Between
the 38 years as a server and over 70 years eating out I have eaten in
thousands of restaurants and maybe a dozen are memorable and most have
been Italian restaurants.

My
first major job, where I learned all about the basics of running a
restaurant and all about Italian food was Picciolo's at 101 Collins
Avenue in Miami Beach and I always think back of my years there with
pleasure. One of THE best restaurants I have ever eaten in was/is
Marchi's in New York on east 31st Street in New York City for 83 years
and their motto is "No sign outside, No menu inside"--you have to go to
their web site to know what I am talking about when I say this is the
definite dining experience https://www.marchirestaurant.com/

I
retired after working at Big Louie's here in Fort Lauderdale and it was
one of the very few restaurants that I worked at that I went to eat at
after leaving and, I have to admit, I haven't been there since I
discovered the Cafe Vico in February of 2012. It has been there for
years starting off as a single storefront and now has expanded to an
additional 3 storefronts plus an outdoor patio eating area plus they
just acquired another storefront to have a piano bar.

The
bottom line is that I have never had a bad meal there and am seriously
thinking of holding my 20th Leap Year birthday party tat the Cafe Vico.
They are not inexpensive which was why I was so pleased to hear that
they were doing 2-4-1 lunches during the summer and have now extended
that until October when "season" starts. Allen and I go for lunch there
every Thursday and I have been working my way through their menu.
Whether it be raviolii stuffed with seafood in a lobster cream sauce or
their lasagna I can easily recommend that you order anything off the
menu and you will be more than satisfied.
Everyone
on staff, from Marco and his wife, work together to make your dining
experience just that--an experience. The service is excellent, the
plates served as a work of art and the hot rolls served with a spicy
garlic oil dip is the best. By the way the carrot cake isn't bad!!!