I tried these spots Saturday at lunch. The first is in a strip mall before Avalon Park on Avalon Park Blvd. The second is in the market place in AP. The third is in a strip mall at University and Alafaya Trail by the UCF entrance on the southwest side.
Tratto - Open for a year and a half. Square floor plan. Strip mall level ambience. I had a terrible lasagna for $22. To add insult to injury, it was big. I felt obligated to finish it to be polite. Why does everything good come in a small portion and everything bad come in quantity? The pasta part was mush. It was SOOO salty. No ricotta. Maybe a bechamel. Gray meat. Cardboard tasting cheese on top. Sugary sweet sauce. Im not sure you could screw it up worse if you tried. This place is obviously not run by Italians. I suspect Hispanics or Arabs. There seemed to be one (maybe two) people in the kitchen. This reheat job took a while to come to the table. There was only one table not served ahead of me. Three in total. I also could not drink the water. It was putrid. The one thing they did acceptably was the free focaccia. The menu had pasta, risotto, burrata, meatballs, salmon, salads, pizza, etc. They did a pasta in a cheese wheel. Everything between $20 and $40. Apps all at main prices. Four black appareled wait staff. The place is beige on beige. Some black accents. Fake plants. Two fake light up trees. Profile aspects of faces in wood on one wall. Five booths on either wall. The one on the right was slightly elevated. Four tables in between. Pizza oven in the rear middle. Non-dressed up clientele. A tremendous let down.
Ferratti's Artisan Pizza - Except the pizza was broken and they were using a toaster oven. Needless to say, my $15 Mairinara dei Due Colori (a pizza devoid of cheese) was not good. And took forever because they were even doing the pasta out of that toaster. And there was only one order before me. The "pizza" crust was thicker than pan pizza. Mostly because it was only stretched to ten inches. I believe it was supposed to have yellow and red tomatoes. I expected slices. They must mean it is in the sauce. It came with some sweet black circles that I think they called black garlic. Seemed too wide to be a clove. I'm not sure because I stopped caring when they said the already taped over prices were no longer in effect and a pizza like the $18 bufala mozzarella (tri colori) was now $22. Quite a price hike. They also weren't doing the "sandwiches" (which may or not have started at the listed $12) because they didn't have any bread (probably because of the broken oven) and wouldn't for three hours. I wasn't having a pasta because of the nauseating one still in my belly. These guys were also doing a pasta in a cheese wheel. Do you think that is hygenic? Only two guys in the "kitchen". This is a food stall. The pizza guy was burning every crust. Air bubbles galore. They didn't look Italian either. They were speaking in Spanish. The guy at the Weekly gushed over this place. I can see that it may have potential. The menu reads like it was created by someone with real Italian training. However, this trip did not expose any evidence of it. A stupendous let down. Open for a few weeks or months. Who cares?
Lert Thai - This Northern Thai newcomer (a few weeks) sort of salvaged the trek. I had the chicken larb salad (one romaine leaf, two slices of cucumber and a pinch of grated carrot) for what I believe was $15 (can't find the receipt). It was ok. I am having a hard time remembering how to gauge a good one from a bad one. The chicken was bland. So, it all boils down to the dressing. I think I've had tastier. The menu is changing, but, now had noodles, rice and salads and soups. Thai samosa and pork neck were things I don't believe I have seen before. Seemed like one cook and one front man. He was charming. Rectangular floor plan. Order at a counter. Basic decor. I believe they are open for lunch and dinner every day. I had tried to try them a few Tuesdays ago. The host said he has hired enough staff to eliminate that issue again. One other there at 2pm. The host said Lert means "delicious". It also has some slangy meaning when lady boys use it. The more you know...
*The cunts at that Viet Thai place I just ate at added a $10 tip to the total. Have to check your cc statement!