Rossellini's, Lake Mary - Closed

I had lunch at this new (three weeks) Italian restaurant in the Winn Dixie shopping area off I-4 on Thursday. It was previously Luigino's. Sign on Lake Mary Blvd still says that. It doesn't appear that they did much re-decorating. I could be wrong, but, it seemed the like the same stuff. A little scary because I think they had been closed for a while. The windows looked like it. Still covered in grime. The table was also a mess. Visible streaks from a dirty wash cloth. Same with the oil and vinegar bottles. Crumbs on my chair. It isn't a surprise. All the help quit after a poor opening. Could be the fact that it is in a remote corner and they haven't done enough (any?) or the right advertising. When I took in my surroundings and the lack of staff (one) and the empty restaurant and the lack of AC penetration to the tables by the windows (the hottest area and their prime real estate). I was really apprehensive. Luigino's was pretty mediocre by the end (maybe always). Was this more of the same? I set my fate on a lay up. A Chicken Florentine sandwich. Hard to screw up. I wasn't rolling the dice on a potentially rock hard meatball sandwich or a $18 Chicken Park from the dinner menu. This $10 sandwich was the limit of my faith. They surprised me. The sandwich was good. A little small, but, fresh. Fresh (unsalty) mozzarella. Fresh, thick meated tomatoes. Reasonably fresh (a little freezer burn taste on part) chicken. A great, crispy baguette. A nice pesto sauce. Even a little tarragon leaf decoration. And the steak fries were fried perfectly. I was really worried that the fryer was going to be cool or they were going to have other issues that "empty" or new places have early in the day (or existence). They were ready for business. The one flaw was bloody chicken. They didn't let it rest and it released its juice. Hey, at least it still had some. I didn't like the $3 soda. They need to include that in the lunch price. Terra Mia sells most lunches at $10 and they include the soda. The meal is doable at $10. Remember we have to tip. At $13 it becomes a discussion. That $10 is now $16 or $17 with drink and tax and tip. That's double what most take away lunches go for. And that's the competition. Dinner prices are even more out of line. Either they offer a full experience (clean environment, working AC, mood music, excellent food) or you reduce the prices by 50% until you do. You can't expect full remuneration when you aren't executing to your fullest. It's self-serving. A micro crime. It drives me crazy when businesses do this. They never excuse the buyer from full compliance. And I'm not sure there is a need for a high priced, rustic Italian restaurant. A new one is opening near City Hall in a few weeks. But, if you don't blink at a $30 steak (or seafood pasta) or apps in the mid teens are pastas (second courses) near $20, then this place is for you. I don't see myself returning for that. Luigino's used to be an expense account type of place. But, that was when the town had few options. It also attracted alot of the real estate agents. But, that didn't seem to save them. *Actually it could have closed for non-economic reasons. In any event, I wish them luck. The owners name is Paulo. He runs a similarly named place in Daytona Beach. He seems to care about ingredients. His one helper was on the ball. Two others came in at lunch (and some looky-loos). They have some Green Sea (or something) Salmon (with green peas) that sounded interesting. Food quality seems to be Job 1. It isn't perfect, but, it can't be written of yet. They are really reliant on the quality of the food at this point. Should it drop off, the restaurant won't survive for long. Here's hoping the solve the other issues.