This authentic Italian restaurant provides an upscale experience that has been approved by the likes of Emeril Lagasse. BAM!
Scarpa’s Authentic Italian
When Lakeland locals mourned the closing of Mario’s on Edgewood Drive, Chef Glenn Scarpa took it upon himself to turn their frowns upside down. Together with his wife, Ashley, the couple opened a new restaurant in the same location, Scarpa’s Italian. Having served as Chef at Mario’s for 12 years, Glenn was well versed in the dishes that kept customers coming back time and again. He brought back some of these old favorites, and of course added his personal recipes to the delectably authentic Italian menu.
Elegantly Quaint Dining
The small dining room is cozy and intimate, but not at all cramped. Elegant décor, plush chairs and crisp white linens are indicative of the upscale dining experience that the Scarpa’s Italian are dedicated to providing each and every customer.
Menu Highlights
Antipasti
- Black PEI Mussels sauteed in a creamy white wine garlic sauce
- Baked Brie: Brie cheese baked with toasted almonds and butter served with toast points
- Prosciutto & Cheese: Prosciutto di Parma, aurecchio provolone and oil-cured olives
Pasta
- Penne Bolognese: Prosciutto and mushrooms sauteed together in olive oil and marinara meat sauce
- Gnocchi Sorrentino: Potato dumplings in a creamy pesto sauce with toasted pignoli nuts
- Lasagna: Alternate layers of pasta and cheese blended in harmony with marinara sauce served with your choice of meatballs or sausage
- Eggplant Parmigiano: Thinly sliced eggplant batter fried, then baked with marinara sauce
Meat & Seafood
- Veal Saltimbocca: Tender milk-fed veal stuffed with prosciutto, provolone, and sage in a lemon cream sauce
- Tuscan Chicken: Chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto, provolone and spinach, then breaded and lightly fried with blackberry brandy glaze
- Lobster Ravioli: Lobster-filled ravioli in a vodka cream sauce
- Black Grouper: A delicate flaky white fish prepared blackened, sauteed in a lemon sauce or with an almond honey glaze
Reservations are recommended.