Ciao Italia Casual Italian Cuisine
5370 Gulf of Mexico Dr, Longboat Key, FL, 34228
Ciao Italia Casual Italian Cuisine Menu
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Address :
5370 Gulf of Mexico Dr
Longboat Key, FL, 34228 - Phone (941) 383-0010
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :4:30 pm - 10:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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Cat G.
I liked it here a lot. 4 of us were vacationing in the area and stopped in for dinner on a Saturday night. It was pretty packed inside so we opted to sit outside. My husband and I ordered calamari as an appetizer & it was quite delicious. For the main courses, I ordered a special, the salmon and sautéed spinach, 2 others ordered the tortellini carbonara, & another ordered the stuffed shells with a side of meatballs. Everything was very, very yummy. Service was adequate and the price was decent. I recommend eating there.
(4)Alex A.
Ordered take out from this restaurant while staying at a nearby resort. First of all they quickly set up and prepare their orders in a timely manner and packaged perfectly. As for the food, it was perfect. Much better than expected. Their cheese pie was great as well as their chicken parm. We were all quite content and surprised at the flavor and the generous portions offered. Definitely be back and an easy choice while in LBK.
(4)Ann R.
Crowded in this little spot at 6:30 but we had ordered a takeout pizza of capers, red sauce and artichokes. FANTASTIC. Great wood fired crust, chewy and hot. Just a really good find if you are on Longboat.
(5)Art H.
This was a great find , been coming to longboat for many years and just found this great Italian restaurant . Very friendly staff and great food!! . We had 4 people and all agreed was best Italian food around with early dining at good prices.
(5)Darlene S.
Very good Italian food. The tortellini in cream sauce was excellent.- would definitely go again!
(4)Amy S.
This review is for takeout only. We decided to do pizza our last night in town and saw Ciao online and decided to order. It was ready fairly quickly so we picked it up and took it home. We ordered 2 pizzas and 2 antipasto dishes. It was all pretty darn good! It's very expensive once you start adding toppings to the pizza so beware but it's definitely good pizza. I'd highly recommend it.
(4)Andrea B.
My family has been going to Ciao for the past several years and every experience has been exceptional. We've tried just about everything on the menu and I can't think of one dish that was disappointing. In terms of entrees my all time favorites are the Tortellini Carbonara and the Pollo Parmigiana, but you really can't go wrong at Ciao!
(5)Billy S.
My wife and I ate at Ciao Italia our first night in Longboat Key. We split a Margarita Pizza. The cheese and tomatoes were pretty good and the crust was ok though a little plain. The service was good and although the place is a little old looking it seemed clean and well kept.
(4)Linda B.
Vegitable primavera pizza was he best! We ordered a cheese, a pizza margarita, a spicy Mediterranean and the primavera pizza and also an antipasto and Caesar salad. Everything was delicious and reasonably priced. Well worth the wait.
(4)Philippe O.
Good food and reasonably priced, especially the beer. We visited twice during our stay, I enjoyed the shrimp pasta and the pizza. The calamari is also excellent. Cozy atmosphere as well.
(4)Heidi B.
Amazing food. Like home made Italian. Everything was fresh. The service was friendly and very polite. Very clean. My girlfriend and I were very happy. The prices were very reasonable. I would definitely go again next year when we come back to FL.
(5)Peter L.
Based on all the positive reviews, I was anticipating a really spectacular Italian meal. But it turned out to be just so so. Nothing to rave about. Pretty basic.
(2)mike b.
This place is really good. Italian food old school not modern italian so if you want that go elsewhere. great little secret spot. i am surprised it has bad reviews on here. great service, fast, and very reasonable for LBK prices. These only also have "kid portions" which basically means it is 50% off I believe the menu price. Will go back on my next stop in this area. Also need to try the pizza. it was packed may want to call for a reservation.
(5)Catherine H.
We have visited Longboat Key many times, but this year we were delighted to find this hidden gem. Our son and his family arrived late on a Saturday evening, so pizza seemed the best choice. I ordered 2 large pizzas and a calzone for pickup. Absolutely delicious, ready when we arrived and staff extremely courteous. We did have a little trouble finding it, but eventually located big chef statue outside! Later in the month my husband and I decided to try early dining in another restaurant in the same plaza. We walked in and were told wait would be 35 minutes and would not make early dining. Odd because there were many empty tables. So we walked over to Ciao, not many people inside, so we were seated immediately. Early dining was 1/2 portions, but these were more than enough. Couldn't imagine eating a full portion. Food was delicious. Our waiter Bill was great. When we were leaving restaurant was beginning to fill up. We will now include Ciao. restaurant in our LBK favorites.
(5)Leigh V.
All I can speak for is the actual food because we got take out, but I really enjoyed it all! My mom and I shared a Caesar salad and a primavera pizza (on my side I added artichoke hearts and skipped the mushrooms). I thought everything was really good! The salad was especially tasty and I was really excited to see they gave us some tasty garlic bread as well! Pizza could have used a little more seasoning, but I added some pepper to it at home and dipped it in some ranch which helped a lot. Crust was a perfect combination of soft and crispy. I definitely would try this place again and maybe get their pasta!
