Review of Gio's Italian Grille and Steak, Tampa

Italian restaurant review

Gio's Italian Grille & Steak
(813) 932-1922
Carrollwood section of Tampa
3621 W Waters Ave
Tampa, FL 33614




You wouldn’t think one of the best Italian restaurants in Tampa is in a strip plaza, but it’s true! The place is rather small, quaint and cozy and decorated with Italian flair. The prices are moderate, perhaps a tad on the high-end, and the menu selection is rather limited but has some classic Italian dishes. The service was good and efficient.  They have a great wine and beer selection to compliment the cuisine. It is definitely worth it for a night out.  You may want to call ahead and get a reservation for a Friday or Saturday evening.

I had the Farfalle alla Bolognese, a nice and thick meat-based sauce, with the pasta cooked al dente of course.

Here is the recipe for farfalle alla bolognese that I think can get close to the one served at Gio's.

Review of Gio's Italian restaurant

Gio's was great, we had bruschetta and eggplant involtini for the appetizer. The tomato sauce on the eggplant was fresh tomato-like. I had the spaghetti alla puttanesca, which was very tasty and al dente, and had a nice kick to it. The salad was great, the olive oil was extra virgin, and they had a nice wine selection, although I like my Chianti. The cannoli was really good, covered with chocolate, and I tried some of the cheesecake (not really Italian, but it was good). Great place to go eat.

By the way, puttanesca sauce is a southern Italian dish, made with capers, anchovies, olives, tomatoes, garlic, sometimes red pepper. Puttanesca comes from the Italian word "puttana" which means whore. Legend has it that a Neopolitan madame would cook that sauce, and the aroma would draw in prospective clients into the "restaurant" or her brothel. That is your Italian lesson for the day :-)

Location, right behind Studio Inc, in the same plaza
3621 West Waters Avenue
Tampa, FL 33614-2783
(813) 932-1922