The Discriminating Diner - LaMotta's

           The Discriminating Diner

LaMotta’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria

A real local treasure that has been in Fort Myers for 31 years is LaMotta’s, located in the Gulf Point Shopping Center on San Carlos Blvd. The owner Carmelo has been there since he was 7 when his parents owned it.

When we entered we were warmly greeted and taken to our table. I first noticed that the décor is relaxed and friendly and reminded me of the places I use to frequent up north. The type of place that is not so fancy yet had some of the best food you could find. Well, LaMotta’s is no different. It is hard to find good Italian food in Fort Myers but LaMotta’s has some of the best in town.

The menu has all the traditional dishes one expects find. Prices for entrées range from $11.95-$22.95. All are served with a choice of soup or salad and your choice of 4 different pasta’s. What really sets LaMotta’s apart from most places is that all dinners are cooked to order. So if you want to add something or have some item not included, they will certainly cook the dish as you want it. Personally I like my dishes with extra garlic and light on salt.

I chose one of the nights specials Chicken Agrigento (Chicken with sundried tomatoes, artichokes in a white wine sauce) while my dining partner chose the Veal Marsala. We had a choice of what pasta we wanted to have (Linguini, Spaghetti) and both of us chose a salad as well. The salad was ample but to my surprise had radishes. When was that last time you had radishes included in your side salad? The tomatoes were so flavorful. I asked our server about them and she said that they use locally grown produce. I thought to myself that if this was any sign of what was to come I was in for a treat. The rolls are large garlic twists and were very tasty despite the crunchy bottoms.

When our dinners arrived we could see steam rising from the plates. Now how is that for hot food? Our dinner portions were large and the taste did not disappoint. My dining partner said their Veal Marsala was the best they have ever had and was as good as they use to get up north. My Chicken Agrigento did not disappoint either. The pasta was cooked to perfection. Sometimes al dente can be bit undercooked for my taste but not here. There was plenty of chicken and the complete dish was well balanced. The Veal Marsla was very tender and flavorful.

For dessert we had a Cannoli and the Tiramisu. Our server told us the cannoli is not only made fresh but the filling is also homemade. The Tiramisu which is served topped with whipped cream was perhaps one of the best in town. Our server was professional yet friendly and personable. She kept our drinks filled and always made sure our needs were met. After we were finished we were fortunate enough to meet Carmelo and enjoyed having a long conversation with him. What impressed me about him is his commitment to supporting our local community by using local products and supporting local charities.

Overall LaMotta’s is great place to go if you are looking for some great Italian food in a casual, relaxed and friendly atmosphere.