what do I know

The classic problem: its a Friday night, you don’t want to cook, and you feel like pasta. When you live in the Melbourne area you’ve got lots of choices, so when in doubt I always like to look close to home. In the Suntree area alone, I can think of 5 different Italian places that my wife and I have been to and enjoyed. This Friday’s choice was Amici’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria.

If you’re looking for the true New York Italian experience, look no further than Amici’s. This restaurant is a recent addition to the Suntree area bringing a great selection of pizza and classic Italian dishes to the area. Every time we go the staff is extremely friendly and attentive. As we dine, we always notice the owners/managers out on the restaurant floor greeting patrons with the traditional kiss on the cheek. Even though we don’t have the same relationship with the staff, you get a great feeling of welcomeness and hospitality. The restaurant itself has a split floor plan with one side being dedicated to take-out and the other being a more traditional restaurant and bar. The floor plan is very open and the restaurant is noticeably clean. They’ve also got a nice selection of draft beer, including Peroni, as well as some nice Italian wines by the glass/bottle.

To start, every table, regardless of whether you order a sandwich or an entree, gets a generous helping of dried herbs drenched in olive oil with freshly baked bread. I’ve noticed that this has become common fare in most Italian restaurants, but Amici’s does it well. This time around we ordered the Chicken Parmigiana Sub (~$7), the Tortellini Della Nonna (~$13) which came with a salad, and a Sprite (~$2). The salad came first; it was a generous portion of baby spring greens topped with a few juicy tomato quarters, cucumber, red onion, and black and green olives. It was enough for us to share. The food came shortly after we finished the salad and was piping hot. The sub was a giant 12″ hoagie with huge breaded, pan fried chicken cutlets topped with mozzarella cheese just the right amount of their red sauce. The tortellini are filled with cheese and come with fresh mushrooms and peas in a pink cream sauce. We don’t like to order pasta out, we prefer a healthier multi-grain or wheat option that usually isn’t available, but “wow”, who cares. The pink cream sauce so good that it was worth ever carb (because I really count ;)). We cleaned the plate and then continued to dip bread into the remnants of the dish because we liked the sauce so much. It’s a definite “must order” item for anyone visiting Amici’s. We were too stuffed to try dessert or coffee, but the selection looks extremely appetizing. In the past we’ve also ordered the veal parmigiana sub (~$7) and a medium cheese pizza (~$12) and we weren’t disappointed.

Amici’s is a great local establishment and my wife and I consider ourselves lucky that it is so close to the house. I have an Italian mother-in-law that makes some of the best and most authenticate Italian dishes I’ve ever eaten; Amici’s comes really close to competing. With a great atmosphere, great people, and great food, you can’t lose by visiting Amici’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria.

Amici’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria is located in Suntree at 7720 North Wickham Road, Unit 120, Melbourne, FL.

NOTE: Amici’s for dinner is always packed with an average of a 30+ minute wait, so make sure to call ahead or take the early dining route.

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