I haven’t written a restaurant review in what feels like forever. Silly grad school just takes up so much time and energy. Now that I’m getting close to the finish line and most of my assignments have been turned in I have some extra time to get back to reviewing some awesome restaurants I’ve visited recently.
Over spring break I went down to Florida to visit my dad and step-mom and just to be able to say I had a college spring break in Florida. It definitely was no PCB or Fort Lauderdale spring break, but it was just what I needed. While in Florida we visited Molto Trattoria in Naples, Florida so let me tell you all about it!
Molto has definitely been one of my favorite restaurants I’ve gotten to visit since my dad and step-mom moved to Florida a few years ago. Molto is located in Naples which is a bit over an hour away from their condo, and the last two times I’ve visited we made the trip and each time it was so worth it. Molto is one of the most authentic Italian restaurants I’ve visited in the states and visiting makes me miss Italy more than I do on a normal day. Thankfully, I have an Italy trip scheduled for later this year and I can’t wait! Back to the topic at hand… Molto has one of the best gluten-free pizza crusts I’ve had in almost 10 years living gluten-free. My dad and I debate whether this pizza or the one from Harvest in Columbus is best, but both are extremely tasty and satisfying.
Environment
Molto is located on 5th Avenue South in Downtown Naples. It is surrounded by art galleries, restaurants, and high-end shopping. When we were there over spring break the street was shut down to traffic and there was an art festival. My dad and I took some time to enjoy the art, but I can confidently say it was all out of my price range, which seems a common theme in the shops around this area. All in all it’s just a cool place to spend some time, window shop, check out the art and have a nice time. There are many restaurants that advertise winning local awards, but do yourself a favor and walk past them and head straight to Molto.
Molto has both indoor and outdoor seating. With it being tourist season, the snowbirds still around, and the art festival the restaurant was busier this time than the last time I visited. Even though that was the case, the service and our experience was still spectacular. We ate outside this time and as the sun moved they went as far as to move the umbrellas to shield us from the sun. Inside they have a full bar, an espresso bar and some really cool murals. Outside they have what looks like an herb garden and it wouldn’t surprise me if they used some of those herbs in their cooking.
Food
Both my dad and I started with a round of drinks. I ordered the Passion Cosmo and my dad had a Molto Mojito. Like everything else I’ve had here, the drinks are flavorful, delicious, and unique. I think this is the only place I’ve ever seen a cocktail made with passion fruit puree and that makes it feel fun and special. The Passion Cosmo was refreshing and boozy. Like many things at the restaurant, I wouldn’t be surprised if they made their simple syrups and flavorings for the cocktails. I say this because they taste better and a bit different than drinks made with store bought syrups. My dad also made note of this when describing his mojito, he mentioned it just tasted better than others he’d had in restaurants in the area.
For our meal we ordered gluten-free pizzas. Unlike other restaurants where I’ve ordered gluten-free pizzas, the pizzas were similar in size to the gluten-containing pizza. Or at least it seemed like it when I looked at other people’s pizza on their tables. We ordered two pizzas and took the equivalent of one pizza back with us. And none of it went to waste. The two pizzas we ordered were the Queen Margherita and the Parma, both of course on gluten-free crusts. Both of these pizzas were delicious and had us happy food dancing in our chairs. One of my favorite things about the gluten-free pizzas at Molto is that they are thicker than most gluten-free pizza crusts. I never ate thin crust pizza until I went gluten-free. And I understand a lot of the food science and why gluten-free products often don’t rise like their gluten-containing products, but it doesn’t mean I miss a thicker crust any less. I liked both of the pizzas, but I enjoyed the Margherita pizza the best. The Parma pizza had prosciutto, which I love, and I thought I’d enjoy that pizza a bit more, but both the crust and the prosciutto had a lot of salt and it was almost too much. And really that is my only critique, and I don’t remember feeling that way the last time I visited so it may have been a one time thing.
Along with gluten-free pizza, Molto offers gluten-free pasta, and wraps all made in house. Both times I’ve visited I have enjoyed pizza, but from my dad and step-mom’s experience they have enjoyed the pasta as well. I think one of the things I appreciate most about Molto is that so much of their offerings are made in house. They also advertise using their family recipes and family recipes are always the best. I do enjoy eating out at restaurants, but nothing beats a home cooked meal made with love. Eating at Molto feels like eating a home cooked meal.
Overall
Molto is one of the best restaurants I’ve been to in awhile and probably my favorite restaurant in Florida. They offer multiple gluten-free options and although I’ve only had the opportunity to try a few, I can imagine they are all wonderful. Even on a busy day, we were well taken care of and fed in a timely manner. I would recommend Molto to anyone visiting Naples, but especially to anyone needing gluten-free options. So do yourself a favor and head to 5th Avenue South and get yourself a table at Molto, you won’t regret it.
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