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Ambitious and delicious
Pan-seared Dover sole at Ristorante da Tullio in Palm Harbor.
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By CHRIS SHERMAN
© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 18, 2001
A new restaurant from a favorite Italian family lives up to its high prices at dinner, but it has room to improve.
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Fans who remember the little Ristorante Firenze in Holiday during the '90s will be delighted that the Mastrangelos have returned to Florida and set up a new place in Palm Harbor.
They'll also be surprised.
For while Anna Marie and Tullio still stuff their mushrooms with spinach and Gorgonzola, they have moved up to ornate dining rooms, a menu of veal, souffles, wild mushrooms and colossal shrimp -- and luxurious prices to match.
Ristorante da Tullio is the dream of a couple who have spent a long time in the kitchens. After years in various parts of Italy, a cruise ship, EPCOT, Pasco Countyand a brief sojourn in Europe, they have arrived at the gourmet nexus of north Pinellas. This ordinary suburban corner is home to the elegant Blue Heron, clever Mecca, the uptown Mystic Fish and the red meat and red wines of Harr's Surf & Turf grocery.
Even if you know the area, you may be surprised when you step into the strip center slot. Behind the lace curtains it's vintage fancy Italian, wood floors and mahogany chairs, with white walls filled with gold-framed copies of Italy's most iconic artwork. (Michelangelo's Creation, transposed from the Sistine ceiling to a wall hanging.)
Pan-seared Dover sole is among dishes with distinctive regional flavor.
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The right-hand column of the menu makes further claims to nobility: Numbers run from $9 to $17 at lunch and $17 to $28 at dinner. Those are prices that draw gasps on the Suncoast -- and in tonier neighborhoods around Tampa Bay.
It was too much at lunch, which da Tullio has just started, for most of what I sampled. Rigatoni with robust meat sauce sounded good, but chunks of filet were overcooked; with the linguine, broccoli was garlicky but limp and dull, disappointing at half the price. Only the lusciously creamy buffalo mozzarella and an entree salad of tenderly marinated seafood met the standards set by the price.
At dinner, however, my budgetary nervousness was smoothed over by rich textures and deep flavors that showed care in the kitchen worthy of big-bucks Italian -- and more distinctive regional tastes than many Italian restaurants offer. I would that it were less dear, but I'm glad to have it.
While veal dishes may make you think "northern Italian," look hard and you'll find Tullio's heart and taste in the rugged south of Abruzzo and his native Molise. Where else can you eat gnocchi with lamb in red wine and tomatoes?
It's another gnocchi, malfatti, that gives a truly indulgent taste of Italy. This is a crude dumpling made not of potatoes but of spinach and ricotta like you would use in ravioli, but cooked without the pillow, seasoned with nutmeg and tossed with cream and sage. Not a whiff of oregano, but very Italian. Get a half order as an appetizer at least.
Fusilli with crab meat was close to eating pasta in Italy: the spirals were tossed with strands of snow crab and a thin rose sauce, more bechamel than tomato, lightly tossed so each forkful contained subtle flavors tucked into the noodles.
In veal porcini, veal was perfectly cooked -- almost as lush as the mushrooms, which achieved a silkiness that rivaled foie gras. In scampi all' aglio, the monster shrimp were so gently cooked you could taste sea spray splashing onto a light cream sauce. This could be the best way invented to eat linguine.
[Times photos: Jim Damaske]
World travelers Tullio and Anna Marie Mastrangelo have settled into the area and opened Ristorante da Tullio in Palm Harbor. |
Yet although the attention in such a spot goes to entree splurges on veal, seafood and steaks dolled up with balsamic or Gorgonzola, the real treat for me was in the more unusual -- and more affordable -- pastas. I'll be back for fettucine with porcini and truffle oil.
Trimmings vary in quality. Crusty bread, beautiful carpaccio of filet mignon, freshly minted sorbets (the lemon is more tart than the fruit itself), and spicy gelato made from a Marsala zabaglione were perfect complements to the best of the entrees. Oversalted minestrone and dull salads didn't fit.
In such a quiet, unhurried (and uncrowded) setting, service was attentive, quick and appropriately polished. Water glasses were refilled and silverware replaced without prompting.
You're best off, however, when Tullio takes charge of your table. One of my servers couldn't distinguish between the gnocchi, although everyone mustered the same gracious hospitality as the Mastrangelos.
Nonetheless, you should be happy they're cooking their flavor of Italian for us again. I am.
Ristorante da Tullio
- 3309 Tampa Road
- Palm Harbor
- (727) 786-8863
- Hours: Lunch begins at noon Tuesday through Friday; dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
- Reservations: Recommended.
- Credit cards: Most.
- Details: Beer, wine served; no smoking permitted.
- Prices: Lunch entrees, $9 to $17; dinner entrees, $17 to $28.
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