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La Casa's Italian Is Big On Flavor

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By MARY PATRICK, Tribune correspondent

Published: December 20, 2007

TAMPA - Tucked away in a quiet corner of Northdale's Bourbon Street shopping center, a new restaurant is bidding for the business of Italian food lovers weary of big chain fare.

What La Casa della Pasta lacks in size, it more than makes up for in flavor. The kitchen offers a simple menu of homemade Italian pasta dishes, all created with fresh, quality ingredients and served by a courteous staff. Customers can dine al fresco by tiki torch light at cafe tables, or inside the rich-hued dining room, where black and brown linens dress each table and large potted plants line vivid walls.

On our visits, we were served complimentary antipasti samples of the traditional Bruschetta Pugliese, with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil atop crunchy ciabatta bread slices, and the standout Bruschette della Casa, topped with the "why haven't I been eating this all my life?" combination of Gorgonzola cheese and fresh honey.

We also ordered the Prosciutto e Kiwi (two sliced kiwis atop a plate of paper-thin ham), a tasty pairing of sweet and savory flavors.

If you want the true measure of a restaurant, order the house salad. If the house salad is memorable, then the rest of the meal usually is as well. La Casa della Pasta's version was a fresh and flavorful plate of crispy spring mix, Gorgonzola and meaty tomatoes drizzled with a homemade dressing that blended fresh raspberries, balsamic vinegar, Chianti and olive oil.

The restaurant also offers a salad with grilled calamari steak, lemon, garlic, parsley and olive oil; the traditional caprese salad of fresh tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella; and Italian soup staples Pasta e Fagioli and minestrone.

Our favorite entree was the Bistecca Rusticca, a tenderloin filet cooked to the medium rare we requested and topped with portobello mushrooms, Gorgonzola and Barolo wine. The cut of meat was good quality, although in truth this dish was served in a reduction sauce so delicious it would have made the humblest piece of meat shine.

Another delectable dish was the Petto di Pollo Parmigiana, a chicken breast smothered in mozzarella and fresh tomato sauce. Our order of delicious homemade lasagna came "stuffed with fresh meat" (a vegetarian version also is available), and was so rich we could not finish the modest serving.

While the menu features several good meat and seafood dishes, the real focus is on pasta. With eight different noodle choices and 15 sauces to choose from, the combinations seem endless. We enjoyed the salty and intense Puttanesca with anchovies, capers, tomatoes, onions and black olives, served over penne; and fresh homemade tortellini paired with the tomato-rich Salciccia, loaded with Italian sausage. Principessa, a mild cream sauce that mixes in vodka, tomatoes and garlic, is served over rigatoni as a side to meat dish orders.

There are only three dessert options: tiramisu, chocolate mousse and profiteroles. We tried the first two and, as with everything else we ordered, were pleased with our choices.

In short, we would have tried the entire menu, if time, money and appetite had allowed. One could argue that some of the prices seem a tad high, but no one can argue with the simple charm of the place - or the quality of the food.

DINING REVIEW

La Casa della Pasta

BOTTOM LINE: Simple, fresh Italian fare in a charming setting.

WHERE: 5273 Ehrlich Road, Tampa

HOURS: Lunch served 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday; dinner served 5-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday

CREDIT CARDS: All major

RESERVATIONS: Yes

CHILDREN'S MENU: No

ALCOHOL: Wine list

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes

PRICE: Entrees range from $14 to $27

CALL: (813) 961-1012

Tribune reviewers eat anonymously. Mary Patrick can be reached at marypatrick@fridayextra.com.

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