CUISINE
FINE ITALIAN DINING
Forlini’s Restaurant
By Margaret Word Burnside and Aaron R. Fodiman
The veal marsala in a wine mushroom sauce at Forlini’s is a generous serving
prepared in the classic style.
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 147
For 40 years, the
Forlini family,
which has had
family restaurants
in Clearwater Beach, has
been serving authentic
Italian dishes and great
wines from around the
world. This family’s
passion for great food and
fine wines has resulted in
a wine collection of more
than 8,000 bottles of over
650 individual wines at reasonable prices.
It began when Domenic and Fulvia Forlini
brought their Italian cuisine from their
hometown of Umito in Italy and opened
Domenic’s Capri in 1981. Their sons, Paul
and Luke, continued the family tradition
by opening Forlini’s Restaurant just down
the street in 1998. Shortly thereafter, their
parents closed Dominic’s and combined
their menu and wines with their sons’ at
the Mandalay Avenue site.
Starters at the restaurant begin with an
exquisite baked brie with raspberry sauce,
escargot, and shrimp cocktail, along with
traditional Italian items such as mussels
sautéed in a white wine and garlic sauce,
sliced conch (scungilli) in a spicy marinara
sauce, sausage and sweet bell peppers
with fresh mozzarella, calamari, and a
tomato and fresh mozzarella caprese.
For its handmade pastas, Forlini’s offers
spaghetti carbonara with cream sauce and
bacon, spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna,
are served with soup
or salad and delectable
homemade bread that is
accompanied with sweet
butter and herbed olive
oil.
Forlini’s upscale
casual atmosphere is
enhanced with white
tablecloths and romantic
lighting. Servers are
trained professionals
who are determined to
make your meal memorable. The active
bar with its mix of visitors and locals is
made up of people with a love of fine
Italian dining. Paul and Luke seem to
be everywhere, overseeing every detail
that has made this spot the beach’s top
Italian restaurant. The daily specials
are creative and mouthwatering, the
portions are large, but be sure to plan
on enjoying the homemade desserts of
the day from mother Fulvia’s original
recipes, such as Italian cheesecake and a
decadent chocolate layer cake. The entire
experience in this elegant setting with its
white tablecloths and experienced servers
is truly a pleasure and a delight from
beginning to end. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Forlini’s Restaurant is
located at 435 Mandalay Ave. in Clearwater
Beach, (727) 441-1111. The restaurant opens
at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and is
closed Sunday and Monday.
penne or gnocchi Bolognese, penne
Alfredo, penne Amatriciana with bacon
and pecorino cheese, gnocchi marinara,
baked ravioli and a spectacular lobster
ravioli Capri in a tomato cream sauce.
Next on the menu are traditional
chicken, veal and eggplant parmigiana,
and Italian Sausage Capri. Seafood
offerings include a delightful honey lemon
salmon, jumbo shrimp in a white wine
and garlic sauce, shrimp Capri sautéed
in a tomato cream sauce and their famous
scallops Sinatra with fresh tomatoes,
capers, vodka and cream sauce. These
items are followed by veal piccata with
capers, lemon and a white wine sauce;
veal marsala with a wine mushroom
sauce; an incredibly tender osso buco of
veal shank braised in tomato sauce; slow
roasted lamb shanks with mushrooms;
grilled lamb chops with rosso-rosemarygarlic
sauce; and filet mignon with a
burgundy mushroom sauce. Entrées
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