gabriella's

the cavatelli was creamy with a perfect hint of truffle and the veal was awesome (i don’t usually eat veal but i made an exception for, ya know, research). the salad was tangy, balanced well by the sweet pear. the linguini was also exceptional and the scallop on top was perfectly cooked – very creamy inside with a nice sear on the outside.

a true treat. i had the opportunity to attend a food bloggers' conference at international mall back in september. one of the events at the conference was to attend a demonstration and tasting at pelagia trattoria. we all watched as chef daniel made veal ravioli and berry panna cotta. we came back and second and then a third time and have always had a great experience. a dish to try would be their crispy pan-seared chicken breast. the title says it all: crispy. it was amazing crispy. in fact, i don't think i've ever had chicken that was so juicy and so crispy all at the same time. side note: pelagia can be a little difficult to find- in fact, before the conference, i didn't even know it existed! luckily it does because it's so good! find them in the first floor of the renaissance hotel, right off of and downstairs from the outdoor courtyard.

a perfect place to lunch before shopping!

ive eaten here a total of 3 times, each during the day, so i have only experienced their lunch menu. but what a fantastic lunch it was!

not fan of chains, my shopping partner and i were on a quest for wine and food before tackling the mall. our go to place is bazille in nordstroms but decided to give pelagia a try. i had been before, but not my companion.

the dining area is bright and tastefully decorated. we sat near a window and felt like were in naples or southbeach. upon sitting, our server immediately came over with menus and pursehooks! thanks!

we ordered a bottle of south african white wine and started with the octopus appetizer. delicious and not scary or intimidating if tentacles freak you out.

we each then ordered a salad with a fish preparation on top, salmon for me, ahi tuna for my friend. both huge portions and the fish was expertly cooked.

warm bread and butter is also served at the table. total bill was $80 which isnt bad for an app, 2 entrees and a bottle of wine.

our only complaint, after a successful shopping trip we wanted to relax one more time with a glass of wine and popped back in to sit at the bar. there was one patron at the bar, sipping coffee and watching the bucs game, but no bartender. we sat and the bar and waited a good five min before deciding it wasnt meant to be and left.

if youre at international mall and want a delicious lunch in a posh setting, check put pelagia trattoria.

upon domiciling in florida after an exceptionally long career of investigation and other capering in boggy london, watson and i chanced upon a publication early on in our retirement geared towards those with an interest in all things 'business' in this sunshine state: florida trend magazine . as a monthly general business publication it ingratiates itself to the many who have come to rely on it's unique specificity into doing business in this disparate territory. yet it was not the discussions of the citrus or sugar industry, tariffs or cruise ships, politics (hanging chads), exports (perhaps to chad), who's who, (or who is not) and the like that caught our keen eye, no! it was the yearly commitment to the innumerable and tireless perfectionists known as 'the restauranteurs', that brethren either breaking new ground at the table or astounding year after year throughout this state as they hone their craft and offer up these gastronomic jewels for those lucky enough to partake.  these sc

a perfect evening. i don't give out 5 stars very generously but this place really earned it.

went in on a weds night around 6:30 and waited at the bar for my dinner companion. had a lemon martini, no rim, which was perfectly made, albeit a little slow to arrive. (one lone employee would explain that)

companion came and we perused the wine list while the bartender/waitress set the table up for us.

we started with a lovely bottle of italian red, which excuse me i cannot remember as i['m no pro at italian reds, besides chianti, ick. anyway, the wine was a great choice thanks to our lovely servers suggestion.

we started with meats and cheese, sopresseta, prosciutto and a white cheddar served with pickled walnuts (amazing!!) and fresh honeycomb. delicious and plenty for two to share.

for dinner we both opted for the duck breast served with a house polenta. this polenta i would kill for!! it was heaven on a plate, in fact the entire dinner was delicious. the duck was perfectly done, mine medium his medium rare, a lovely sauce served with it, just spectacular.

we opted for a second bottle of wine (hate when that happens!) which was actually even better then the first one, again thank you lovely server for your terrific recommendations.

a great night, great dinner, great companion, great atmosphere!
bravo!!


