HAVE YOU TRIED

Ossobucco is among the Italian staples on the menu at Alfredo's Paradiso on Merritt Island

Maria Sonnenberg
For FLORIDA TODAY
The Italian staple, Ossobuco, gets special treatment at Alfredo's Paradiso on Merritt Island.

Ossobuco, that staple of Italian cuisine, gets the Alfredo’s Paradiso treatment with a selection of Milanese (veal), d’Agnello (lamb) or Finocchiato (pork).

“These dishes have been so popular that you can rest assured we will always have three variations on our board of chef selections,” said Alfredo Giulio of his restaurant’s signature dish.

Prices are $36 for the veal, $24 for the lamb and $19 for the pork.  

Whichever you choose, you will receive a portion of braised shank in a brown wine sauce, served with risotto, gnocchi or roasted potatoes. This is not fast food, so patrons should allow 30 minutes for preparations, but it will be well worth the wait.

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“The term means a cut of a given meat characterized by bone-in portion,” said Giulio. “Since the ossobuco cuts are so dense in muscle fibers, we braise our ossobuco for hours in a wine sauce with essential spices. After hours of braising, the fibers have loosened so much that the meat just pulls away from itself and the bone with only a fork.”

Alfredo’s Paradiso has a reputation for regionally-authentic and traditional Italian cuisine.

To start your meal, Alfred’s specializes in appetizers created with shareablility in mind.

Antipasto Italiano ($9), for example, features an assortment of Italian cold cuts and provolone over a bed of lettuce and tomatoes, while Antipasto Romano ($11) is laden with soppressata salame, homemade mozzarella, artichokes, tomatoes and olives drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Man cannot live by ossobuco alone, so Alfredo’s offers a variety of regional fare such as Penne alla Norma pasta ($18) and Salmon Liveronese ($19), plus dishes that are must-haves at an Italian restaurant.

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“While regionally-authentic Italian cuisine is truly our passion, we pay our respects to traditional Italian-American heritage we’ve come to know in the United States with dishes like pastas with house-made meatballs, chicken parmigiana and fettuccine Alfredo,” saidGiulio.

Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes are sprinkled across the menu, or easily prepared upon request.

To end the meal, consider a fitting-dessert such as the Spiced Pears ($8). 

Earlier in December, Alfredo’s Paradiso launched Alfredo’s Paradiso Kitchen, east of the restaurant and directly across Courtenay Parkway. The new facility will allow Giulio to host cooking classes and demonstrations, as well as provide a private event space.

“We will be providing recreational cooking classes,” said Giulio.

Giulio, who has served Brevard since 1987, never takes his customers for granted.

“If we’re open today and still successful by anyone’s standards, it’s only because our guests and community believe in that unforgettable experience,” he said. 

Have you tried

What: Ossobuco

How much: $19-$36

Where: Alfredo’s Paradiso, 217 Crockett Blvd., Merritt Island

Info: 321-453-6119, alfredoparadiso.com or on Facebook 

Email toastofthecoastfloridatoday@gmail.com.