Wellington The Magazine-July 2016
Tuna Tacos Featured On Expanded Menu At Romeo’s
Story and Photos by Julie Unger
Nestled in the Wellington Marketplace at Greenview Shores Blvd. and Wellington Trace, Romeo’s Italian Cuisine started out as a pizzeria, but has recently evolved into a full-scale Italian restaurant offering brunch, lunch, sunset and dinner. Glittering lights and soothing music create a warm and inviting atmosphere as the smell of classic Italian cuisine emanates from the kitchen.
Much has changed about Romeo’s in its nine-year history, with a grand re-opening in November 2015. Co-owners Tony Manglaviti and Sebastian Romeo expanded the operation from a 40-seat pizzeria to a 200-seat restaurant with a bar, outdoor dining, a soon-to-open private event room, tapas, brunch, lunch, dinner and entertainment. Now, the menu includes pizza, seafood and fresh pasta.
“We do everything from scratch, starting with the pasta and pizza dough. We use fresh, organic meats,” Manglaviti said. “We grew based on pizza, but what we want to bring to the community is that we do not just do great pizza, but we concentrate on healthy, organic, gourmet food. We have a little bit of everything. We accommodate everybody. We have seafood, pizza, pasta, healthy salads.”
The new menu reflects the focus on specialty foods with mussels, Maine lobster, grilled eggplant, seasonal vegetables, intricate salads and sophisticated meal combinations.
A signature dish at Romeo’s, the Tuna Tacos, is available both in a lunch serving (two tacos) and a dinner (three tacos) with bigeye tuna paired with pico de gallo stuffed tortillas.
“I’ve been working on this lunch menu with the chef,” Manglaviti said. “I had him buy the best quality he could find for all the fish. This particular fish is bigeye tuna. He seasons it, he sears it, and then he puts it over tacos with a special sauce.”
Tuna Tacos were added to the menu in the beginning of May when Romeo’s began opening for lunch, and has been the bestselling meal since. Bigeye tuna, Manglaviti said, is a high-quality tuna that often comes with a big price tag. Romeo’s sells the dish for $7, when similar dishes sell elsewhere for more, he explained, because they want their customers to enjoy the best and have the opportunity to taste something special.
Chef Joshua Flores perfects the dish using fresh tuna that comes in several times a week, cutting up the loin, cubing it, preparing it, cooking it and assembling the Tuna Tacos.
“This dish, for me, is very special because it’s a new item for the restaurant,” Flores said. “The tuna we’re using is very high quality. A lot of restaurants use it, but for different purposes. I decided to put it in the taco because people can have more appreciation for all of the flavors combined — the pico de gallo, the bigeye tuna and the spicy cilantro dressing that I make.”
The tortilla is finished on the grill, lightly cooking the flour tortilla, giving the tacos a nice finishing touch, Flores explained.
The new lunch menu includes specialty meals, salads and appetizers such as Beef Carpaccio, Ceviche, Grilled Calamari, Caprese Salad, Bella Donna Pizza and Insalata Pizza, Grilled Salmon with Mango and Avocado, and more. The dinner menu offers such specialties as Ceviche di Gamberi e Polpo, Blood Orange Arugula Salad, Ravioli di Aragosta, Involttini di Pollo, Seabass Oreganata, Filetto e Patate Gratinate, Brussels and Goat Cheese Pizza, White Clam Pie and Melanzana Parmigiana.
Lunch is from 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The Sunset Menu is from 4 to 7 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday with a four-course meal for $25. Dinner is served from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. during the week, and until 11 p.m. on weekends.
During the weekends, Romeo’s often features live music or a DJ. In June, Romeo’s introduced a brunch menu. Takeout is available, as is delivery. Romeo’s is also available for special events.
Romeo’s Italian Cuisine is located in the Wellington Marketplace at 13889 Wellington Trace. For more information, visit www.romeositaliancuisine.com or call (561) 793-7100.
