Most dining experiences, no matter what the type of cuisine, give a small, Americanized sampling of the area which they are meant to represent. However, at Little Italy, Chef and owner Giovanni Sanzone and wife Sandy transport the customer in the form of Italian flavors and tastes, sounds, smells, and visuals. It really is the next best thing to being there.

In Italy, days are spent in piazzas throughout the country: open-air spaces where one can visit different vendors and markets, sip a cappuccino, buy a pastry, and watch the people going about their business. Little Italy restaurant is set up the same way, with 3-dimensional piazzas (a bakery, a fish market, etc) throughout the restaurant, giving people a virtual Italian experience and making the meal so much more than just about eating. It’s a visual feast as much as a culinary one. Because he’s a family man, Giovanni has named the piazza after his own family members.

Born in Switzerland and raised in Sicily, Giovanni moved to Wildwood with his family in 1985, and worked at his family’s pizzeria until May 1996 when he ventured off on his own to open Little Italy. His Italian roots show in all aspects of his very popular restaurant. Not only is the food Italian; so is all the music. Chef/owner Giovanni mixes Italian tunes from every era to make the transportation to Italy an audio one as well.

Giovanni and Sandy, along with Silvio Piftoia (the sous chef who has been working at Little Italy for years and is now practically part of the family), Michael Schultz (Giovanni’s longtime dining room manager and best friend) and Michael’s dining room assistant Migdalia Gajeas, have entertaining Italianstyle now down to a perfect science. Families line up week after week, year after year, to have a taste of traditional cooking at Little Italy. What they find
once inside, beyond great ambiance and music, is large, generous portions of consistently delicious, high-quality food.

From fresh bread baked daily in the restaurant, to traditional Bruschetta and Antipasto Alla Little Italy, to Cozze All’Italiana (Italian mussels with a delectable sauce of tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs), to the ultra-fresh seafood combination platters (all seafood is local and outstanding), to Giovanni’s creation, Penne Alla Giovanni (white creamy sauce with broccoli, red pepper, garlic, sun dried tomato, and grilled chicken over penne), every dish is a winner.

Baked pastas and fresh pastas are like Italy in a bowl, while steak and chicken dishes are all flavorful and innovative. If you can’t decide between seafood and pasta, there are ten dishes of pasta with seafood. Since Little Italy is a very
family-friendly place (Giovanni, as a father of three young boys, knows how to keep kids happy), there are excellent choices on the children’s menu as well.

Desserts at Little Italy couldn’t get any more Italian: they are all imported from Milan. Favorites include classic Tiramisu (it’s big so ask for several forks!), Coppa Caffe (gelato with a rich coffee and pure cocoa swirl), and refreshing sorbets (lemon, peach, and coconut) served in fresh fruit shells. Their high-quality espresso perfectly complements dessert, and is as good as if you were indeed at an Italian piazza on a summer evening.

It’s not often that businesses manage to delight every sense and leave nothing to be desired. When Giovanni Sanzone first envisioned his restaurant, he saw a transporting experience that would introduce his homeland of Italy
to his neighbors in Wildwood. He saw food that was plentiful, high-quality, delicious, and still affordable. He pictured a place that was evocative of Italy and welcoming to adults and children alike. For 14 years his vision has been
perfectly executed and continuously frequented by throngs of very satisfied customers who get to enjoy a taste of Italy, yet much closer to home.