La Piazza Cafe — Restaurant in Palm Coast

Holy WOW, WOW, WOW!! This is a perfect example of you get what you pay for. Our friends that live nearby said this was the ideal locale to celebrate our son's 17th birthday. Italian isn't his favorite but a good steak, yes please! We were told to book in advance, we did but we didn't request inside or outside, if that's important to you, be specific! We wanted inside, it was a hot evening but they were fully booked. We were just pulling out chairs at the table we were told to sit at when the owner stopped us and told us to sit at a different table. Odd, but, no worries! we sat in the shade next to the door under a fan, it was fine. They immediately sat someone else at the first table we were directed to, they were greeted, brought menus, water & wine before I got up, went to the host stand and as politely as I could asked if we can get greeted. The owner was kind but defensive when he said that our server must be different than the one we watched & quickly someone came, greeted us & brought us water. The owner told us our server was busy opening up 2 bottles of wine. That was a lame excuse, anyone could have come over, said hello & offered us water. Once that was out of the way we met JoJo. JoJo, you are the perfect blend of opinions, class, honest suggestions, positive energy and knowledge. We can't wait to tell everyone about you! We started with Calamari Fritti $16.99 Tender rings of squid in a light seasoned batter, fried to a "golden crisp" just perfect, served with a marinara sauce & Mozzarella in Carrozza $14.99 Slices of mozzarella between "Pane Italiano" egg batter dipped, pan fried, served in a garlic and basil butter sauce. It was the best fried calamari I have ever eaten & we intentionally left most to take home so we didn't fill up. The mozzarella tasted like french toast, unique but not my thing. House salads are included with entrees, extra cost for a specialty salad. I had the salad special deelish with pickled red onions, gorgonzola, crispy pancetta, Gorgonzola crumbles.(+ $6), my husband Caesar (+4) add anchovies (+2) On to the entrees, the steaks are priced daily, birthday boy had the bone in filet, best steak he's ever eaten and at $65.00 it should have been! Cooked to a perfect medium, not over seasoned tender, charred & tasty! I ordered the veal chop of the day, $45.00 a huge portion, served with a umami gravy, sautéed veggies & mashed potatoes, just wonderful! Hubby had Veal Parm $26.00, it was lightly breaded, served on top of spaghetti with a light tomato sauce, he says it's the best he's ever had and believe me, he's had quite a few! Our son's friend had the Pasta Alfredo with grilled chicken & gobbled it up! The serve delicate sliced of Italian bread with EVOO & Balsamic to dip once you order, also delicious but who wants to fill up on bread? JoJo suggested a Pinot Noir by the glass for me, it was the least expensive & it was a nice glass. JoJo told us all of the desserts & our birthday boy (turned 17 so maybe more of a min child) selected the Chocolate Mouse Cake. JoJo warmed it a bit & again, the most amazing chocolate mousse cake we have ever tasted. JoJo was exceptional in her suggestions, if you are able to get a reservation in her section you will have one off the best meals of your life! We can't wait to be back in this area again just for this restaurant. Oh, and the total, $250.84, we tipped $75 because JoJo deserved it so the meal ended up costing $325.84, worth...

Wanted to check out the European Village. It was very pretty with all the lights. We decided to eat with our friends at La Piazza Cafe. When the hostess went to seat us she took us inside to a nice dining area and then asked us to wait she had to check their setting schedule so she came back and went to move us to another table and then made the same comment. She acted very nervous and we thought it was a little weird. She came back and told us that a table was available outside which is what I originally wanted since it was a really nice evening. She walked us back outside and took us all the way to the far corner where there was hardly anyone. Now I have to say that my husband and I are an interracial couple and my cousin was with me and his best friend was with him. We had gotten together to get some furniture moved from my cousin house and thought since we were all together to go out and eat. Are waitress seemed nice enough and took are drink orders and then came back and took our dinner orders. We waited over an hour for our food and they really where not that busy plus when my cousin and I went back in to us the facilities we noticed the original table they where going to seat us at was still empty and other people in that dining room who had shown up after us all had their meals. Then there was an older gentleman behind the bar, don’t know if he was the owner or manager but he looked at me and just keeps giving me a dirty look. Then my husband got up to turn a fan off that was above our heads because he was getting cold and another short waiter came up and said are you trying to turn the fan off and at this point I thought he was going to do the kind thing and do that but no instead he just stared at my husband giving him dirty looks behind his back. Finally got our meal now over an hour and it was lukewarm. I got raviolis with chicken, it lacked flavor our friend got veal and he said he’s had tender veal other places but it was okay. We don’t mind paying good money if the food is really good but the place was pricey and we were treated like we were not welcome. I have never experienced racism like that before and I pray to God I never do again. To treat another human being that way because of skin color is totally not acceptable. They know nothing about us but looking at two black men with two white Women they just decided we were nothing. I do have news for these people my husband is retired Air Force and served for twenty years, worked for a law firm for over another twenty. The last two months he has been in and out of the hospital with health issues. He had a triple bypass and spent a month in hospital because he stated having other complications had gotten home and been in and out two more times after that. We were really looking forward to being out with friends and having a good time and this was a horrible evening because we all noticed how we were being treated. It’s really a shame that an establishment could show such prejudice towards us. We will...

Having heard a myriad of positive reviews, I decided to head down the 90 minute drive from Jacksonville to give this place a try. I arrived at the peak dining time at approximately 6:30, I was told there would be 90 minute wait for a table, which I took as a great sign. I gave the hostess my name and explained I’d be over at the Cork and Pint and I left my number with her just in case a table opened up earlier. At 8 pm I went back to check on my table, it had been 90 minutes, I had a few beers in me and was looking forward to having this much anticipated meal. I stood patiently at the unoccupied hostess stand, waiting for the hostess to return. The restaurant was abuzz with diners consuming drinks and conversing. Finally, a member of the staff approached me and abruptly stated that they were finished for the evening. I explained in my jovial fashion that I had put my name down at 6:30 and that it would be a 90 minute wait, and here I am 90 minutes later. He apologized, but restated they were finished for the evening. He offered to have the manager come over, and after forty years of dining in New York, I knew this meant that they were about to accommodate me. After all, I’ve traveled 90 miles just to have dinner at their restaurant, and then waited 90 minutes as I was told to do, surely the manager wasn’t about to send me 90 miles on my way without offering me a meal. But that’s exactly what he did, and with zero bedside manner, even explaining that his restaurant was the best Italian food in Palm Coast so they are very strict on their 9 pm close time. But it’s 8:15, surely he could squeeze in a solo diner who’d traveled all this way for the some purpose of dining at his restaurant. But to no avail; his arrogance exceeded his sense of humanity and decency. Alas, he sent me back to whence thou came. I left at 5 pm and arrive home at ten pm. Five hours of my life ruined, no explanation, no apology, zero kindness. The restaurant next to his could serve dog shut and I’d sooner try it then ever return to the Piazza Cafe. I recently purchased a beach home on Flagler Beach, and every time we all go out and someone suggests LPC it is quickly dismissed and removed from the repertoire of restaurants these lifelong locals who are now my friends...