Pranzo Serves Seafood Italian Style

We’ve enjoyed a few memorable meals at Pranzo on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, and each one has somehow been better than the last.   The challenge is to order anything new because our past selections have been so amazing, such as the Seafood Canneloni. The chef stuffs homemade pasta with fresh Gulf shrimp, sea scallops and lobster and covers the dish with fresh mozzarella and a creamy tomato sauce. The chicken Canneloni is a favorite dish for our 12-year old, who doesn’t quite appreciate seafood, yet. It’s equally delicious, with grilled chicken, spinach and artichoke hearts stuffed in a homemade pasta and smothered with a creamy alfredo sauce. [caption id="attachment_2033" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Mahi Mahi"][/caption] I’ve tried several seafood dishes at Pranzo. On this occasion I was more than pleased with the Mahi Mahi — a fresh, thick filet caught locally, topped with lump crabmeat and the house cream limoncello sauce and served over thick, succulent asparagus spears. The Grouper Piccata, beer-battered fingers served with a caper and lemon sauce over a vegetable risotto, is also delicious. A lighter option I’ve enjoyed in the past is the Seared [caption id="attachment_2035" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Chicken Canneloni"][/caption] Tuna from the appetizer menu. It’s lightly seared and served with a balsamic and blood orange sauce over cucumber fennel slaw. With a house salad, it was a refreshingly light, but flavorful summer dinner. As usual, none of us needed dessert, but we succumbed to the tempting menu. One from our group ordered the Tiramasu while another enjoyed the Crème Brullee. Our waiter’s favorite is the Limoncello Cream Pie. Other options include Cannoli, Amaretto Cheesecake, Italian Chocolate Torte and Fried Strawberries — something I’ll save room for next time — served a la mode with vanilla ice cream and chocolate and raspberry drizzle. [caption id="attachment_2046" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Tiramasu-tini"][/caption] The Tiramsu-Tini, with Espresso-vanilla vodka, butterscotch, Irish cream, whipped cream and coffee sprinkles was my choice for a decadent end to a wonderful dining experience. Our waiters, James and Mike, both give excellent recommendations and friendly service. The full bar and wine list offer plenty of choices in all price ranges. Check Pranzo’s facebook page for current specials and happy hour. Visit our website for a map and more details about Pranzo and other Fort Walton Beach restaurants. You can also download the free BeachGuide iPhone App from the Apple store and search for restaurants near your current location, by cuisine type, and use the interactive map feature to get driving directions. [caption id="attachment_2048" align="alignright" width="600" caption="Tiramasu"][/caption]

Published on Tuesday, June 17, 2014