Caffé Vesuvio — Restaurant in New Smyrna Beach

This might be one of those places that is an unknown gem in NSB...

...at least that's how it seems to me. Living in the very long and dark shadows cast by one of the better known and popular places in NSB (literally just a minute east of this other place), serving the same Italian fare as this other place - it was truly a very nice, and frankly, second choice for our evening.

We stopped at the other place, just a 1/2 hour after it opened, and it was already an hour wait for a table. An. Hour. Wait...Really? So, still wanting to have dinner when we wanted to, we turned to trusty ol' Google and discovered this place - just a minute away and within walking distance, really.

It's a very nice place, ambiance-wise. The decor is very modern and clean, with an ample selection to choose from on the menu. We had their garlic knots as an appetizer - they came out hot, crispy (which is a plus in my book) and drizzled with olive oil and parm. A side of tomato sauce accompanied the bread - all of it quickly devoured. My wife had their ravioli in "pink sauce", my oldest son in tow tonight had their calzone, while I had the egg plant parmesan dinner. My wife loved their ravioli, the son enjoyed the calzone, and the egg plant was delicious. No complaints. We did not have dessert but their choices were very limited - it was either tiramisu or cannoli, neither of which anyone was in the mood for this evening.

So why only four-stars? Well, though the service was spot on - our waiter kept our drinks filled and attended to us regularly - it just was that, functional. I always look for a little banter, even try to get it going, but this good-man was not the chatty kind. No big deal, but it's something I do look for, and it adds to the experience in my ledger.

Nonetheless, this place definitely deserves some love and attention that the other place - as big as it is - can't simply provide to the...

After spending a day on New Smyrna Beach we decided to stop here for a quick bite before we headed home. Our family of four (including a five and 8 year old) wanted some place casual, local, and delicious. We were in our "after the beach attire" and didn't want to feel under dressed, as it was Saturday night after all. Café Vesuvio had a table available outside and upon request, we were able to enjoy the perfect outdoor weather. You can tell this place is a hit as the getting door was busy with lots of folks grabbing a take home pie and the delivery person had come and gone at least three times while we were there, hands full. The dining room was cozy and some folks were dressed for date night and others like us were having a beach day. We felt welcome and comfortable.

Our server promptly greeted us and was very attentive. We were after pizza and Café Vesuvio delivered! Not only did they have many styles, but it was very good. We ordered the Ney York style pie with half pepperoni with cheese and the other half with Prosciutto & Arugula. Mama Mia! The crust was true to the style, and all of the ingredients were fresh, perfectly cooked, and of the highest quality.

I have to mention, they had 2 different calamari appetizers we had the normal one. It was of the typical presentation: t&t, breaded, lightly fried and served with marinara and a half cut lemon. The calamari sat on a field of arugula withe a light dusting of grated parmesan cheese. We ate everything on the plate. Every ingredient sang with freshness and quality! Now, here's the kicker. They have a "new" alternate calamari listed and I will be anxious to try that next time. Something about sauteed capers and kalamata olives... Mmm, there's a lot of love coming from that kitchen.

I'm already planning a weekend stay in this locals favorite beach and Cafe Vesuvio is definitely on...

This place...oh my God. I don't usually write reviews but maybe that will change now that we NEED to support our "Mom & Pop" businesses. We live in Cocoa - but visited the beach in New Smyrna because we desperately needed the getaway. I had spied what I perceived to be a real Italian pizza place on the way. And we found it after having a GREAT day photographing rainbows. As my son said: "This is a gold mine!" It IS. You can hear the kitchen staff speaking Italian - and you can enjoy the sounds of Italy in the room. The music is fantastic. But the FOOD! I haven't tasted real ITALIAN pizza in a long time. I was so used to being spoiled in my hometown of Philadelphia - where pizza houses compete with one another for the best - that I took for granted I'd be able to enjoy the same quality elsewhere. WRONG. Until we experienced the crunchy crust, the baked-to-perfection, sliding-off-the-slice cheese heat of a Caffe Vesuvio pie. We ordered the Caesar Salad to go with it - and THAT was great. You'd be amazed what the correct balance of croutons and dressing can do to Romaine! And then CANNOLI for dessert - with the best coffee I've ever had: Julius Meinl. From Vienna. Never knew about it. Now I'll never forget it. Or this restaurant. A year old, I PRAY that you will support it and enable it to thrive. Ask for Allysa. She was our server last night. She made a fresh pot of coffee for me and she prepped the cannoli. We just had a portion for breakfast. Respectfully boxed by a beautiful young Lady. I would honestly consider NOT relocating to Delaware (which is a plan) because of our experience yesterday. At the beach and at this Caffe. The good vibes were tremendous. But if we could have this food regularly? Even...