Guests staying at the luxury Eiko’s Beach House in Treasure Island, almost always ask what our favourite Italian restaurant is? This isn’t surprising as everybody loves Italian food, right? Ok, the carbs add to the waist line but then again the taste of spaghetti with our favourite sauce is simply too good to start worrying about our diet. Even when we have a Veal or Chicken Parmigiana, it just tastes better with a side of pasta doesn’t it?
We love “al dente” pasta and for a variety of reasons it’s hard to find this delicious style of cooking pasta. But what is al dente? In Italian al dente means, “to the tooth”. This is a slightly undercooked pasta which is firm and not mushy when chewed. Usually this type of pasta is cooked anywhere from a minute to 30 seconds less than the recommended cooking time.
Does this really matter?
To pasta fanatics like Eiko the answer is most definitely yes! Yet, to find this elusive pasta we have been searching the Tampa Bay Area for years and have come up with three restaurants, near Treasure Island which we put on our go to list for al dente pasta. Here they are:
Donatello Italian Restaurant
Donatello Italian Restaurant located at 232 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa. Not the shortest of drives as you need to allocate almost 30 minutes to get there from the Eiko’s Beach House.
The owners of Donatello’s are Italian who had restaurant experience in London and Geneva. Donatello is a go to place in Tampa for fine dining but also meets Eiko’s strict requirements for al dente pasta. In the past we have had delicious seafood, my favourite dish is sea bass with lobster, but recently we have had a delicious Spaghetti Vongole which was served al dente. Now, it is important to note that while the waiter will tell you all pasta is served al dente, we found this is not necessarily true.
You need to specify al dente to the waiter and ask him to tell the chef otherwise it will be close but a little mushy instead of the Italian firm pasta we have grown to love. The prices are high but the quality is good so Donatello is worth the drive from Treasure Island and has made our special restaurant list.
Sea Salt
Sea Salt located at 183 2nd Ave N. St. Petersburg is roughly a 20 minute drive from Eiko’s Beach House in downtown St. Petersburg and walking distance from the Vinoy Hotel. Technically Sea Salt is a seafood restaurant which attracts customers with its 130 different salts, a 20 foot wine towers for wine connoisseurs and an amazing 80 feet raw bar for fantastically fresh oysters, clams, mussels, etc.
Already, Sea Salt hits all the right buttons as a place to visit for special occasions; however, the owner of Sea Salts is from Venice Italy, not Florida, and they prepare pasta the old fashion way: al dente. If you love seafood as we do suggest you try the Liguria Seafood Platter which is al dente linguine with an assortment of very fresh seafood. My mouth is watering as I type this!
Also consider the Rigatoni Bolognese for those who prefer meat to fish. This restaurant will not disappoint but it is on the pricey site and reservations are recommended. Give it a try and enjoy downtown St. Petersburg before or after your dining experience.
Pia’s Trattoria
Last but by no means least is Pia’s Trattoria at 3054 Beach Blvd, Gulfport. A 10 to 15 minute drive from Treasure Island and is located in Old Key West style Gulfport. Just driving into town tales you back in time to a more relaxing a slow paced vibe.
Pia’s is an old favourite and they aim to please by making their dishes from scratch with only the freshest ingredients. Walking into the restaurant is more akin to entering someone’s home and you will be welcomed warmly.
As with Donatello, when ordering pasta you will need to emphasise that you want al dente. We have had hits and misses with Pia’s pasta so always ask your server to tell the chef to make the pasta very al dente. This being said, we Spaghetti Di Bologia and the Spaghetti Arrabiata. The Spaghetti Di Bologia ‘s meat sauce has finely chopped steak which truly compliments the Spaghetti while the Arrabiata is a bit spicy with a wonderful kick. It is all quenched by a refreshing Sangria or Chianti.
Prices are moderate compared to the above two restaurants and generally less formal as well. A great place to bring the children!
Conclusion
Of course you can choose to avoid the expense of going out and stay at Eiko’s Beach House in Treasure Island and feast on your own al dente pasta while viewing the dolphins from the dining room. After boiling your water add salt and a little olive oil. Boil your spaghetti for approximately 7 minutes and start tasting the spaghetti every 30 seconds or so. You will soon become an expert at making your pasta al dente but will see why it is easier for chefs to let the pasta boil.
It is time consuming but great and simple food does require a little care. After a delicious dinner at Eiko’s Beach House, no need to drive home, just relax and dream what fun is in store for you and your family tomorrow in your own private paradise.