-----18 jun, 2010-----

nicely done. i really like this place the service is top notch, the wine list is a nice selection and the food is always fresh and seasonal. if you stay at the hotel the diiner room service comes from here so it's an extra treat!

i still think about it. i went to this restaurant maybe 5 years ago, and i still think about the veal ravioli that i ordered. i have nothing but good memories from that restaurant. you can order a caesar salad finger-food style, for pete's sake! hope to go back one day :)

i have always viewed food much in the same way as fashion. there are certain dishes that never go out of style and classics are often reinvented for a whole new look and taste. pelagia trattoria in the renaissance hotel at the international plaza is one of my favorite spots to enjoy dishes that are not only incredible in flavor, they are visually stunning. each time i dine at pelagia, i leave feeling not only satisfied after a great meal but incredibly inspired.

i basically rolled out of pelagia with all this food in my belly, but it'll be a long time, if ever, before i forget this meal. thank you to pelagia for being as wonderful as always!

the grilled pear and watercress salad with maple bacon, blue cheese and cilantro pesto was vibrant green, and in a smoky-creamy-herbacious way, it had so much depth in flavor.

corrective course. we were initially sat right by the entrance and asked to move to a less trafficked area of the restaurant. our server appeared put out when we asked for a moment to go over the wine list and then developed a lag in response time with each of our interactions. my dinner guest and i enjoyed each other’s company despite the service, and the overcooked gnocchi with the bland tasting spare ribs and ragu... the reason for our visit was the semifreddo that when presented was chalky and frozen beyond acceptability... the crème brulee was representative of the sophomoric attempt by the table in the back of the sur la table cooking class that apparently drank too much wine. the aura of pretense was laughable and the reason for the quiet rating was the absence of repeat customers.

first and last visit.... i was in pursuit of one of my favorite italian desserts (semifreddo) and after reading the many great comments on several restaurant reviews forums about this venue, we decided to have dinner at pelagia last week. unfortunately, an underwhelming experience from the lack of luster in service delivery and timeliness to the almost hit and mostly miss in the quality of food overall. we shared the beef carpaccio for an appetizer and were happy with that - the caponata and fennel were a graceful compliment to the tender meat. the gnocchi with wild boar ragu and homemade ricotta sounded like a delicious choice but the execution was far from what this dish should be: the gnocchi were way too soft (probably overcooked) and the ragu had no flavor. we ended up enjoying just one of the entrees: risotto and scallops which was one of the specials for the day. the dessert that i was so much looking forward to, the semifreddo, was disappointing: served as a duo of blueberry pomegranate and chocolate mint with a drunken berry salad. if there was one time to say no to dessert this should have been it, this was supposed to be a delicate piece of heaven yet i'd like to think that heaven doesn't taste like chalk. we also tried the limoncello creme brulee, helas the creme lacked the softness, lightness and creaminess that this dessert should feature. the wine list at the restaurant is much abbreviated as compared to the website, wine by the glass offerings are limited to just a few choices.

i would definitely go back to pelagia trattoria. i loved their wine list, the service was excellent, and the food was fresh and well thought out. it’s just a friendly, warm place. pelagia hits all the high notes.

...began our meal with stuzzichini – aka small plates! we tasted the shrimp a pil pil with tarragon vinaigrette, oven-dried tomato on garlic baguette with goat cheese & pesto (can you go wrong with t

we sampled four wines paired with amazing food by executive chef andrew basch. this was my first visit to pelagia trattoria and it will not be my last...

from the moment we stepped into the pelagia, we knew we were in for a real treat. vibrantly colored décor insists a fun night out. huge windows and swanky lighting treatments scream big-city dining. the kitchen is completely open to all, a feature i particularly enjoyed. we were immediately welcomed and offered wine recommendations from our sincere and skilled server. she suggested a light red as it is perfect for a hot summer eve and pairs well with all kinds of meat. sipping on our refreshing kim crawford pinot noir, we were soon greeted by chef andrew. i love meeting a young and inspired talented chef. his passion as well as expertise and knowledge of the ingredients shined with his description of pelagia’s cuisine. at this point, we were so anxious for the glorious goods, we could hardly stand the anticipation.