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Still Tasty After All These Years

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MARY PATRICK, Tribune Correspondent

Published: November 21, 2007

Iavarone's is a Tampa classic. Open since 1992, the Carrollwood restaurant is one of three locally owned by the Iavarone family (the other two are Carmine's in Ybor City and Malio's in downtown Tampa).

Over the years, Tampa residents have come to expect fine food and good service from an Iavarone's restaurant. We certainly did, and we came away satisfied.

For those who haven't been recently, the place remains largely unchanged. A throng of devoted locals (including the occasional celebrity or two) mingle at the bar. Frank Sinatra plays over the stereo. The décor is masculine in feel, with few embellishments. Customers sit in high gloss wood-paneled booths with a single light suspended over the table, which is adorned with a bottle of Alessi's Extra Virgin Olive Oil in lieu of flowers.

Here food is the centerpiece. And while the menu offers classic Italian, beef is the star.

Choosing off the specialty list of the evening, we went with the bone-in rib-eye, 14 ounces of marbled meat succulent enough to tempt a vegetarian. Ordered medium rare, it came properly prepared and plainly served with garlic mashed potatoes (other sides are long grain wild rice, the steamed vegetable of the day, baked potato and linguini with marinara).

Other cuts include a 12-ounce sirloin, a 10-ounce filet mignon, a New York strip, prime rib in three different sizes, Chateaubriand and a gigantic 42-ounce porterhouse.

On our waitress' recommendation, which turned out to be very good indeed, we had the descriptively-named Pasta Crab Meat, which featured a plentiful amount of crab meat in a spicy marinara over linguini. Additional pasta favorites include linguini with meatballs, chicken or shrimp, lasagna and ravioli.

Also highly recommended is the calamari with marinara, which deserves its reputation as one of the best of Iavarone's appetizer dishes. We sampled a new Asian sauce the restaurant is trying out, and while tasty, we still preferred the marinara.

The chicken sauté comes with a lemony piccata or Parmesan sauce, although one might question a person ordering a chicken dish in one of Tampa's better steakhouses. Still, if you must, Iavarone's offers chicken Marsala, Milano and grilled. On the seafood side, there is lobster, salmon, Chilean sea bass, ahi tuna and Alaskan king crab legs.

All entrees come with either a predictable Caesar salad or the house salad, which boasts a piquant, cheesy dressing. Both also can come as a meal tossed with added shrimp, chicken, fish or filet tips.

For dessert, we went with the bananas foster, which was adequate but nothing spectacular. On the other hand, the house wine was exceptional and a great bargain, as we got it during the two-for-one Happy Hour.

The service was proficient and kind on both our visits. The parking lot fills up fast, so unless you get there early, expect to use valet. Reservations are needed for larger groups, but not accepted on a table for two, so pairs may have to wait for seating.

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

DINING REVIEW

Iavarone's Steak House & Italian Grill

BOTTOM LINE: A great choice for a simple-yet-tasty steak or Italian meal.

WHERE: 3617 W. Humphrey St., Tampa

HOURS: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday; 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday; 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday

CREDIT CARDS: All major

RESERVATIONS: Yes

CHILDREN'S MENU: Yes

ALCOHOL: Full bar and wine list

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes

PRICE RANGE: $10 to $27 per entrée

CALL: (813) 932-5241

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