Viva Napoli
3.5 out of 5 stars
4301 W. El Prado Blvd., Tampa. Appetizers: $7-$12; entrees & pizza: $10-$24; desserts: $8-$11; wine: BYOB. 813-443-8500; vivanapolitampa.com.
Italian food has long reigned at the top of most popularity lists. The emphasis on fresh ingredients and the comfort factor of pasta and pizza are hard to beat. Most of our exposure, though, is filtered through Italian-American expressions of red-sauce cuisine; as the local Spectrum cable TV commercial for Dunedin’s Umberto’s of Long Island proudly proclaims (in New York accents), cooked “by real Italians.”
It’s nice, too, to dine where recent immigrants are in the kitchen — places like Acqua Alta, Piccola Italia Bistro, Casa Cosenza, or now Viva Napoli, under the watchful eye of Simona Sarpa in South Tampa. Sarpa came to the Bay area two years ago, armed with classic recipes from her grandparents’ restaurant, Pizzicato, at Naples’s expansive Piazza Municipio in the embrace of the 13th-century Castel Nuovo.
If you’re looking for an authentic wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, you’ve come to the right place. The imported Italian flour and the large Napoli-built “biscotto di Sorrento” wood oven deliver crusts with airy pockets in the huge, puffy cornicione (or rim) and traditional soft center. The crust is full of flavorful leopard spotting. Add imported San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, a handful of basil leaves, plus a drizzle of fruity extra-virgin olive oil, and you’ve got a margherita pie of note.
Also of note is a crispy cornucopia of three Italian treats. Cuoppo fritto features very light and crispy polenta sticks, long golden potato croquettes with creamy centers, and cheesy arancini — those seductive risotto balls that are absolutely addictive. Diners who like their carbs with a bit of crunch can’t go wrong with this one. It’s a nod toward Neapolitan street food that will practically have you speaking Italian. La vita è bella.
We opt to share the impepata di cozze starter, a big bowl overflowing with fresh mussels in a light broth dotted with soft cherry tomatoes. The hints of crushed red pepper and garlic perfume the elixir, giving it dimension, but allowing the shellfish to be the star.
Less memorable is the soup. Pasta mista e fagioli is fine. It’s a simple broth with creamy white cannelloni beans, carrots and two pasta variations. The dish is pleasant enough, but nothing pops.
Chicken saltimbocca with prosciutto di Parma and sage is classic. The chicken is juicy, the wine sauce is subtle, and the prosciutto not too crisp. One tablemate flips over the accompanying roasted potato chunks, which are very crisp with soft interiors. While the textural juxtaposition is notable, I could use more seasoning to kick them up a notch. I’m always looking for the Goldilocks zone, where optimal texture, appearance and flavor are balanced, but the chef tweaks something for a bit of surprise.
Trittico di gnocchi highlights a trio of sauces mimicking the colors of the Italian flag. It’s interesting to see reactions around the table. The house-made gnocchi are straightforward with no discernible dimple or ridges to hold the sauce; I’m also firmly in the camp of caramelizing these little dumplings in the pan before saucing for extra flavor. That said, there are three tasty sauces: sorrentina (tomato), pesto and Gorgonzola. My favorite is the assertive pesto, although my company sees it as too aggressive, preferring the mild blue cheese — which to me lacks the punch to balance the presence of basil and garlic. Gorgonzola doesn’t have the edge of Roquefort or Stilton, but I still want more. My tablemates, however, are totally seduced by the creamy textures that cling to the soft gnocchi. As for the tomato sauce, it’s straight out of the kitchen of the Italian grandma in your imagination; the flavors are clean and deliver the acidic tomato touch that makes you salivate. Our serving size is enormous, too, with enough for tomorrow’s lunch.
An important note is that Viva Napoli’s wine policy is strictly BYOB. This menu, which has been changed slightly since my last visit, calls out for your favorite vino, so come prepared with the Italian wine of your choice. That said, the dining room is set to expand in a few weeks when the restaurant gets permitted along with a beer and wine license.
We skip the Nutella pizza when it’s time for dolci and instead select the ubiquitous tiramisu, which is creamy with both chocolate and coffee notes in harmony. Some might wish for more assertive flavors; this version is more about texture that’s light and airy.
The traditional Neapolitan baba rum cake is a bit dry even though it’s topped with whipped cream and, supposedly, Amarena (if so, it’s too subtle to be notable). The cake itself is properly formed — sort of resembling a tall mushroom — but the rum syrup presence is lacking. There’s a fine line between imparting flavor and soaking the cake, and the dessert is moist when in the right balance. Too often, in my experience, the rum practically drips and is overwhelming. In this case, a beautiful-looking cake has little flavor, as if the step to infuse it with rum syrup was forgotten.
Luckily, the cappuccino is superb. The coffee flavor is bold, and the foam is luscious. It’s the perfect way to end the trip to Italy’s Campania coast as embodied on El Prado Boulevard.
Editor's note: Additional reporting for this story was done by Chip Weiner.
CL Food Critic Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system, or email him at food@creativeloafing.com.
