Holy Tavola! Nestled among various other restaurants on Palafox Place in downtown Pensacola, lies what is soon to be a lunchtime favorite for all the college-budget students.
Located at 102/104 Palafox Place, Aritssimo! has something for everybody. Described by the menu as a Euro cuisine, sushi bar and Italian bakery, I had to take some time to decide what I wanted to eat.
That is until I noticed the lunchtime tavola carte, which holds pre-made items to select from for a quick and easy lunch-time entrée.
For a mere $3.50, I chose a pepperoni and sausage calzone, which is basically a small pizza rolled over onto itself, that was enough to fill me up.
There are other options on the cart, including Sicilian rice balls, but for the most part everything is along the lines of what I got.
Aritssimo! is open Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fine dining starts at 5 p.m. and as the hours in the day increase, so do the prices on the menu.
The dinner menu includes appetizers such as blue mussels tarrantina, seared jumbo scallops and shrimp cocktail, ranging from $13 to $15. Entrées include filet mignon for $25, crab-meat crusted mahi for $23 and veal involtini for $25.
There is a sizeable pasta menu to choose from during dinner, with prices ranging from $11 to $20, choices include lobster ravioli, beef and veal tortellacci and pasta alfredo, just to name a few.
Sushi and pastries are served until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant has hardwood flooring and your choice of tables, high tables or bar seating.
When I went in during lunch, a man was playing classical guitar at the entrance, which, I was told, is not unusual. The atmosphere is very mellow and relaxing, and everything except the lunch cart is cooked fresh to order.
There are six beers on tap, 15 bottled beers, bottles of champagne ranging from $24 to $75, and a large selection of red and white wines.
I would definitely recommend going downtown for lunch, and having yourself a meal that, with a non-alcoholic drink, will run you just under $6.
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