Review: Roberto’s Italian Restaurant
ROBERTO’S ITALIAN
1261 Celebration Blvd
Florence, SC 29501 (Map)
(843) 661-7794
Website
*** Roberto’s has closed, unfortunately with little notice. Rumors are circulating about relocation, but nothing confirmed to date ***
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
Stefano’s is a perennial local favorite, of course, but it appears that Florence is about to experience a combattere il royale for the hearts and stomachs of those who truly enjoy great Italian food. With fresh ingredients and a limited menu that enables a focus on quality, Roberto’s will reward your taste buds for daring to cross town and chancing an evening out with a newbie to Pee Dee food scene.
WHY WE WILL GO (AGAIN)
The food is excellent. Roberto’s scores a 3 on our unique restaurant rating scale.
BACKGROUND
Roberto’s opened in mid-May 2011 with minimum fanfare and maximum promise. The restaurant is located in a familiar strip mall on Celebration Boulevard; down the row from Mi Tierra San Jose. We we were tipped-off to Roberto’s by a PeeDeeFoodie.com reader who is now working with Roberto’s to promote the new venture. The owner, known to us thus far only as “Massimiliano” (or “Max”), is a native of Italy and is said to hold a clear vision for the future of Roberto’s. Max sounds like an excellent person for a Foodie Profile Q&A.
DINING EXPERIENCE
Melantzane all Parmiggiana
The restaurant feels new and a bit unsettled, but that is to be expected after only a couple of weeks’ operation. The dining room is clean, organized and features artwork reminiscent of the Old Country and fixtures that are modern and colorful. The service staff is friendly, accommodating and low-key. Requests for menu suggestions were met with knowledge and enthusiasm. Glasses were kept filled and dishes cleared in a timely fashion. We were not rushed, nor were we left to linger.
We started our meal with the house-made bread with rosemary and olive oil. The house salad was included with all entrees at dinner time, so that followed. Our first entree was Melanzane alla Parmiggiana (Eggplant Parmesan; $13.99). It was as-described: lightly fried, layered with marinara and mozzarella. It was very good, according to Mrs. PDF. The second was Vitello al Limone (Veal with Lemon-butter sauce, $16.99), flavored with white wine and capers. The salt, sweet and sour were well-balanced, though the spaghetti might be better replaced with a pasta form better able to handle the thin sauce. The veal was fork-tender. Third was Fettuccine Alfredo con Gamberi (Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp, $14.99). The shrimp were fresh and not overcooked; always a good sign of quality and attention to detail. The Alfredo was creamy, rich and simply begged to be shared. We completed our dinner with a Cannoli. Roberto’s cannolis are chocolate-dipped and not to be missed. The mascarpone cheese filling was as good as the outer shell was crisp. Only a freshly-made cannoli can walk that fine line. It was simply the best anywhere east of Angelo Brocato’s.
SELECTED MENU
Caprese
Imprepatta di Cozze (mussels)
Bruschetta
Panini Selection – Lunch Only
Spaghetti alle Vongole (clams)
Fettucini Alfredo con Pollo (chicken)
Lasagna alla Bolognese
Melanzane (eggplant) alla Parmiggiana
Pollo al Limone
Pollo alla Pizzaiola
Vitello (veal) al Marsala
Filetto di Tilapia al Cartoccio
Filetto di Salmone Roberto
Cannoli
Tiramisu
Creme Caramel
INSIDER TIP
Being new, most people have not yet heard of Roberto’s. While this is regrettable, it nonetheless represents an opportunity for Pee Dee foodies to explore and enjoy the menu without the crowds that typify Florence restaurants on a Friday or Saturday night. Once the newness wears off, Roberto’s will no doubt be a contender for a Best of the Pee Dee title.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
No doubt these simple issues will be addressed in the coming weeks, if they haven’t been already:
• Tables, while spotless, could be covered because being dark-colored they tend to highlight every crumb and salt grain spilled.
• Lighting should be adjusted to be a bit brighter so that the windows (during the day) are not the main source of lighting.
• Music volume should be adjusted to a background level. Also, while the inclusion of Italian hip-hop in the rotation is divertimento in my book, it may be a bit much for diners seeking a relaxing evening meal.
REMEMBER
Romantic
Lunch Menu
Dinner Menu
Kid-friendly
Closed Mid-Afternoons
Closed Sundays
PHOTOS AND VIDEO
LINK: Read the Florence Flossip‘s review of Roberto’s Italian Restaurant (06/13/11) posted here: http://theflossip.com/2011/06/13/robertos-italian-restaurant-is-a-hit/
Space
A Note on Reviewer Objectivity: PeeDeeFoodie.com reviewers are independent and opinions are uniquely their own. Writers research and write all Quick Bite restaurant reviews personally, based entirely on meals personally taken in the restaurants featured. Writers pay for all review meals from their own pockets. Writers do not accept free review meals, nor are they reimbursed by anyone for restaurant expenditures.
Category: Best of 2011, Restaurant Reviews
About the Author
Since January 2010, PeeDeeFoodie.com™ has been the online home for Kevin's exploration and promotion of the food, foodies and food culture of the South Carolina. With a background in business and a degree in accounting, he may be an unlikely foodie until you hear that he earned that degree in New Orleans. Kevin is a husband, father, self-described geek, and host of the blog's new companion podcast, the Pee Dee Food Show, now available on iTunes, Blackberry, Zune, and direct RSS. Learn more about Kevin on his Contributor page under the About tab.Thanks for reading PeeDeeFoodie.com™
We went for the first time last week, and we loved it! We had the appetizer special for the day, shrimp in a tomato-based sauce. They were delicious and perfectly cooked. My husband had the spaghetti with Italian sausage, and I had the chicken alla limone. Both dishes were very satisfying. We tried two desserts: pannecotta and tiramisu. The tiramisu was our favorite...if there were berries with the pannecotta, it would have been better. After reading pdfoodie's review of the cannoli, comparing it to Brocato's, I want to try it. I lived in New Orleans for five years, and I could happily live on Brocato's mini-cannoli and gelato. If you haven't tried Roberto's yet -- you should!
It's great to hear from someone who has been to Angelo Brocato's. We're planning to attend the International Food Bloggers Conference in New Orleans in late August - Brocato's will be on our list for a quick visit!
We went to Roberto's tonight for the first time and loved, loved, loved it. I had the spaghetti with clams and my husband had the spaghetti with itlalian sausage and it was to die for. We will definitely go back. I am so glad that Florence finally has an upscale Italian restaurant. We were surprised at the end of our meal with a Cannoli and it was also to die for. Can't wait to go back again. Our server was great too.
Thanks for this report. Glad you enjoyed yourselves. Like I said in the review - don't skip dessert!
QUICK FYI -- As we want to always find ways to support other local bloggers, here is the Florence Flossip's own review of Roberto's, published today: http://theflossip.com/2011/06/13/robertos-italian-restaurant-is-a-hit/
We loved our meal at Roberto's...they are Italian right from Rome and Serento Italy...they know how to make authentic Italian meals...everything was wonderfully fresh, made to order and just like my grandmother used to make...they went out of their way to please us and even prepared a special antipasto that was filled with home made Mutzarella and artichoke hearts...we finally have a real Italian Restaurant in Florence!!
Thanks, Chris, first for visiting our blog and second for sharing your experience at Roberto's. We agree that Roberto's is a wonderful addition to the food scene in the Pee Dee -- a "must do" in our opinion.
Thank you so much for the review of Roberto's Italian Restaurant. It was very much appreciated!! Looking forward to your interview with Max and Alex. Mille Grazie!!
