Tis Me Michelle

This has become one of my favorite spots I’ve been to in Orlando. And for once, it wasn’t even a social media find. One of my friends and I tried out The Castle Irish Pub (review in the backlog). Afterward, we took a walk and stumbled upon Adriatico’s and added it to our forever-expanding list of places to try.

The place looked quaint and cozy, and that’s exactly what it was. Very quiet on a Monday night, but honestly no complaints. Our waiter came right over with menus and gave us a rundown of the daily specials. After my friends and I ordered our glasses of wine, we enjoyed the warm complimentary bread. It was yummy, nothing really exciting, but who doesn’t love bread and fresh warm bread at that.

I ordered the Bucatini Alla Maremma which was pasta tossed with wild mushrooms, pancetta & peas, in a light tomato sauce. I hadn’t had pasta in a hot minute, and it took me right back to Italy. Pasta in the States always makes me feel overly full and bloated, this dish, similar to my experience in Italy was light and delightful, super well-balanced. Loved having some vegetables and the saltiness from the pancetta. With my acid reflux, I stay away from too much red sauce these days, even though I love it. This was a rather light tomato sauce as the description implied, which I rather appreciated. And I love a good noodle, the bucatini was the right one for this dish. I would recommend this if you like a more simple, classic pasta dish.

My friends’ dishes looked amazing as well. One ordered the Filetto Al Gorgonzola, which was a great-looking piece of steak. The other went with the fish special of the day. I got a bite of the fish, and I have to say it was fantastic. We all wiped our plates clean, so you know, that should speak for itself.

And me being me, I wanted to try all the desserts. So I convinced my friends to make our own sampler platter. We chose three desserts from the menu, and if the others are any indication of what we ordered, you can’t go wrong. Ultimately we settled on the Affogato, Panna Cotta con Frutta di Bosco, and Tirimisu. Everything was fantastic! I always love an affogato and this one was a solid option. The tiramisu was so light and airy, it was an absolute dream. The panna cotta was a surprise delight. I do like flan and creme brulee, but I haven’t ventured much into the panna cotta world. I gotta say I’m a fan. It was creamy and had a nice citrus accent, without being overly sweet. All to say, don’t skimp on dessert, and if you are anything like me, try a few!

After all that, I was content with what I had without being overly stuffed. Like I mentioned with my dish above, I think it’s an ode to this restaurant being as authentic and cooking with good, simple ingredients. And being the closest to being in Italy as we’ll get in Orlando. I’m really glad we stumbled on this spot and finally got the chance to check it out. It seems like a bit of a hidden gem, and I’m rather okay if it stays that way. I’ll definitely be back here.

Rating: 9.5/10