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Cafe
Milano
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About the
Restaurant:
Cafe Milano
105
N. Fort Harrison Ave
Clearwater, FL
33755
(727) 444-4504
 Hours: 11 a.m. to
midnight Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday
Reservations: Not
Available
Seating: Unspecified
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Directions
Cuisine: Italian, Pizza
Style: Authentic
thin-crust Italian pizza
Alcohol: Unspecified
Attire: Casual
Outdoor Dining: Yes
Meals Served: Lunch,
Dinner,Late Night
Prices: Inexpensive
Payment Methods:
MasterCard, Visa,American Express
Smoking Restrictions: No
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An Authentic Slice Of Italy
By
Kurt Loft of The Tampa Tribune Published:
October 5, 2005
CLEARWATER Pizza has been around since the Egyptians
perfected flat bread, but Americans caught on after World War II,
when soldiers returning from Italy with recipes for flat pies
inspired a culinary empire.
Sadly, most pizza today is a
gooey concoction of Botox dough and processed cheese, and about as
healthful as devouring a slab of pork fat. Major cities boast their
own indigenous recipes and deep-dish styles that are but distant
cousins of the pride of Naples.
Ugo Moi brings that pride to
the new Cafe Milano in downtown Clearwater. Chef, businessman and
artist, Moi strives for authentic Italian pizzas made fresh with
thin crusts, aromatic ingredients and baked to a crisp edge in a
brick oven.
What stands out at Cafe Milano is the variety:
Moi churns out more than 20 personal-sized pizzas, each flavorful
and light. The owner works backstage in his small restaurant,
kneading dough into oblong shapes — never perfectly round — while
his overworked server bustles among tables.
Don’t expect
atmosphere here. Quaint paintings by Moi adorn the walls of the
rectangular dining room, but a television in the back and bright
fluorescent lights dim the flame of Italian romance.
This may
be why so many Clearwater locals charge through the front door to
pick up their take-out order, a distraction for diners sitting near
the front. But the pizza makes up for any lack of
intimacy.
Salads are a good start, such as Insalata
Capriccioso, a large helping of torn romaine, prosciutto, red onion
and crumbled bleu cheese tossed in a tart vinaigrette. The Insalata
Fantasia is a heftier variation with garbanzos, red peppers,
broccoli and plum tomatoes.
Pizzas are large enough to
satisfy without sitting heavy in the stomach, and crusts are
perfectly burned and crispy. A favorite is the Siciliana, slathered
with a light coating of tomato sauce and sprinkled with chunks of
Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, black olives, mozzarella and
oregano. We also enjoyed the Capriccioso, similar to the Siciliana
but with capers, prosciutto and artichoke hearts.
Moi’s
pizzas reflect the whole of Italy, and not just a few regions.
Hailing from the north is the Wurstel, with its heady scent of
bratwurst, along with the Salmone, which blends the flavors of this
rich fish with ricotta cheese and capers.
One of the simplest
pizzas is the Napoletana, calling only for red sauce, mozzarella,
anchovies and oregano. The Pizza Ugo offers the taste of Gorgonzola,
garlic, prosciutto and mushrooms with egg yolk — at $13 the most
expensive pie on the menu.
The restaurant serves a number of
sandwiches, most with a delicious layering of Italian meats and
cheeses. Desserts, we were told, are imported from Italy, but the
trip must have been a long one as the three pastries we tried all
were dry and lacking flavor.
Tribune reviewers eat
anonymously. Kurt Loft can be reached at (813)
259-7570.
RESERVATIONS: No
CHILDREN’S MENU: Can
accommodate
ALCOHOL: No
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS:
Yes
PRICE: Dinner entrees range from $6 to $13
CALL:
(727) 444-4504
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