Bruschetta Cucina Italiana: A new Italian eatery opens its doors in Old Town

BY TERRY SCHMIDA

As any fan of Italian food will attest, the classic antipasti dish bruschetta is one of life’s great culinary pleasures. As of last month, Key West is now home to a restaurant whose name – and menu – pays homage to this simple, yet satisfying offering.

Accordingly, the appetizer section of the menu at Bruschetta Cucina Italiana, located at 112 Fitzpatrick St., features numerous variations on this staple of Italian cuisine, as well as other treats from all over Italy.

Besides the “Classica” bruschetta with olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh tomatoes, basil, Parmesan, and fresh mozzarella, diners can choose from a version including cream cheese, lox, capers, and onions; The Salamino bruschetta is layered with marinara sauce, Parmesan, fresh mozzarella, and pepperoni, while the Brie e Crudo combines cream cheese, brie, and prosciutto crudo.

Bruschetta is the brainchild of longtime restaurateurs Giuseppe Prestia and Marco Delzetti, who moved to Key West recently to hang out their shingle.

Since Prestia hails from Sicily and Delzetti, from Turin, the pair – who worked together for many years at Prestia’s former eatery “Giuseppe’s Ristorante,” in Sarasota – are able to bring their Key West customers distinctive flavors from the both the southern and northern regions of Italy.

Bruschetta’s menu contains seafood specialties such as Grilled Octopus in an olive oil, lemon, garlic, and parsley sauce, which Prestia has brought to the table, as well as Delzetti’s Vitello Milanese, a lightly breaded veal dish, sauteed and topped with arugula, fresh tomatoes, and shaved Parmesan cheese.

“It really is a mixed match of southern and northern Italian food,” Prestia said. “And also classics that everybody enjoys. Our Sauteed Shrimp (in a light gorgonzola sauce) sells really well, as does our Spaghetti Pescatore,” (fresh calamari, shrimp, mussels and clams served in a light tomato sauce, or white wine garlic sauce.)

The eatery is open for lunch and dinner and features a wide variety of antipasti/appetizers, salads, pastas, and chicken, and salmon entrees. For a quick lunch, Bruschetta has a variety of paninis. For dessert, it’s homemade cannoli, and tiramisu, and one of Delzetti’s specialty coffees. The eatery also has an extensive wine list.

“It’s nice to have opened a restaurant down here,” Prestia said. “Key West has a really good island feeling.”