Julian's Little Italy — Restaurant in Dunedin

UPDATE 2023:. First time back in about 8 or 9 months. Not sure what went wrong on this day, but I won't be returning. And this saddens Eeyore. 5 stars become 1 since the issue is in multiple dishes, not just the pizza disaster alone. Here are the details ...

The salad and garlic bread was on par with prior experiences. But the usual complimentary garbanzo beans that come out never happened. This was like an omen for what was to follow.

The Shells and Beef was the main course. It lacked the flavor of prior experiences. The dish didn't come together as a cohesive dish. The flavor was empty, like chili that was never left to simmer. A bland and boring dish results.

And the biggest disappointment. The pizza. The pizza went from best NY style pie in the county to absolute trash. Literally the worst pie I had in years!

I ordered the pizza as an appetizer and planned to eat half and take half home. Did not even finish one slice, Server asked if I wanted a box and I told her absolutely not. I told her the pizza is not good. It is too chewy and doughy, so I won't be taking this home as planned. Unfortunately that fell on deaf ears. I expected the cook or manager to ask for details on why the whole pie minus one slice was destined for the trash can. Never happened. No one cared that nearly a whole pie goes from table to trash can.

Here are the pizza disaster details since it is so bad it needs a whole discussion of its own ...

The pizza was about 1-2mm thicker than before and was much whiter than it should be. So this already made me question what happened since that put it on the edge of no longer being a NY pie due to being slightly too thick. And why so white? Upon grabbing the first slice, the obvious issue was apparent. The crust was very white along with the whole bottom being very white. There was no crisp to the crust. The dough stretched as the piece was pulled from the pie. The whole crust and undercarriage of this pizza was heavy and doughy and chewy. So I left without a box since that one slice was so bad. Actually rolled up the last part of that slice into a dough ball and left that on the dish. This pizza only has one place in the world. A trash can.

After this unexpected experience and 30 bucks later. Eeyore said farewell to this place. No tail wags. No joy here. There are other places now to explore.

ORIGINAL REVIEW 2020: Eeyore loved it! What a gem of a place with excellent homemade Italian cuisine. Found this place accidently as it's not a place you can easily see unless you are looking for it or strolling around the plaza it's in. The pizza is pure NYC. Perfect crust that is crisp on the outside yet pliable enough to fold properly. The sauce along had a nice tang and the fresh cheese cooked perfectly. I say go light on the toppings to experience this pizza properly. If this pizza is the quality they put out consistently, this will be my go-to pizza place as NY Style Pizza. Also had the Beef and Shells which was exactly as I expected it to be. Perfectly flavored and just like I make at home. This one a better choice though as I don't have dishes to do once done. And the salad made for a good starter. For desert the house made terimisu also hit the spot. Eeyore looks forward to more pizza as the pie got his tail spinning. And look forward to trying other selections over the next year as this might become part of my regular rotation. Check their hours before coming though as they are not...

First time visiting this place,...being from NY, I was really looking forward to some authenic Italian cooking.... I must say the selection was good, and prices reasonable... I was planning to have eggplant with veal, but I couldn't have the breading it's cooked with, so I chose the Calamari app, and Saltimbucca instead.. asked for my pasta to be cooked with garlic and oil to replace marinara sauce.. now, for my experience... calamari was ok, but small... the pasta had jarred garlic pieces chopped, and little oil... never asked what type of pasta, but that's ok... main dish Saltimbucca served on a plate, with no meat... just a plate of sauce... no bread, no offer to correct dish, no follow up,.. waitress was friendly and pretty, unfortunately not trained properly in food service, without making a fuss I asked for it to be wrapped to go,.. she brought me 1 stryoform container for two sides, I had to ask for a suitable container that would hold liquid, as that is all my dinner consisted of... apparently, you have to choose, chicken or veal , to place the order.. had she asked me, I would have made a selection.. the lighting was dim and I didn't bring my readers, as it was a last minute decision to stop... $40 later, I go home hungry to prepare my own dinner before work. The reviews are good, so I will give it another try, but only once.. greatly...

Today's order was a real disappointment.

Called to place a pickup order, asked specifically if I could substitute an equal priced topping, was told no problem, only to be charged for the replacement without being told. If the food was great, or even good, it wouldn't have been an issue. First removed star

Unfortunately the food was neither. The pizza was watery and soggy on the bottom, barely cooked on top, had to put it in the oven for as long as I would have had to if I was making my own pizza. The ground beef was flavorless, as was the rest of the pizza besides the crust, surprisingly the best part. Second removed star

We also ordered a cannoli. For a $4.25 full size cannoli, it was small. Definitely not a mini cannoli, but definitely not a standard size. Filling was runny and slightly gritty. The drizzle of shiny cheap chocolate sauce was an interesting touch. What a bummer. 3rd removed star

We've had good food here in the past and I didn't expect to have to leave a review like this for Julian's, but the execution of this order did not seem to have the intention of encouraging repeat business.

It was embarrassing and frustrating to have brought this...