Buon appetito at Angelo Elia in CityPlace Doral

Chef Angelo Elia already has an impressive restaurant empire throughout Broward County and now he's expanded it to CityPlace Doral with the more casual Angelo Elia Pizza Bar Tapas.The atmosphere may be casual but the menu is anything but. That was evident at an intimate media dinner where a specialty cocktail was offered to kick off the meal, followed by tapas, pizzas and pastas served up family style.Oh so colorful, the specialty cocktail was a mixed berry mojito made with Havana Club Anejo Blanco, raspberry Bacardi rum, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, muddled raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, mint and Agave nectar. It was refreshing and loaded with fresh fruit flavor and that kick of rum.Presented next were tender turkey and chicken meatballs served w/ escarole and cannellini beans in a flavorful reggiano broth followed by crispy tempura fried zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella. The gooey cheese and light coating were the perfect combination. Crispy, thin crust pizzas were then put out for tasting. You could choose from the Angelo with buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula and reggiano or the Contadina with tomato sauce, Italian sausage, ricotta and mozzarella. I chose a slice of...BOTH.And it wouldn't be a meal at an Italian restaurant without a plate of pasta. Seafood lovers, you'll go crazy over the Spaghetti frutti di mare with shrimp, calamari, clams and mussels in a light tomato sauce and for something a bit richer and very traditional, we also sampled the Bucatini carbonara with pecorino and egg yolk, pancetta, zucchini and cracked pepper.Finally, the can't wait to dig in and beautifully plated Nutella stromboli for dessert. It was drizzled with chocolate, served up with a side of cream and fresh strawberries and blueberries.They couldn't leave out the wine and there was enough variety to pair perfectly with the meal. Glasses of Terlano Pinot Grigio, Costaripa Rosamara Rose, Il Feuduccio, Fonte Venna Montelpuciano and Errazuriz Max Carmenere were served up for the asking.This dinner was just a tip of the iceberg of what they offer on the menu. Check it out for yourself at http://www.angeloeliapizza.com/menus/doral-menu/