IL Piccolo Morso — Restaurant in Leonardtown

Il Piccolo Morso was, for me, a restaurant that seemed to hang in the uncomfortable balance between the identity of its menu and the identity of its environment.

On one hand, the menu announces itself as near fine dining: hand-crafted plates with thoughtful pairings and homemade sauces. On the other hand, the ambience of the restaurant suggests something unfinished, rough around the edges, and emergent. I had sat for a few moments before ordering and admired the menu: its range in context of its smaller size, its consideration of complementing flavor profiles, and its attempt to cater for a variety of tastes despite being unapologetic in its offering. Yet, I had noticed that the open ceiling of the dining area blended awkwardly from spacious to unfinished over the bar and kitchen area, where walls stopped short of the air vents and ducts on the ceiling with uneasy space. I had noticed the decor relying on color and contrast over substance. I had noticed the apparent calculation of maximizing space for seats while maintaining the exclusivity of those seats. During these opening moments of the night, the first impression I received was that Il Piccolo Morso had prioritized defining it’s menu over designing its space. Naturally, this is the most appropriate decision when faced with those two options and one that cements the success of the restaurant. However, it would be nice to witness the interior of the restaurant flourish in later years of its opening, particularly in table settings, the relationship between wall color and ambient lighting, and wall decoration.

Ordering the Kentucky Fig cocktail to open the evening, I found the aroma extremely well-balanced and its flavor profiles expertly married. For an entrée, I ordered the Branzini al Forno, which offered the option of receiving the sea bass with head on, or head off. Stuffed with lemon and rosemary, it’s flavor was exquisite. The meat came away from the bones with ease, and the skin (as always) was the seat of the flavor of the dish. It was accompanied with the seasonal vegetable, which in this case was broccolini. Surprisingly, the flavor of the broccolini nearly surpassed that of the bass and completed the dish well.

Overall, Il Piccolo Morso provided a rich and rewarding dining experience with memorable flavors. However, for the price point and the outstanding quality of the food, I would delight in witnessing the development of the interior to match the standard of the menu. Of course, this may be an insignificant detail to many diners that will doubtless savor the food and their company, but for me is the crowning element that secures a restaurant’s place as...

I was greeted by a very pleasant lady who was very professional and seated promptly even though I did not have a reservation. The waiter Trent was accompanied by a trainee with both being very professional and courteous. After taking my order they came back with my drink and complimentary bread and olive oil for dipping. If you took a slice of Italian bread from Food Lion sliced into five slivers and served two of the slivers that would described the complimentary bread. The olive oil for dipping was just oil with no seasoning. Bland, My appetizer was Caprese salad (fresh sliced tomato, Mozilla cheese and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic). The balsamic was way too little which added very little flavor but the tomato and Mozilla were very fresh. My entree dish was Bucatini pasta with five meatballs. Bucatini is a tube pasta which accounts for a lot of volume in the bowl but much less mass since it is full of air. Also much more difficult to eat than traditional spaghetti. My first and second meatballs were very dense, lacked flavor and just not good. My third meatball was RAW in the middle. That’s when I stopped eating! The professional hostess saw I had stopped eating and asked if everything was ok. I pointed to the raw meatball and said, this is an issue and asked for my check. The waiter brought the check and I was not charged for my entree. I would have felt better if I was asked if I would like a different entree. I probably wouldn’t have ordered anything else after the raw meatball but it would have been a good gesture. Now I will mention I LOVE Italian food and with my business travels spanning forty years I have eaten at numerous Italian restaurants throughout the Northeast. Will I try this restaurant...

Excellent experience and wonderful food. I had read the previous reviews and was concerned it would be hit or miss. Glad we tried it. Everything we had was very flavorful and tasty. Service was phenomenal as we were well taken care of throughout the night.

Our party had the Fritto Misti to start. It comes with a side of marinara sauce. Usually I don't bother with the sauce since it's typically bland. Not with this one - packed with flavor. Our only wish was that it came with more of it! Lots of calamari and some good sized shrimp. Batter was light and crispy. The oil used to fry it was fresh as it didn't have that old oil taste.

For entrées, our table had the Bucatini Carbonara, the Bucatini with meatballs, the Gnocchi with sausage and mushroom ragu, Shrimp Risotto, and a scallop special they had that evening. Everything tasted amazing. Everyone was commenting on how great everything tasted. Portion sizes were deceiving as it looked small but were more than enough. My Gnocchi with ragu was amazing. So much flavor packed into the sauce. The menu says its homemade and I would have to agree as the wine and meat flavor tasted like it had simmered for a number of hours.

Our party didn't have room for dessert so I unfortunately can't comment on that. All in all, it was an excellent meal. The food and service were excellent. We will definitely be coming back to try other dishes. Highly recommend Il Piccolo Morso!

Oh, for those that enjoy an Old Fashioned, their take with an Italian Old Fashioned is delicious. My wife, who is not a bourbon/whiskey lover, took a sip of mine...