’s restaurant for more than a decade. He understood what Villagers enjoy.

Now three months after officially striking out on his own, it appears Roberto’s gamble has paid off.

We paid a recent visit to the restaurant, which offers a menu rich with Italian cuisine.

The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating, ranging from small tables to large, comfortable booths. We were there for lunch, which offers an inviting “come as you are” feel.

Comfortable booths are located in the dining room.

Eager to sample the full range of the menu, I had a heavier dish, Shrimp Scampi. The entree was preceded by garlic rolls and then soup, which came at $2 more than the salad that is offered with the entree.

Garlic rolls preceded the meal and were a real treat.
Shrimp Scampi proved to be light, lemony and luscious.

The shrimp in my entree had been sautéed in white wine with lemon garlic sauce and then served over linguine. The dish had a sweet, very lemony taste which I found quite appealing. The side medley of fresh vegetables included tender cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. The price of the meal, $16.50 with the $2 add-on for the substitution of soup over salad, seemed quite reasonable. I was more than satisfied and left with a box. 

The Chicken Parmesan Panini sandwich at Roberto’s Ristorante and Pizzaria.
Roberto Manco

My lunch companion stuck with a more traditional noon-time meal, the Chicken Parmesan Panini sandwich. Chicken Parmesan is his go-to dish when we eat out at an Italian restaurant, and he said the bread, chicken and sauce exceeded his expectations. He elected to order a side of steak fries, which at $2.50, were hot and delicious, served in their own basket. He also left Roberto’s with a box.

We wish Roberto all the best. We’ll be back and suspect our next visit will be in the evening for pizza.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.

Our amenities are being used by families with kids

In a Letter to the Editor, a Village of Citrus Grove resident says she is not happy about families with kids using amenities paid for by residents.

Finally allocating funds to the golf courses!

A Village of Hadley resident said he is happy that more money is being allocated to the golf courses. Read his Letter to the Editor.

Trump is unfit for any office

A Village of Osceola Hills resident, in a Letter to the Editor, details why he thinks former President Trump is unfit to hold any office.

I don’t think the original Developer saw this coming

A resident of the Village of St. Charles offers his thoughts on deed compliance and the original Developer of The Villages.

Proudly fly the flag in honor of my father’s Navy service

A Village of St. Johns resident, in a Letter to the Editor, says she proudly displays the U.S. Navy flag in honor of her father.