Conveniently located in Duval Square between Duval and Simonton Streets with ample free parking, NYPG reminds me of an outdoor cafe in the Old Country. I love the atmosphere here where you can relax outside with a glass of wine and some good Italian food. The food is moderately priced and they serve up large portions.
Six of us ate here a few nights ago. We all tried something different and were all very happy with our meals. But before we get to that, the waiter, who was very animated, brought over a plate of artichoke franchise on the house for us to try. I love artichokes and I thought that these were delicious, but the rest of the party are not real artichoke fans so they did not enjoy them as much. We also ordered the calamari. This was not the best calamari I have ever eaten, but it was tasty and not too chewy, so it definitely gets a passing grade.
After the appetizers we ordered a caesar salad and the seafood soup special. The salad was good, but I would not necessarily come here for a great caesar salad; but most importantly, the lettuce was fresh. For propriety’s sake I really cannot repeat what his exact descriptive words were in this blog, but the soup was so good that Tommy would not even let his wife taste it.
For dinner I ordered the chicken picatta which was served over pasta. While the sauce was creamier than I expected, the portion was very large and it was really quite tasty. I loved that the chicken was pounded thin and not overcooked which added to the better melding together of the flavors.
My husband took the waiter’s advice and ordered the super out of this world special seafood lasagna. When it was brought out to the table he was less than impressed because it did not look super appetizing or like much food. But after his first bite he was won over. The seafood was cooked perfectly and the taste was amazing. And even though it was a smaller portion, he could not finish it because it was so deliciously rich.
Pam ordered the eggplant parm. I am a huge fan of eggplant, but others, not so much so this is not a menu item that I would suggest just anyone order. She thoroughly enjoyed her meal as I am sure anyone would who was an eggplant fan too.
Laura ordered the Tortellini al Forno. When they brought the plate over it was bigger than she was. Even though she ate a good portion of her food she hardly made a dent in it so she had lunch and dinner for the next day too. This dish was a mixture of tortellini and vegetable tossed with a delicious tomato cream sauce and topped with mozzarella. Delish!
Tommy ordered the fettucini alfredo which was creamy and absolutely decadent and delicious.
Brian ordered chicken parm. Not a fancy meal, but well prepared and delicious. The chicken was pounded thin and prepared perfectly melding perfectly with the sauce and cheese.
We were all so full that none of us wanted dessert, but Pam and I decided to split a cannoli because we both adore them. So a few of us ordered coffee and enjoyed the Sicilian dessert which was one of the best cannolis on the island, and I am a cannoli connoisseur.
I did not realize that they also do a breakfast here, so I will have to put that on my must try list.
This is a great choice for a delicious Italian meal. We did not have reservations and we only had to wait for about a minute for a table. Try it out for breakfast, lunch, or dinner while you are visiting the island.
To see what is happening on the island during your visit, check out our Key West Events Calendar to see other upcoming special events. For more information about the fun side of Key West… things to do and see in our island city, go to our Key West Web Site.
Before deciding where you are going to eat while visiting Key West, be sure to read my other restaurant reviews; check out our restaurant review section of this blog as well as our previous restaurant reviews.
Feel free to Email Me if you have any questions about Key West!!
