‘Watts for Dinner’: Davide – Experience the pasta-bilities

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” – Federico Fellini

Our next dining destination is one of my absolute favorites, Davide Italian Café on Marco Island.

Things got off to an appetizing start with the “Rollatino di Melenzana” (16.95). It features thinly sliced eggplant stuffed with ricotta, topped with mozzarella and tomato sauce.

A beautiful dish. The eggplant appears to have an egg coating, not unlike a Mexican chile relleno dish. The cheese and sauce are both exceptional. This is a great starter for sharing.    

For my main entrée, I selected the pasta Bolognese ($21.95). It features a homemade meat sauce with peas and diced carrots in the mix. It’s served with your choice of pasta (penne, spaghetti, linguine or angel hair). I picked linguine! This is one of the best pasta dishes on the menu. I love it. It may seem simple, but it is complex in flavor and texture.   

My dining companion opted for the chicken Milanese ($23.95). It features a thin breaded (lightly fried) chicken breast (you can also get breaded veal scaloppine) topped with fresh arugula, diced tomatoes, sliced onions, extra virgin olive oil and lemon served with a side of linguine pasta.

This was a work of art. Just beautiful! And it earned high praise. The arugula was super fresh. The filet was cooked to perfection! I highly recommend this dish.

From when we first sat down, and received our delicious, warm complimentary bread – with an olive tapenade, olive oil and balsamic – to our cocktail sangrias and main dishes, it was more than a meal, it was an experience.  

Our previous official visit before this one was May 2021, over two years ago. My how time flies.

During that meal, we started with the shrimp parmigiana, featuring lightly fried and breaded shrimp in a tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese. A surprisingly great combination you might not expect.  

We also sampled the “Italiana” salad, featuring endive, arugula, radicchio, with gorgonzola cheese topped with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The cheese made this dish.

Remember the appetizer we started our current meal with? Well, it comes in sandwich form too! I had the “Melenzana Parmigiana” featuring breaded eggplant thinly sliced, lightly fried with a homemade tomato sauce topped with mozzarella cheese. So good! The bread was fresh and chewy, just like you’d expect. And the marinara! Davide’s has the best sauce. Light, yet packed with flavor. A really great choice.

And if you’re looking for pizza, you’re in luck. Our favorite is the “Quattro Formaggi” with tomato sauce and a blend of mozzarella cheese, gorgonzola cheese, Parmigiano and provolone cheese. A slice of this pizza is pure heaven. A thin and crispy crust with a beautiful layering technique. Just to look at it you’d never guess the complex, rich and amazing flavor. Bravo!

It doesn’t matter if it has been days, weeks or months, you are greeted like a regular here. The service is top notch and the intimate setting allows you to make quick friends with staff and other guests. Happy eating!

More‘Watts for Dinner’: Generous and irresistible helpings from Kareem’s

AndHey Marco Island, looking for a place to eat?

Prices indicate time of visit and may vary. This newspaper pays for all meals related to dining reviews. We do not solicit or accept free food.

If you go

Davide Italian Cafe

• 688 Bald Eagle Dr #2541, Marco Island
• 239-393-2233
• davideitaliancafe.com