Italian Restaurants in Pinecrest
CiCi's Pizza
Pizza, Pasta, and Salad Buffet for Two or Four at CiCi’s Pizza (46% Off)
Pizza made with fresh dough lines the expansive buffet, along with pasta, salads, and desserts
Multiple Locations
$11.98 $7
Select Local Merchants
Pastazzi's culinary crackerjacks curate a menu replete with homemade twists on traditional Italian cuisine for noshers on the go. Diners design their own edible masterpieces from many possible combinations of handcrafted pastas and fresh sauces such as penne with bolognesa, cheese ravioli with pomodoro, and gnocchi with creamy alfredo ($7.85–$10.50). Flex jaw muscles like a contestant in the world’s-strongest-jaw competition before decimating the roasted eggplant lasagna ($8.95), or the salami and manchego-cheese panini ($8.25). Mollify insurgent sweet teeth with sugary selections such as the berry tartlet ($4.95) and tiramisu, the traditional italian cake made from lady fingers and espresso whose name translates as "tiramisu" ($4.50).
The chefs at Calamari Restaurant strive to create familiar, comforting Italian foods with house-made ingredients and ocean-fresh fish. With an emphasis on seafood dishes, they grill salmon fillets and stuff lobster ravioli that the Miami New Times placed 50th on its list of 100 Favorite Dishes in 2010, calling it "the entrée that will keep you coming back for more." They also strive to recreate homemade flavors by creating their own Italian sausages and pasta, and roast pizzas in a wood-burning brick oven within sight of the dining room.
In addition to an indoor dining room, outdoor tables with checkered cloths surround a garden fountain, "evoking a seaside picnic," according to a 2009 review in the Miami Herald.
Small wrought-iron chandeliers, pendant lamps, and track fixtures bathe Focaccia Bistro's rustic-modern interior in an amber glow, illuminating towering wooden wine racks stuffed with European vintages. Though the white-clothed tables carry elegantly plated dishes of risotto, shellfish pasta, and handmade ravioli, the bistro's decor extends beyond Italy, enticing passersby with full-length front windows that evoke the aura of a 1930s-era café. French-influenced brunch consisting of croissants and baguettes further enhances the café vibe, as does the beret-sporting ghost that haunts the restrooms.
The menu at Il Corso Trattoria overflows with traditional Italian dishes, displaying examples of lasagna, filet mignon, tilapia, paninis, and brick-oven pizzas. Inside the Old World–style eatery, exposed brick columns stand tall as diners feast on chefs' gourmet handiwork and sample wines that flow straight into the restaurant via transoceanic aqueducts.
Coral Gables: The classic dishes at Anacapri Italian Restaurant earned the eatery a place on CBS Miami's list of Best Italian Restaurants in South Florida. Chefs at the Coral Gables location serve up pasta standards such lasagna, fettuccine alfredo, and linguine with baby clams, as well as veal, steak, and seafood main courses. The ambiance at Anacapri Coral Gables is relaxed and welcoming, with white tablecloths cloaking the tables and collections of wine bottles lining a dividing screen. This setting invites both romantic dinners and festive gatherings of family members or bocce rivals. Pinecrest location: The classic dishes at Anacapri Italian Restaurant earned the eatery a place on CBS Miami's list of Best Italian Restaurants in South Florida. Chefs at the Pinecrest location serve up pasta standards such lasagna, fettuccine alfredo, and linguine with baby clams, as well as veal, steak, and seafood main courses. The ambiance at Anacapri Pinecrest is relaxed and welcoming, with white tablecloths on the tables and collections of wine bottles lining the exposed brick walls. Large framed paintings of the Italian countryside hang from olive walls, lending a cozy feel to the dining room. This setting invites both romantic dinners and festive gatherings of family members or bocce rivals.
At La Palma, the air is full of so much romance that it seems possible to pluck the moon from the sky with your fork. This is doubly the case if you order the popular Meze Lune Ripiene di Zucca?a pasta dish of moon-shaped, pumpkin-stuffed tortellini glazed with a butter and sage sauce. Even if you don't, though, the restaurant's scenery is enough to make a date memorable: the historic building was designed as a hotel in 1924 by George Merrick, whose Mediterranean architecture dots much of Coral Gables. Inside, fine art curated by the owners draws the eye. Outside, trees swathed in lights and a burbling stone fountain evoke an Italian courtyard. And on Wednesdays through Saturdays, live music adds to the dreamy quality of the setting.
The Northern Italian food also transports diners to Europe. Homemade pastas mixed with seafood and meat sauce abound, including spaghetti with fresh clams and crab-filled ravioli. Entrees of braised veal shank, grilled tuna in a gorgonzola cheese sauce, and New Zealand rack of lamb make for satisfying dinners. There's also a prix fixe chef's special menu, which concludes with a homemade treat you get to choose from a dessert trolley, as long as you don't hop on and demand to be taken to Candyland post haste.