Cuisines: Mediterranean, Family Style, Italian, European, Continental, Pizza
About the restaurant: La Piazza holds the most prime location at The Grove: by the pedestrian in-and-out main parking entrance, and right in front of the fountains at the heart of the mall. They were designed by the same company behind the Las Vegas Bellagio fountains. While they're not as high or noisy as in Sin City, it is still very enjoyable and soothing to watch the dancing waters over music. With its patio a few feet from the spectacle, in this very busy area, one might think that the restaurant could be a tourist trap. It is not. Owned by Italians, the two-level restaurant offers classical and good Italian cuisine in a warm, family-like ambience, with a balcony overlooking the action, private rooms and three bars. Likes: The location, and the patio al fresco right over the fountains --- these are the best seats. Dislikes: Sometimes the wait, but don't get discouraged. Food & Drinks: The menu is quite long with the usual Italian suspects: antipasti, zuppe, insalate, pizza, pasta (some of which are homemade), pesce and carne. We started with calamari fritti and continued with bruschetta, probably the best one we've ever had (therefore a must-have). We might have to return to sample the minestrone or "garbanzo e salame" salad composed of Tuscan salami, garbanzo beans, romaine, tomato, mozzarella, cucumber, oregano and Italian dressing. Then came a yummy margherita pizza. Pizzas are thin-crusted; keep in mind that they are quite large, to the point of accommodating two. Venture out with the "Mexicana," made with spicy tomato sauce, mozzarella, jalapeño, shrimp, red onion, avocado and cilantro. The grilled branzino with herbs and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) is as good as it can be, fresh and tasty. The grilled hanger steak arrives to the table on a wood board, accompanied by arugula sprinkled with Parmesan. Finish with the tiramisu or the petits fours --- skip the ice creams. The most Italian of the signature cocktails is the Aperol Spritz (Prosecco, Aperol and soda). The wine list is short, with mainly Italian and California labels.
