Italianni's Opens in Cebu

There is no doubt that pizza is everyone's favorite and Italian cuisine takes the number 2 spot in my favorite food list (next to Filipino cuisine, of course!) There are a couple of new pizza places here in Cebu but when I heard that Italianni's is finally opening their first branch here, I was ecstatic! I've heard really good reviews about this place and now I get to finally try out their specialties!
And if you guys are looking for a place to celebrate a loved one's graduation, read on as I am sure you guys will definitely consider dining here ;)

Italianni's has 17 branches in the Philippines located in Manila, Laguna, Angeles Pampanga, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and now Cebu.

Every meal starts with a complimentary home-baked Tuscan and Foccacia bread served with olive oil and aged vinegar. Ours was served fresh from the oven and it is such a delightful treat as not all restaurants do this!

For starters, we had the Spinach & Artichoke Formaggio. It is made of spinach, artichoke, mushrooms in a creamy blend of cheeses and served with garlic Tuscan bread. I love everything cheesy and the dip is just divine! Its light and creamy, and it doesn't overpower the garlic bread- giving you the right fusion of flavors.

The salad, oh the salad! its an absolute favorite! It is so because its made of freshly cut crispy ROMAINE lettuce, tossed in very rich and creamy anchovy dressing and topped with the perfect combination of fresh ripe mangoes, grapes, grapes, tomatoes, sicilian chicken and peanuts! quite a handful but it makes for the best green salad in town, if you ask me! the second time i was there, i was with my husband and we just had to order a good serving of greens. refer below ;)

Quattro Staggioni is one of Italianni's special four flavor pizza- Pepperoni, Mushroom and Artichokes, Shrimp with black olives and Cheese topped with Arugula. No need to order four different kinds of pizza just to see (and taste) what Italianni's has to offer. One order is good for 2-3 persons.

Herb Roasted Spring Chicken is a half chicken roasted with italian herbs served with italian style gravy, sauteed vegetables and a choice of garlic rice or mashed potato. The thing i like about spring chicken is that their meat is quite tender and much juicier than those older chickens raised for the dinner table. This one was full of flavor and the italian style gravy complements it perfectly!

Spaghetti and Meatballs. Italianni's famous huge made meatballs, served with spaghetti in their signature marinara sauce. Eversince my dad introduced us to italian style spaghetti sauce, i never really liked the customary filipino sweet style sauce thereafter. Eating bland spaghetti with sweet sauce doesn't give you much gusto as eating it with a slightly sour sauce because of the tomatoes. so this one is another favorite!
And the much awaited part.. hahaha!

TARTUFO. A three layered chocolate cake with cark and white chocolate mousse covered with the fudgiest frosting. aaahhh chocolate heaven! i dont know how else to describe it, just try this chocolate perfect for yourself! :D and yes, two photos cos one photo doesn't do it justice. hahaha!

Their Mango Panna Cotta is heavenly! just the right amount of sweetness and it melts beautifully in your mouth. yes, beautiful. it is that pleasing to the senses. hahaha!

the writer with some of Cebu's best media correspondents and bloggers ;)

So when the husband came home for a short vacation, i dragged him to Ayala on Valentine's Day so he can try what I was raving about. haha!

 Caesar Salad

 the obligatory couple photo op, of course! haha!

 Quattro Carne because im carnivorous like that. haha!

Baked Ziti!
The next time you guys are in Ayala Center Cebu, drop by Italianni's at Level 1, The Terraces beside Tonkatsu or visit their website www.italiannis.com.ph for a complete list of their menu! ;)