Twas the night before Thanksgiving and I knew I would eat a lot the next day, but that did not stop me from visiting Aldos anyway…
Alright, I am not a poet, but I have been told I have a pretty good taste when it comes to food…
Last Wednesday, after a few long days of work, I decided I would treat myself and head over to the newly opened Aldos Italian Table & Bar on University Village, right near Florida Gulf Coast University.
The twenty minute drive from my home in North Naples was comparable to a drive I would take to Downtown Naples during season and traffic on I-75 was flowing around 6:30PM right before my 7PMreservation.
The University Village shopping area has plenty of parking, so upon parking my vehicle, I walked towards Aldo’s (Across from Tacos and Tequila) and checked out their outdoor sitting area. It looked like it would be a good place to dine, but as I was alone, I chose to go in and go into the bar area.
I was greeted by the hostess right away and before I made into the bar, I was able to observe the dining room area. It is a pretty large dining room area, that looks modern but still holds some of the items that traditional Italian restaurants have.
I made my way to the bar and was offered a beverage by the super attentive bartender (Mia). I looked over the menu and decided I wanted to try a drink called “Winter in the Tropics”. It consisted of Malibu rum, blackberry puree, brewed black tea, fresh lime and sprite. If you are wondering if I liked it… I had 4 of them It was super delicious, refreshing and easy to drink!
It was time to eat and I started with an appetizer. I am a big fan of polenta and Aldos had on the menu the “Roman Style Polenta”. This was one of the best appetizers I have ever had! Baked parmesan polenta in a truffle mushroom fondue just creates the perfect mix in your mouth. I must confess that mushrooms are not something I go out of my way to eat, but in this case, I wanted more and more of that fondue. The polenta was also cooked to perfection, soft with a little crispy on the outside, and when I bit into it all made for the perfect blend in my mouth.
It was time to order my entrée and I was in the mood for pasta, so I chose the Bucatini Carbonara and it was an excellent choice! Prosciutto, Pecorino Romano, Peas, Black Pepper and Egg in a Carbonara sauce and delicious Bucatini pasta (A thicker spaghetti like pasta very common in Rome). It was delicious and contained just the amount of sauce where you could enjoy the sauce and the pasta as well.
I continued drinking my 4th “Winter in the Tropics” before I decided to try the Nutella Pizza for dessert. It was absolutely delicious! I am a big fan of pizza and a big fan of Nutella, so when you combine them (sans cheese) it makes for a perfect combination. It reminded me of some of the pizza shops I frequent when I visit my home country of Brazil, where dessert pizzas are very common.
Service was absolutely amazing! Mia, who was bartending and helped me in the bar, was very attentive and I had a lot of other servers come in and check in on me and how things were going. I also got to meet Angela, who manages the restaurant and we chatted a bit on how things were going on the first few weeks.
I am confident this place will take off in the next few months and with a sister restaurant in Naples with over 21 years of experience, Aldos has proved that once you go in and try the food, you keep going back for more! I can’t wait to go back!
Felipe Approved! (??)and I will be back for more soon!
Aldos Italian Table & Bar
19800 Village Center Drive
Fort Myers, FL 33913
Phone: 239.234.2536
Hours: Tue-Sun 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
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