08/26/2024
If you are near Gulfport and are looking for some fresh, scratch-made food Italian food, then drop into Pia's Trattoria. They actually have two spaces next door to one another. One is a very cozy space in an historic building, and the other offers patio or bar seating. Both have the same menu.
The pricing was amazing! I ordered the Shrimp Scampi, which was served over a bed of homemade linguini for only $26. Typically when I see prices like that I expect the quality to suffer, but that was not the case.
Larry ordered the Veal Parmesan (which is made with pasture-raised-with-mom veal), and our friends Liza and Andy ordered the Lasagna and the Quattro Formaggi (four cheese pasta dish). All of the dishes were well prepared and flavorful with the exception of the Formaggi. Unfortunately you could taste the béchamel more than the cheese in that dish, so just not something we would order again, but everything else was excellent!
We finished the meal with their house made tiramisu. Now let me tell you, I am a tiramisu snob. I make mine from scratch, including making the lady fingers, the mascarpone, and zabaglioni. Zabaglioni is a custard and not used in everyone's tiramisu, but it was the way it was taught to me years ago by a chef from Italy. Pia's does not use it, but I enjoyed it nonetheless and it was far better than most out there.
Overall the entire experience was very enjoyable, from the food to the atmosphere, so this is definitely a place to add to your list of great places to enjoy in the Tampa Bay area!
