The doors to this Central Florida hotspot opened late Summer 2006 and quickly the awards started coming.
In January 2007, AOL City-guide named Rocco’s Italian Grille and Bar
“Best Italian” restaurant in Orlando. Just months later, Orlando Sentinel restaurant critic Scott Joseph named Rocco’s his “critic’s choice” for the area’s best Italian eatery.
Food-savvy locals may remember Rocco Potami’s La Via restaurant, a popular spot in the 1980s in Winter Park until the Italy native moved on to pursue other ideas.
But his passion for great food brought him back, this time with the eponymous Rocco’s Italian Grille and Bar, his stylish new restaurant and bar on busy Orlando Avenue.
Proprietor Potami welcomes guests to a casual yet sophisticated dining spot, as warm and personal as a family-run trattoria, with golden-hued walls, warm woods, white linens and lovely al fresco dining on a courtyard terrace.
“It’s all about great food with authentic ingredients.” says Potami, a native of the Calabria region, where he grew up watching his grandmother and mother work their kitchen magic with fresh herbs, vegetables and meats from the region. “I was fascinated by the aromas and the whole process of taking raw ingredients and creating great meals.”
It wasn’t long before that fascination became a life-long passion for Potami. That passion is evident throughout the menu he has crafted, using the freshest meats, produce, breads, special sauces and imported pastas that are the heart of fine Italian cooking.
“We’re creating a diverse culinary experience,” said Potami, “a selection of our favorite dishes from each of Italy’s regions.”
Made for sharing, Rocco’s piatto assaggini is a beautiful starter from the abundant antipasti table: prosciutto and bresaola (air-dried salted beef), marinated olives, roasted peppers, crunchy onions in balsamic vinegar, grilled artichokes, slivers of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Classic carpaccio is paper thin, drizzled with white truffle oil and topped with arugula, capers, lemon and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Hot appetizers range from a crisp platter of fritto misto alla Ligure with calamari, shrimp and zucchini to roasted mushroom caps stuffed with piquant Italian sausage.
More than a half-dozen al dente pastas are next, perfect for sharing or a main course. Multiple varieties of risotto change daily, but you’ll always find linguine with baby clams and tiny pillows of homemade ricotta gnocchi tossed with smoked prosciutto and wild mushrooms. The “open-faced” lasagna features wide noodles in a sauce of white wine, tomatoes and basil spiked with shrimp, scallops and lobster.
Generous fish, chicken and meat dishes include juicy, balsamic-marinated New York strip steak and a thick grilled veal chop in a robust sauce of wild mushrooms and cognac.
Finish with a crisp cannoli, handed down among generations of Potamis. There’s also two versions of tiramisù (one chocolate), gelato and crème caramel. Lunch includes hot-pressed paninis like manzo alla campagnola stuffed with grilled beef, onions, mushrooms and peppers, and smaller portions of dinner entrées, as well as other lunchtime-only classics including veal marsala, fettuccine alla vodka and chicken piccata.
The bar has seating for a casual bite. Rocco ’s wine list features largely Italian and California wines, with additional sips from South Africa, South America and Australia. There is a generous selections of wines by the glass and a creative martini menu that makes the bar an inviting after work prelude to a fine meal.
A large private dining room is perfect for business functions, parties or other special occasions.
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