Naty K.
Yelp
I stumbled upon Tutto Pizza & Pasta by chance. I was trying to get lunch at nearby Ayesha Saffron Indian Restaurant, but they were closing, and thanks to my Yelp app, I found Tutto Pizza, which had great reviews, so it made the choice of coming here a no-brainer. The place was pretty full, which already tells you that it must be good. There was indoor and outdoor seating, and both were quite full! My friend and I looked at the menu and while he decided he wanted pizza, I wanted to try their pasta, so I got the Agnotti, which I had never tried in my life. My friend got the Pizza Calabresa, since he loves sausage.
Service was friendly but somewhat rushed, it seemed as if our waitress was too overworked as we saw her running from table to table. I swear I saw some sweat beading on her forehead. In the meantime, we were treated to some delicious warm bread, with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We were able to get more bread as we quickly chowed it down. My friend ordered a lentil soup appetizer, and one of the waiters grated some cheese for him. I had never seen cheese put into a lentil soup but I love cheese, so I cannot imagine it not pairing well together. My friend said it was delicious but was unwilling to share. A few minutes later, we each got our meal. Again, a waiter grated some fresh cheese for us, and ground some fresh pepper. I took a few slices from my friend's pizza, as he had eaten breakfast and could not finish his lunch.
The food was delicious and flavorful and it was nice to see a pizza crust not practically blackened and burnt to a crisp, but I did notice the cuisine was somewhat different from the typical Italian meals I am used to. I could not quite put my finger on it, until I saw the dessert menu and found a typically Brazilian dessert listed in there. I shrugged but did not pass the chance to order that sinful little cup of Pave with strawberries. It was decadent, very sweet, thick and creamy, and I would say it is easily the best I have had -- a sweet tooth's dream, proving that you can in fact love fruit at times, and deviate from chocolate, which is a sweet lover's standard choice.
After browsing their website, I found out that the chef is Brazilian, which would explain the interesting twist on the Italian food, as well as the delicious inclusion of that dessert. I guess you could say it's Italian/Brazilian fusion, and it makes for a great combination. That Chef Juca cooked for Mickey Rourke, Eddie Murphy, Prince, and Madonna is quite impressive. According to the website, the pasta, sauces and even the desserts are fresh and made daily at his restaurant and at his Coral Way pasta factory. What I like about this place is that it is casual yet elegant, I guess classy would be a good way to describe it. Give it a try, it would make for a great informal place to bring a first date for a laidback, casual, yet tasty dining experience.