Well, it's about time I wrote a review on an Italian restaurant. After all, Italian food is definitely in my top 3 favorite cuisines, along with Mexican and Spanish of course. 😍 However, when it comes to choosing quality Italian food, I can be a semi-tough critic. As a result, I consider several factors when dining: What is the atmosphere like? Is there bread for the table? Any dipping sauce (Uhm hi. BONUS)? What style of cooking is it: modern or homestyle/comfort? Does the staff treat you like family? And most importantly, how is the pasta?!

Now, I won't go all Iron Chef on you and start talking about the importance of al dente pasta and proper preparation because who am I kidding, I don't even know how to do that myself (LOL) but there's nothing wrong with being a lover of carbs. 💁 I am by no means a professional chef here--although some days I totally wish I went the culinary school route, not gonna lie--but I think you truly have to be one doozy of a restaurant to mess up noodles. Granted, there is a whole lot more to the Italian cuisine than pasta, however that's usually what I gravitate towards. #carblover4lyfe. Within the noodle realm, I have my staples aka my "go-to" dishes I like to try at every Italian restaurant I visit to see how they compare with each other. These usually involve gnocchi (a potato or cheese dumpling), cheese, and lots (I mean LOTS) of garlic. As mentioned in previous articles, I am a proud believer in there being no such thing as too much cheese. Mozzerella, parmesan, fontina, brie--just keep it coming. Same goes with garlic. Never too much! Side Note: I totally just tried to look for a cheese emoji and was severely disappointed to discover that my computer's imessenger did not have one. Blasphemy part 2. Google and emojipedia coming in clutch to feed my cheese and emoji obsession.

Any-who, let's continue on with my latest foodie discovery:

Peperoncino's Italian Restaurant

Nestled between Miller's Field House and Stogies in the Dellagio Town Center, Peperoncino's has been on my "to-visit" list for quite some time now, as my family and I walk by it every time we eat at Miller's (which is quite often and another review in the works 😋). When we finally decided to go in, we were surprised to find such a quaint set-up. The atmosphere reminded me of the type of restaurants you'd find in New York City: small floor plans trying to maximize their space by placing tables really close together.

Strangely enough, the space wasn't claustrophobia-inducing or stuffy at all! It was actually pretty warm and cozy. Just know that I liked the vibe this place was giving off and I felt super trendy just being there. Not to mention, I always feel super official when waiters/waitresses serve water in fancy glasses. I'm weird, I know. Also, take a look at that fresh bread for the table. It's seriously beautiful and I know it's just bread but they did something special to it. When I asked, (aka the curse of someone with a nut allergy...gotta ask what's in EVERYTHING ugh.) it was just white bread drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and dusted with parmesan cheese. Simple perfection right there.

First we ordered one of their specials, Burrata con Prosciutto Crudo, as an appetizer. I swear I am a sucker for anything similar to a traditional Caprese salad of freshly sliced mozzarella, tomatoes and green basil, seasoned with salt, olive oil, and sometimes balsamic vinegar. However, this beauty came without tomatoes and instead was a massive "blob"--for lack of a better adjective--of creamy burratina mozzarella cheese topped with prosciutto (an Italian dry-cured ham) and freshly shaved parmesan cheese, all served on a bed of arugula.

The creaminess of the mozzarella perfectly balanced out the saltiness of the prosciutto while the parmesan offered that extra bite of flavor you could taste towards the back of your jaw. The arugula provided just enough bitterness to seal the deal. This was seriously the best fresh mozzarella appetizer I have ever had and I'm hardcore craving it as I type. 😍

Next up was one of my "go-to" picks, Gnocchi di Ricotta alla Sorrentina: handmade ricotta gnocchi with fresh tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella. Oh how I adore gnocchi! I'm a big texture person and so it's no surprise that this dumpling is my favorite type of "noodle," although I find that most restaurants prepare it differently.

Some prefer to keep their gnocchi on the tougher side and more chewy, others more doughy, whereas I like mine to be soft and creamy; it really just depends on the ingredients. I recommend experimenting with preparation styles to see which kind you like best. Peperoncino's Gnocchi di Ricotta alla Sorrentina was served just the way I like, super soft but full of flavor --I credit the ricotta for that!

My brother had a hard time deciding what to order. Having a picky 11-year-old choose something off of a fancy Italian menu can be a challenge but with the guidance of our lovely waitress, he decided on a customer favorite, Fiocchi: pasta pockets stuffed with a cooked pear and 4 cheese blend and topped with a creamy bacon sauce. *peep that massive chunk of parmesan cheese in the picture* Now, I'll admit, even I was a tad sketched to try this one. Just ask any of my friends, I am not a fan of mixing fruit with dinner.

For example, take a hawaiian pizza. To me, ham and pineapple on cheese should not be a thing. 😷 Pineapple in sweet potato casserole? Nope. Fruits in salads? Debatable. Sorry to all the fruit mixers of the world--I'm really not that picky but adding fruit to dinner is my one "no-no." Obviously I didn't like this ravioli-like dish then, right? No sir-ee. Despite all hesitation, I was so so glad I tried this one! Surprisingly, all these rich flavors work together and I have no clue how! I'm still baffled but these little purses of deliciousness are totally worth a try! I almost liked this more than the appetizer too. 😉

Of course we had to try a specialty pizza too because why the heck not? This bad boy, called the Peperoncino, was served with pomodoro sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese, scamorza (smoked mozzarella)--as if 1 kind of mozzarella wasn't enough 😏--"nduja" (spicy Calabrese spreadable sausage), arugula, and parmiggiano cheese. Definitely the more subtle of dishes, in comparison to the rest, but still super tasty. Also: the "nduja" sausage wasn't too spicy at all, pretty mild in flavor actually --if that was something that would steer you away from trying this pizza.

Okay okay, I'm done now! 🙌 I might have out "foodie-d" you with this restaurant review but to be fair, I did tell you I take my Italian restaurants seriously. Overall, I definitely would recommend checking this place out if you are in the mood for some solid, rich, Italian. I promise you will not be disappointed! I plan on returning myself because I haven't tackled their dessert menu yet and I wouldn't be a true foodie if I didn't try the sweets. 😋

Foodie Fast Facts:

Service: Sit-down

Type of Food: Italian

Price Range: $10-$30

Menu: click here!

Location: 7988 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando, FL

Overall Foodie Girl Rating: 🍝🍝🍝🍝🍝 out of 5

💕xoxo foodie girl

Food for Thought: "Italian food is all about ingredients - it's not fussy and it's not fancy." -Wolfgang Puck