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Dominic's Offers Personal Touch

Tribune photo by JAY NOLAN

Dishes served at Dominic's Italian Grille include, from left, Caprese Salad, homemade tiramisu and Salmon Ava. The latter, which includes shrimp and spinach, is named after the owner's daughter.

By JOHN W. ALLMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 31, 2008

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OLDSMAR - It's a family affair at Dominic's Italian Grille and Pizzeria.

The homegrown Italian menu is rooted in the tradition and taste of Boston's Italian North End, where chef Dominic Parisi grew up.

There is a dish named for his daughter - the Salmon Ava, which is grilled in a sun-dried tomato and caper butter sauce with shrimp and spinach.

And there is one named for his neighborhood back home - the "North End" Special, a submarine sandwich featuring sausage, peppers and onions, just like the sandwiches anyone from Gloucester, Mass., would remember as a summer Italian festival staple.

If you've eaten at Dominic's, you've likely been greeted at the door by his mother, Susan, and waited on by his wife, Jennifer. Brother Thomas helps out in the kitchen and also waits on tables.

Such nice touches make this nearly 3-year-old Oldsmar eatery inviting.

But it's the food that will lure you away from the larger, more expensive and less charming Italian restaurants of Tampa and Clearwater.

Parisi tries to provide the standards you'd expect, such as homemade lasagna, and a few original touches you might not, such as creative side dishes like angel hair souffle (highly recommended) or a delicious risotto of the day.

The portions are plentiful and affordable, and leftovers heat up nicely the next day in the oven or the microwave, which is a pleasant surprise.

We tried two appetizers, soup and salad, two chicken dishes, a seafood entree and a pizza - and it would be difficult to complain about anything. Even hard-to-mess-up starters like Dominic's toasted ravioli tasted freshly made, not previously frozen.

The lobster bisque - offered as a dinner special - was creamy, packed with tender meat and, thankfully, not too salty.

The Venetian shrimp and risotto also was good, if a little plain, but it makes a nice, light choice for dinner with two skewers of shrimp on top of risotto, complemented with vegetables.

Much better was the chicken gorgonzola - tender medallions grilled with sun-dried tomatoes, portabello mushrooms and garlic, covered in a creamy gorgonzola cheese sauce. And the chicken piccata, sauteed in a lemon-white wine sauce, was particularly tasty.

Parisi said he gets lots of compliments from transplanted New Yorkers who praise his pizza, so naturally we had to try a pie.

The pizza Bianca (mozzarella and ricotta cheeses combined with fresh garlic on an olive-oil-coated crust) takes about two bites to fully appreciate its bold flavor. Each bite brims with garlic and melted mounds of gooey ricotta. This is really simple and really good.

The best part of Dominic's is that it's truly a hidden treasure, tucked in a strip mall on Curlew Road, just off Tampa Road, about 15 miles west of Seminole Heights.

You'd pass it easily, if you didn't know it was there.

Here's hoping that won't be a problem any longer.

DINING REVIEW

Dominic's Italian Grille and Pizzeria

BOTTOM LINE: A hidden treasure in Oldsmar worth discovering.

WHERE: 3163 Curlew Road, Oldsmar

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Tuesday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

CREDIT CARDS: All major cards except Discover

RESERVATIONS: Recommended

CHILDREN'S MENU: Yes

ALCOHOL: Beer and wine only

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes