Prato, Winter Park

I had lunch at this Italian restaurant on Park Ave yesterday. It is its misfortune that I just dined at rival Armando's last week. Not to say it is bad (it's pretty good), it just loses out to the aforementioned in almost every category. It's danker. It's more expensive. It has less selection. It has smaller portions. I had the cheapest panini on the menu (Grilled Eggplant) because as I said the selection is limited and expensive. It was $10. I had a choice of a $14 burger, a $12 meatball, a $13 tuna or a $11 Muffaleta. I wanted to try something that would require them to show any cooking proficiency, so the tuna and cold cuts were out. I didn't want a burger in an Italian restaurant and I definitely didn't want a $14 burger in an Italian restaurant. I chose the veggie because I wasn't in the mood for beef and a bad meatball would have been too much to go through. The eggplant skin was bitter. They charred it too brutishly. The eggplant itself had little flavor (even for an eggplant). The slices (one and a half layers of) were very thin. At least it wasn't oily. There were roasted garlic or shallots. There wasn't much taste to them. It was the only element of any abundance. The sauce and tomato sauce were penuriously applied. The bread was good. It was a pretty long sandwich. It came with Parmesan dusted shoe string french fries that may have been scented with truffle oil. My amnesia on the subject will tell you what an impression it did or did not make on the side. Not that I care because it is rarely anything but chemicals anyway. The portion of fries was large. They had that offensive starch coating on them that some places choose to use. The meal came on an unadorned modernish plate. The service was good. And they did beat Armando's in one category. The soda was a nickel less. The overall menu changes frequently (according to them). They revel in their fidelity to the locally grown movement. They really let you know that they do. But, you pay for their politics. Either that or overhead/poor business acumen or profit/greed. The only appetizer that may be of value is the Chicken Liver at $8. Everything else is more expensive and only the Ocala Rabbit Sausage is intriguing (and probably only because it says Ocala). I mean is prosciutto from Iowa really enticing? Is it enticing at $12? The pastas seem reasonable ($9/$16 for all four) They say they are made from scratch. The entrees (4) all top $23. It isn't outrageous. It's just more than Armando's. The real bamboozle is on pizza. They all cost $15 (even a Margherita). That's 50% more than Armando's and they are about 30% smaller. Be advised that there is a seperate lunch and dinner menu (I have been describing the dinner menu in the last part of the review). The place itself is interesting. It is the old Ann Taylor shop. It has lots of brick and wood. It looks like an old barn. The place translates to "meadow" so you get the motif. They have left some of it looking undone (ie the cement from inbetween cinder blocks exposed). I think it detracts, but, I'm sure some overpriced RISD alum will disagree. The space is rectangular. The front is windows. There is a long, island bar in the center. They have; mostly half booths for two in the front third, high tops for two and booths for four in the middle room and a combo in the back third. There is an exposed prep area near the pizza oven towards the back third. The have six flat screens. There are seats on both sides of the bar and some tables outside. The outside tables have umbrellas to shade you from the sun. The decor has things like: a wall of plants, mirrors, blackboards, iron light casings, gas lamps and other pastoral elements. The color scheme is wood and grays. Don't get me wrong. I really liked it (even if the whole locovore thing is becoming pendantic). I just happened to have gone to a place that does nearly the same thing better and cheaper. If you want to dine in a sombre setting on Park Ave and pay for adjectives this is the place for you. If you want an ethereal setting with better values go to Hannibel Square. Either way, you can't lose. Two welcome additions.