restaurant

Da Sesto Italiano Restaurant and Market, Pinellas Park

Careful attention to the simple things is key to creating a satisfying meal.

By Laura Reiley, Times Food Critic
Published January 24, 2008

	The family members behind the Italian flavors of Da Sesto are, from left, Sesto Ramadori; his mother, Angela Ramadori; and his wife, Micheline Rozon.
[Times photo: John Pendygraft]

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: John Pendygraft] Da Sesto's menu lists eight kinds of pasta, nine varieties of sauce. Spaghetti bolognese, center, is nurturing and satisfying; sample the stuffed olives, left, then dig into some fettuccine Mamma Angela, rear. The mozzarella in carrozza, right, also provides a feast for the eyes.

Da Sesto Italiano Restaurant and Market
7199 66th St. N, Pinellas Park(727) 209-2695
Cuisine: Italian
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday
Details: Amex, MC, V, Discover; reservations accepted; beer and wine; live classical guitar on Saturday evenings
Prices: Pastas $7.50 to $11.95; entrees $12.95 to $18.95

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PINELLAS PARK - Sometimes the hardest things to master in the kitchen are the simple ones. Good Italian food is all about this deceptive simplicity.

Sesto Ramadori and his wife, Micheline Rozon, specialize in this sleight of hand at Da Sesto Italiano Restaurant and Market, which they opened a year ago in an unassuming former sandwich shop. They've been working on simple perfection for a while, owning the Florida Pasta Company in Pinellas Park for 11 years and three Italian restaurants in Montreal before that.

Still, the competition is fierce around here. Why, just on the opposite corner sits Pomodoro, another new Italian joint. In order to survive in this heated Italianate onslaught, the newcomer has got to find its niche. So what does Da Sesto do best? It's warm and comfortable, with service to match. Plus, it sells Italian staples at fair prices.

A few sips of Chianto classico, paired with an order of large, deep-fried green olives stuffed with ground meat and Parmesan $6.95, and you're on your way. But if you're looking for the culinary road less traveled, keep moving. Pastas come mix and match: Eight kinds of pasta, nine kinds of sauce. Rigatoni Bolognese ($8.95) sums up the ethos here. It's hearty, nurturing, with billows of rising steam the only challenge. It doesn't have all the secondary notes of some versions (cream, nutmeg, lemon zest, even chicken livers), but its high tones of bright tomato and low tones of dusky ground meat are enough.

The linguine all' arrabbiata ($8.95) could use an eensy boost to the heat level, but its fresh, sweet-acidic tomato sauce and toothsome noodles are enjoyable. Tell the kitchen to kick up the chili flakes, and it's a contender.

As at so many restaurants, gnocchi make a better shared second course than an entree. It's a matter of density. Da Sesto's version leans to earthbound more than feather light, causing gravity to seem excruciating if one consumes more than half an order. But half an order of the shell-shaped potato dumplings with their cheesy, creamy Gorgonzola blanket will do a body good.

Making a beeline for the gnocchi one day, I made a brief pit stop at the house Caesar salad (small $3.75; large $6.75), lengths of inner and outer romaine, shreds of cheese, nice croutons and a fairly zesty dressing. Tasty, but the antipasti plate that includes fresh mozzarella and roasted red peppers ($8.95) had me more enthused.

Beyond the pastas, a whole passel of entrees beckon. They are also reasonably priced (between $13 and $21) and generously portioned. Veal scaloppini plays a leading role, and sauteed chicken breast with Italian fixings co-stars. We opted for veal piccata ($16.25), thin-pounded, quickly sauteed and served with a balanced lemony-capery-buttery sauce and a second dish of chicken marsala ($12.95), very juicy, smothered in fresh sauteed button mushrooms.

End with two items that seem simple but are hard to do well: an espresso ($1.95) capped with a perfect crema, and a cannoli shell ($2.75) cradling a filling flavored with vanilla and nutmeg.

Contact Laura Reiley at lreiley@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2293. Her blog, the Mouth of Tampa Bay, can be found at www.blogs.tampabay.com/dining. Reiley dines anonymously and unannounced. The Times pays all expenses. Advertising has nothing to do with selection for review or the assessment.

[Last modified January 22, 2008, 17:16:00]