Blog Post

Top Italian Restaurants in Indian River County – Part 1

Thomas Miller September 28, 2021

1 655 3 minutes read

What do I love most about Italian food? First and foremost is the passion and love that goes into each and every dish. The pasta, meatballs, chicken parmesan, chicken marsala, and of course the “Sunday Gravy” that has been simmered for hours on end to create a depth of flavor that touches your soul. With Italian food in my Top 5 favorite cuisine types, I was really looking forward to writing this article, and I hope you get a chance to go check out these places for yourself, because I know you won’t be disappointed!

Now let’s dive right in and see all the amazing Italian dishes I tasted over the past few weeks while creating this article!

Armani’s Cucina

**Grilled Peaches** – Mascarpone & Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, honey and balsamic drizzle.

**Gnocchi Sorrentino** – Homemade gnocchi with our signature marinara sauce with fresh mozzarella and garnished with basil.

**Limoncello Tiramisu** – A twist on a classic dessert! Lady fingers are served with a limoncello cream, and topped with lemon zest, chocolate chips, and fresh mint as garnish.

As one of Vero’s newest Italian restaurants, Armani’s Cucina has certainly made a name for themselves in a very short amount of time. They will just be celebrating their one year anniversary at the end of November, and per your suggestions, they are one of the hottest new editions to Vero’s Italian restaurant scene. Owner, Angelina Poggi has owned several previous Italian restaurants south of here, and one day as they were strolling down 14th Ave, they discovered the space where Prima Pizza was previously located and decided to look into it further. Angelina says “we were not planning to open a restaurant in Vero, it just sort of fell into our laps”. As a food blogger that eats at a lot of restaurants, it’s getting harder to impress me, yet these folks somehow managed to do just that. Everything I tasted was so fresh and full of flavor!

Armani’s Cucina
Address: 1920 14th Ave, Vero Beach, FL 32960
Phone: (772) 907-5774
https://www.armaniscucina.com/

Scampi Grill

**Heirloom & Burrata** – Baby heirloom tomatoes are served with fresh housemade burrata cheese, red onion, and dressed with a balsamic reduction.

**Baby Artichokes** – Tender baby artichokes are lightly egg battered and fried till golden brown and are served in an Italian herb caper butter sauce.

**Melanzane Al “Forno”** – Stuffed eggplant is rolled up with imported ricotta cheese, Romano cheese, fresh spinach, Italian herbs, and is topped with a rich plum tomato sauce served over angel hair pasta.

Scampi Grill has been one of the most suggested Italian restaurants that I should try, and I finally got a chance to stop by while writing this article. The dining room has a modern, yet rustic Italian feel and it’s dimly lit which creates a very romantic date night experience unlike any other restaurant I’ve seen around Vero. If you prefer to dine al fresco, you have two choices. The first choice is a patio directly attached to the building which has a retractable roof and side panels that can be closed and air conditioned in inclement weather, or with the increased demand for outdoor dining, the second option is their newest expansion directly behind the first patio located under the oaks. I decided to dine inside on my first visit to get the full experience. Chef Alex sent out several dishes for us to enjoy, and I must say, this is some of the best Italian food I’ve ever tasted. Everything was freshly prepared and so full of flavor! I’m already counting the days until my next visit!

Scampi Grill
Address: 815 20th St, Vero Beach, FL 32960
Phone: (772) 563-9766
https://www.scampigrill.com/

Trattoria Dario

**Octopus** – Tender Grilled Octopus served over Arugula, Cannellini Bean Salad, Cherry Tomatoes, and Dressed with EVOO & Lemon Juice

**Spaghetti Carbonara** – Tossed in Pancetta, Egg Yolk, Cream & Parmesan Cheese

**Cioppino** – Sautéed Calamari, Shrimp, Diver Scallops, Mussels, Clams, Cherry Tomatoes, White Wine, EVOO & Light Broth

I was excited to finally try Dario’s since I’ve not had the pleasure of dining here before, so thank you for voting this as one of your top foodie favorites! Located on Ocean Drive near South Beach Park, this area is not as well traveled as it’s northern half, so I think it goes largely unnoticed by vacationers to the area. The interior is gorgeous as you can see from my photo above. The high red booths allow for a more intimate dining experience for you and your guests. They do have a covered outdoor patio if you feel more comfortable dining outside. The menu has a nice selection of classic Italian dishes expertly prepared by Chef Juan, and a few that are out of the ordinary. You need to try the grilled octopus, it was the most tender I’ve ever had!