Silvestro's - Authentic Italian Cuisine

Silvestro's: An exquisite taste of Rome can be savored nearby

Silvestro Antonioli captures the essence of Italian cooking at the aptly named Silvestro's.

GEORGE SKEENE/ORLANDO SENTINEL, May 7, 2006

Chef Silvestro Antonioli will delightfully raise your expectations of Italian cuisine, from antipasti to lasagna to torta al cioccolato.

Scott Joseph | Sentinel Restaurant Critic

There is a maestro of Italian cuisine cooking in Cocoa Beach of all places.

His name is Silvestro Antonioli, and his restaurant, Silvestro's, could just as easily be on the Via Veneto as in a Brevard County strip mall.

Antonioli, in fact, comes from Rome by way of Savannah, Ga., and to cooking from a start as a professional soccer player. I don't know how well he can perform a front header, but the man could definitely drop kick ravioli between the goalposts.

He certainly scored with his ravioli di arogosta ($14), delicate squares holding sweet lobster meat and covered with a creamy spumante sauce tinged pink with a touch of tomato.

And I'd love to know where he found the mussels for his cozze al guazzetto ($10). I can't remember when I've seen mussels that were so plump yet so tender. I loved slurping them out of the shell with a bit of the tomatoey stew, or guazzetto.

Rollatini di melanzane ($12) had fresh eggplant stuffed with roasted peppers and ricotta accompanied by handmade mozzarella. A brilliant combination of textures and flavors working in concert.

Even the antipasti platter ($18), usually a toss-away of cold cuts and such, was impressive. Thinly sliced prosciutto, spicy salami, artichoke hearts, red and yellow roasted red peppers, mozzarella and Parmigiano -- a feast for two or more.

From the list of primi piatti I liked the fettuccine con branzino ($25), al dente pasta tossed with arugula and pulpy tomatoes served with chunks of Chilean sea bass. As with most Italian restaurants in America the "first plates" are priced as entrees, but half portions are served on request.

On one of my visits, my companion had an osso buco risotto ($22), which had us raising our eyebrows when it was served. Instead of a whole bone, the rice dish had just the meat of a braised veal shank, not what either one of us was expecting. But Antonioli is such a master of the risotto that we were not disappointed. The rice had a perfect nutty crunch, and even if the meat had been served on the bone it would have fallen off before it reached the table.

If I hadn't read on the menu that Antonioli was from Rome, I might have guessed as much from his lasagna ($19.95), which was served as a feature entree on one of my visits. Instead of a heavy tomato sauce it was graced with a creamier pink sauce, and the sheets of pasta, layered with mildly spiced meat, were ethereally delicate.

Florida and Florence came together with the cernia cotta al gril alla Toscana ($31), a grilled grouper, thick and tender, topped with a wonderfully salty sauce of capers and olives.

For dessert, the ricotta cheesecake ($9) defies overstatement. The ricotta gives it a more crumbly texture but the taste is still remarkably rich. It was served in the center of the plate with a few blueberries, raspberries and one strawberry strewn about it, as though to top it would be superfluous.

Torta al cioccolato ($9) was an impossibly bittersweet and firm cake dotted with pistachios. Yes, I was told, Antonioli also makes the desserts.

Although the food can whisk you away to Italy, other aspects of the dining experience will bring you back. Service got off to rough starts on both visits -- on one occasion, after waiting an interminably long time without being greeted, I had to go to the host stand to ask if anyone was assigned to my table. On another visit, debris from diners departed sat on nearby tables much too long before anyone bothered to clear it away. That's never conducive to pleasant dining.

But, on each occasion, the server eventually won me over.

The decor stops short of being kitschy. Faux Roman columns topped with grapevines separate a small bar area from the dining room. The open kitchen looks out on the tables covered with white cloths and topped with a gold brocaded fabric. String fabric curtains cover the windows, but instead of looking out on the Publix parking lot, a mural in the window offers a view of the Coliseum.

Only beer and wine are served, but the wine list is thoughtful. Selections by the glass are ample, and each time the server offered to bring tastes (I told you they won me over).

I don't know why it should be, but good, authentic Italian food is difficult to come by in American restaurants. But when you find it, it is something to be treasured and savored. Silvestro's is a find.

Scott Joseph can be reached at 407-420-5514 or sjoseph@orlandosentinel.com. To read his past reviews, go to OrlandoSentinel.com and click on Dining.