Florida Guide > Dining
Guso’s Italian-Latin Grill
I’ve thought long and hard before writing this review because at the moment it seems to be a little gem that few people other than the locals know about. I’m sure that once word gets out about this place it will prove so popular we will find ourselves having to phone ahead to book a table or queue for hours.
Situated in the Clermont Hillside Terrace high above US27, north of the junction with H192 (next door to Stormy Hill Harley Davidson) this restaurant is a little off the beaten track for most visitors to the Disney area but it really is worth the trip.
It is a family run restaurant owned by Chef Julio Perez whose nickname of “Guso” gives the restaurant its name. He was born in Italy but grew up in Venezuela with his Italian mother and South American father so it is obvious where he culinary influences came from. He worked in some of the top restaurants in Georgia and south Florida before opening his own restaurant in Clermont two years ago. Guso is very friendly and likes to chat to his guests to make sure they are enjoying their food which is nice and gives the restaurant a very personal touch.
On the advice of one of our party, due to her previous experience of portion sizes, we decided to order three appetisers between the six of us. We opted for a cheese and tomato flat bread, a selection of bruschetta and finally deep fried calamari. All were delicious. The flat bread was conveniently cut into six, I don’t know if that was because there were six of us or if that is the way they always cut it but we each had a generous piece that was loaded with topping and very tasty. Next we shared the bruschetta again there were six pieces with a selection of three different toppings. My husband and I chose two different ones, one with tomato and crumbled goats cheese, the second with sautéed mushrooms and pesto we cut each in half so that we could sample both and to be honest I could have eaten these as my main course. We then all nibbled on the huge plate of mini calamari that came in a very light and crispy batter. Even with six of us sharing these we didn’t manage to clear the plate.
Next were the main courses, as the name of the restaurant suggests there is a selection of both Italian and Latin dishes but we all opted for choices from the Italian half of the menu. As well as the regular menu there were several specials on offer and I opted for one of the specials farfalle (bow tie) pasta with shrimp (king prawns to us Brits), scallops, capers and porcini mushrooms in a light creamy sauce and drizzled with lemon oil. Another of our party opted for the pork chop from the specials board which came with an apricot and balsamic vinegar glaze, vegetables and a choice of potatoes or pasta. The others opted for various chicken and pasta dishes which were all declared to be wonderful.
Unfortunately none of us had left room for dessert but judging by the selection that the waiter brought to our table to tempt us with they were all of the same quality as the rest of the menu. I have made a mental note that next time I may just opt for appetizer followed by dessert but it would be such a shame to miss out on the delicious entrees that I will probably ask for the dessert to be boxed to take home instead.
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