(4)Dana R.
Yum!!! the BEST bruschetta I've ever had!! Kids loved the pizza and chicken parm. We had take out so I cannot comment on the actual service.
(4)Melissa S.
Wow! I don't give 5 stars until I've been somewhere twice but our first trip here was reeeeeaaaallllly good! The space is very small but that usually means hot food focusing on individual diners--we were right! We got the eggplant appetizer...YUM! We ate it too quickly for me to take a picture! The melted cheese at Ciao! Is to die for! My fiancé got a pizza with sliced meatballs on it and it was so super good...not overly sauced but spread with a little olive oil and garlic! I got the stuffed shells and added meaty sauce--holy moly! This dish was baked...shells cooked perfectly (still firm which I love) and the melted cheese on top was just amazing! We got salads with our meals and they were fresh and tasty! My carafe of wine was room temp (and I like my white wine chilled) but that was the ONLY negative! We are so stuffed that I had to get the cheesecake to go but bit into it and it was flaky and thick just the way I like it! Next time we are here from KC we will stop by and hopefully my update will be a 5 star! Totally worth every penny and not too many pennies (especially for the portions)!
(4)Cassie F.
Can't go to LBK without going to Ciao's. We've been going here for over 10 years. And if our commitment doesn't tell you how great it is - how about Paula, the waitress' commitment? She's been there for years and even drives a ridiculous distance to work here! On LBK - in the summer! Well maybe you be lucky and Paula will be on the night you go. Both she and the owner, Carmine, care a great deal that you have a good time. First of all let's talk about the pizza - We all love it the crust is nice and chewy without the center being too thick that it doesn't cook with toppings. We love the white pie, just enough garlic! We always do pizza for take out. When we eat there we all have our favorites. The bread they put out is thick, chewy, just enough olive oil, garlic and herbs to enjoy the bread with nothing on it. We often getthe calamari. Always tender yet crispy. The house salad that comes with most meals is very pedestrian. And they serve the dressing in those tacky little plastic tubs - kind of takes away from the white tablecloth and cloth napkin ambience. The ceasar is delicious, Ciao's is one of the places that remembers ceasar salad has anchovy in it. Everytime we go, one of us always gets the Tortellini Carbonara. I add shrimp, my husband adds chicken and my son it's it with nothing added. It's a large serving. My husband also Gets the Veal Elizabeth. Tonight for a change he had the chicken Parma which is as good as you'll get anywhere. Try it - the food is very good and it is an independent owner who works very hard at his craft.
(4)Richard G.
I just (moments ago) finished my take-out pizza from this joint. My wife and I were too burned out by the sun to leave our rented condo so...we we decided to try Ciao's pizza-to-go. Big mistake! Tasteless cardboard ! I won't go into the ugly details but, I urge you to stay away from this place if you're in the mood for pizza. Try Oma's! At least it's edible and flavorful.
(1)Cindy W.
delicious Italian. Lots of choices. Always frest
(4)Joanne V.
Food is ok but certainly not worth the price we paid!!! We had a party of 11 and paid well over $350.00, that did not include any alcohol. We were OVER charged for splitting a meal ($5.00). RIDICULOUS! Had a salad minus some ingredients and add mozzarella cheese ($5.00). RIDICULOUS!!! They serve soda out of a can and charge you PER CAN!!!! RIDICULOUS!! Substitute penne pasta for spaghetti with chicken parm and got charged for that too!!!! RIDICULOUS!!! We come to Longboat Key every year for a week and will DEFINITELY not go back and will make sure we don't recommend this restaurant to anyone else because it's not dinner, it's highway robbery!
(1)Bill D.
We went here for dinner one evening and was very surprised at this gem hidden in a strip mall. I had the Chicken Primevera and was astonished at the serving size- two chicken breasts! The pasta was cooked dead-on and the sauce tasted homemade. Bread was served with meal and had great taste to it. Minestrone was well made and the salad was cut up to the correct size and VERY fresh and tasty. Out of the four meals purchased that evening, all four were more than happy. Service was great and the place was clean as was restroom. The outdoor seating was unavailable due to the rain. The seating inside is a little tight and this is about the only bad thing I can say about this place but with the economy as it is, bigger may not be better. Loved the background music ranging from Frank Siantra, Lucino Pavarotti to Dean Martin. Apparently this place has been around for several years and this is good to see and we look forward to going back next time we are in Longboat Key.
(4)Scott D.
Wow! The smells alone are enough to keep me coming back! My family and I were at the beach on vacation and went here for dinner because it was close and highly recommended...amazing find! Ciao is a small Italian restaurant (and I mean small!) in the centre shopping area, but has all of the feel of a family-run bistro. There were about 15 tables inside and 2 outside. The menu was fabulous! I found myself changing my mind at least half a dozen times before finally deciding on a sausage and penne pasta dish in white wine sauce. The food was well-balanced with good attention to detail, and rival some of the best Italian food I've had. I also got to try their calzone and linguini in cream sauce...outstanding! My only criticism is that the service was a little slow, but they did seem backed up and under-staffed at the time. I have to agree with one of their regular patrons, though...best food in town!
(4)