500 Degrees Italian Eatery — Restaurant in Venice

First time dining in this new to the area restaurant and we were more than happy with our decision.

Being frequent customers at Sal’s fathers place , Bennys Bada Bing we had a great idea what we were getting.

We had 6pm reservations for eight on Saturday evening. Arrived early, checked in , waited for two tables to clear so they could be joined for our party. The place was filled to capacity.

We ordered appetizers and drinks, then dinners.

It did take a while to get our dinners, I can see what some would complain, its not fast food or just pizza. Each and every meal is prepared perfectly and served all eight of us at once, each meal delicious and most impressively hot! All by one chef.

We watched Sal, the owner and chef prepare everyones meals, never panicking, no corners cut, all calm, cool and collectively. As prior restaurant owners ourselves, it was impressive to observe.

If you’re going out for dinner, in a hurry or want quick, simple and routine cookie cutter food, this is not your place.

Our only complaint, maybe two would be wait staff could be upfront with patrons how long it could take, explain their process, then the patron has a choice to stay or leave. We do not normally eat at 7:30-8:00pm so we pretty much ate a few bites and took the rest to-go. Again, with notice we may have made different meal choices. Our second complaint if you will, the place needs some acoustics added somehow, it is so so noisy, we could barely hear each other at our table. Something added to soften the sound.

All in all, this place is a four star restaurant in my book. Great food, great staff, easy to find location, great parking available.

Oh, and since Saturday we ordered a 12”...

Weird sort of place. Inside it looks like a sub shop/take out pizza place but has waitresses and cloth napkins. We sat down, about 5 other parties there. Waitress brought menus, took drink order, no unsweet iced tea...huh, it is a Florida staple . We ordered, 2 "brick" sandwiches, which the waitress described as a panini, it wasnt. 1 chicken pesto & 1 prosciutto plus potato wedges. The sandwiches arrived, they look like 2 ciabatta bricks, not pressed or panini looking. Ok, so biting into the chicken pesto, got a mouth full of ciabatta...that's it. Looking inside, whoever constructed it didnt put much pesto/goat cheese/chicken. Certainly not to the edges. Biting into the prosciutto, there was plenty of it but the burrata was ice cold, which was off putting. The potato wedges came with an overpowering garlic aioli, no ketchup available, no marinara option. The wedges themselves were the best part of lunch. Will try again to see if their veal parm is any good, but in general $14 per sandwich wasnt worth it. UPDATE: Went back to try the Veal Parm at lunch. I like a restaurant that learns & improves! They now have unsweet iced tea...yay! Ordered the Veal Parm w/Penne. It came with either Soup or Salad, I chose Salad. The Salad was very good, nice fresh lettuce, olives, red onion, sliced tomato & italian pepper. Better than many upscale restaurants. The Veal Parm was huge. As good as many NYC restaurants Tender, with nice amount of mozz & sauce. Truly excellent. The Penne was over cooked, typical Florida pasta. All for $25, a great calue. I was full...

A Taste of Old-World Italy — Right Here!

If you're craving authentic Italian food that tastes like it came straight out of a New York kitchen, you need to check out this gem of a restaurant. Every dish is a nod to the old country, made with care, tradition, and flavor that speaks for itself.

The eggplant parmesan is the real deal—layered the way it's meant to be, not those preformed rounds you find elsewhere. It’s rich, comforting, and absolutely delicious. The spaghetti aglio e olio is another standout, done with a twist: garlic and breadcrumbs. Sounds simple? Maybe. But it’s one of the best things you’ll ever eat—an unexpected burst of flavor that’s both rustic and refined.

Now let’s talk about Sal’s pork osso buco—fall-off-the-bone tender with a gravy that’s so good you’ll want to lick the plate (and I might have). Every bite is hearty, soulful, and perfectly balanced.

Honestly, I could go on. Every dish I’ve tried feels like it was made by someone’s Italian grandmother, and that’s a high compliment.

The service? Just as memorable. Mariah and her family run the front of the house with warmth and genuine hospitality. She treats you like family from the moment you walk in—there’s a sense of home here that’s hard to find.

Put this place on your list. No, seriously—go. It won’t disappoint, and like me, you’ll find yourself coming back...