Italian Courtyard
3 palms
Where: 350 W. Cocoa Beach Causeway (State Road 520), Cocoa Beach
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday; 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Call: 321-783-0413
Other: If you can, sit outside in the courtyard. Lights in the trees, a gurgling fountain and sometimes live music add to the pleasant atmosphere.
The Italian Courtyard in Cocoa Beach has the feel of a neighborhood restaurant, even though it's often packed with tourists, given its prime location on State Road 520 near Route A1A. It's been around for almost 20 years and delivers an agreeable Italian meal in a relaxed setting.
Don't forget the "courtyard" part of the name. That's where we sat on one of those recent perfect Florida evenings, and the gurgling fountain, lights in the trees and live music added to the sense of being on vacation. Well, that, and being surrounded by sunburned tourists. It's a great time of year to take advantage of this charming spot for outdoor dining.
I started with a glass of passable Italian red wine ($5.99) while my husband had a Peroni beer ($3.25), and we ordered the mozzarella caprese ($7.25), with nice, fresh tomatoes, basil and fat slices of the soft cheese.
Our salads were unremarkable. I got the one with a creamy Caesar dressing ($2.95) and lots of lettuce and garlicky croutons. We also had garlic knots -- nice little rolls with dried seasonings and some butter swimming in the bottom of the basket.
I had heard the pizza was good at Italian Courtyard, so I ordered the very garlicky Three Formaggi White Pizza ($9.95), with a tasty blend of mozzarella, Romano and ricotta cheeses, topped with fresh tomato slices. The manageable 8-inch pie still was more than I could finish.
My husband got the Shrimp Fra Diavolo con Linguine ($13.95), with plenty of plump shrimp. The menu mentions its spicy marinara sauce, and Italian Courtyard cranks up the heat more than I've seen at other restaurants. One bite had me grasping for my water. Spiceheads, this is for you.
In the Italian tradition, the meal was more than filling, but we opted to try the chocolate cake for dessert. It's not made at the restaurant, but it was a pleasing conclusion, with layers of cake and chocolate mousse ($4.99).
The menu is huge and includes "Bambini" selections, so there should be something for just about everyone in the family, and we saw lots of families enjoying the Italian Courtyard.
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