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Old 05-27-2009, 04:48 PM
 
35 posts, read 231,535 times
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I would like to take my husband to a really nice Italian restaurant for his 40th birthday. We prefer Southern Italian (red sauce) to Northern.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be a great help!
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Old 05-27-2009, 05:05 PM
 
4,948 posts, read 18,688,068 times
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In Land O Lakes Benedetto's was voted top in the state www.benedettoitalian.com
Circles in New Tampa The Olive Garden, in New Tampa. Manolo's Italian in Zephyrshills
I always had good food at the mararoni grill, and my friends from the north loved it there.
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Old 05-27-2009, 07:41 PM
 
Location: South Tampa - Bayside West Neighborhood
1,824 posts, read 8,376,422 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spunker72 View Post
I would like to take my husband to a really nice Italian restaurant for his 40th birthday. We prefer Southern Italian (red sauce) to Northern.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be a great help!
The BEST for FOOD QUALITY and SERVICE is LAUGHING CAT in Ybor City on the corner of 8th Avenue and 15th Street. You will NOT be dissapointed. IM a regular typically once a week...the owner is from Italy, had a restaurant in Long Island, NY, then moved to Tampa. Molto Bene!
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Old 05-27-2009, 09:33 PM
 
Location: I will be escaping Suck City and landing in Tampa in December
346 posts, read 910,339 times
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Check out the Zagat's Tampa section...
ZAGAT: Ratings & Reviews for New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Restaurants Everywhere (http://www.zagat.com/Index.aspx?ULOC=TY%3dGeo%26D%3dTampa%26GS%3dGeoChi ldID%257c1916&SRL=1 - broken link)
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Old 05-28-2009, 06:42 AM
 
Location: The 'burg
428 posts, read 1,472,180 times
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I can't believe someone recommended Olive Garden- you should be banned ! :-)

The top two Italian restaurants in Tampa IMO are Donatellos and Armani's, but both are Northern Italian.

I would second The Laughing Cat in Ybor, and further recommend La Terazza and Bernini, both on 7th Ave in Ybor.
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Old 05-28-2009, 07:48 AM
 
Location: Tampa Bay`·.¸¸ ><((((º>.·´¯`·><((((º>
4,696 posts, read 7,890,053 times
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You have several good rec's here from others, I have not been to them, but I have been to Angelinos in Palm Harbor with an italian chef who is a friend of us who swears by it.
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Old 05-28-2009, 10:24 AM
 
Location: South Tampa - Bayside West Neighborhood
1,824 posts, read 8,376,422 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Angler View Post
I can't believe someone recommended Olive Garden- you should be banned ! :-)

The top two Italian restaurants in Tampa IMO are Donatellos and Armani's, but both are Northern Italian.

I would second The Laughing Cat in Ybor, and further recommend La Terazza and Bernini, both on 7th Ave in Ybor.
Donatello's and Armani's are also VERY VERY good, more upscale and classy service too!
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Old 05-28-2009, 10:55 AM
 
17,533 posts, read 39,105,017 times
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My vote is for Laughing Cat, also. LOL Olive Garden is a complete joke - that is NOT Italian food, it's not even passable pseudo-Italian. For a chain I think Carrabas is much better.
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Old 05-28-2009, 04:30 PM
 
35 posts, read 231,535 times
Reputation: 26
Default thanks!

Thanks for your responses! I'm going to check out Laughing Cat, I've never even heard of it and I live pretty close to Ybor City!
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Old 05-28-2009, 04:42 PM
 
Location: Citrus Park, FL
101 posts, read 530,093 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gypsychic View Post
My vote is for Laughing Cat, also. LOL Olive Garden is a complete joke - that is NOT Italian food, it's not even passable pseudo-Italian. For a chain I think Carrabas is much better.

I completely agree with this statement.


Also, if you're really just looking for a place to get great fresh pasta in the sauce of your choosing, "La Casa Della Pasta" in Carrollwood is actually surprisingly good. It's more upscale than the casual chains, but nowhere on the level of Armani's.
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