Salvatore family offers familiar fare in new Cape Coral setting

Although I can't calculate it exactly, I'm fairly certain I've been eating Peter Salvatore's food for about 20 years. First at Capriccio's, then Mangia Bene, the Italian-born and trained chef built a loyal following with his wellexecuted Italian dishes and down-toearth service.

Chef Salvatore and his wife, Teresa, recently opened a new establishment on what's becoming a veritable Restaurant Row — Pine Island Road. It's not that the thoroughfare was lacking Italian cuisine; in fact, there are at least four other Italian joints within a couple of miles of Pete's, which occupies the space where Timbales previously operated.

But there's always room for a restaurant where the food is bountiful and well prepared, the servers are friendly, kids are welcome and prices are moderate. Pete's Steakhouse delivers on all counts.

The bar and its requisite array of illuminated beer signs dominate the larger part of the dining room; a half wall separates a small section of booths. Framed posters showing the fabled Rat Pack and scenes from "The Godfather" line one wall. Four televisions mounted high on the wall above and on either side of the bar air various sports events. Fashionable pendant lights each with a single green glass ball hang from an exposed ceiling.

Garlic, basil, . tomatoes and wine pair well with fresh shellfish in the clams pomodoro fresco appetizer. KAREN FELDMAN/FLORIDA WEEKLY The wine list is modest in size and scope, while the by-the-glass choices are fewer still — it's Bel Arbor or nothing. Our server assured us most people who have tried it have been satisfied. The merlot should have been cooler (room temperature should be that of a wine cellar, not a subtropical dining room) but the wine was passable for an inexpensive house brand.

A round of warm focaccia arrived with a small cup of garlic butter for dipping. The bread had bits of rosemary and a sheen that appeared to have come from an application of oil. With the garlic sauce, we could easily have skipped the oil.

Dinner began with clams pomodoro fresco and fried calamari. The former was beaut ifully plated in a decorative bowl that framed the tender middle neck clams, which were bathed in garlic, basil, tomatoes, wine and butter. It was a fragrant and light dish, which proved to be a good thing considering what was yet to come.

This version of tiramisu features lots of cream mascarpone cheese with just enough cake and chocolate. . The calamari was enveloped in a crisp coating that was mildly seasoned, adding crunch while allowing the squid's delicate flavor to shine. A warm and hearty marinara that accompanied the calamari was perfect for dipping.

Soup or salad comes with all entrees. The salads were substantial, with lots of lettuce, red cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes. Both the creamy Caesar dressing and balsamic vinaigrette were well balanced and fresh tasting.

While entrée selections lean heavily toward Italian fare, Pete's also offers three cuts of certified Black Angus steak. We tried a bit of both — the fettuccini Alfredo with shrimp and a New York strip steak.

The fettuccine had the rich flavor and chewy texture of fresh pasta. Alfredo sauce can be overwhelmingly rich, but this one had been conjured by a practiced hand. Cheese, cream, herbs and shrimp made for a substantial, satisfying dish.

A round of warm focaccio bread . with garlic butter serve as a warm up to dinner. By comparison, the steak was rather plain, but arrived as ordered: charbroiled to a moist, blushing medium.

What's more, it had enough flavor on its own that it didn't require any fancy sauces to dress it up. Potatoes or the day's vegetable come with each nonpasta entrée. I picked broccoli, which was perfectly tender-crisp and was dressed with a bit of garlic and olive oil.

Warm garlic rolls delivered with our entrees were tasty, too.

Dessert anyone?

In the spirit of research, we gamely ordered a tiramisu, although I was also tempted by the prospect of homemade cheesecake, a rarity in these parts. Like the courses before it, the tiramisu both tasted good and looked appealing. The bottom two layers consisted of light cake separated by a thin layer of chocolate. Above that was a thick layer of dreamy mascarpone, topped with a bit more chocolate and finished off with a chocolate drizzle. Somehow we managed to finish it.

There weren't a lot of servers visible on the night of our visit, but ours was helpful and efficient. He returned to our table within minutes of delivering each course to make sure we were satisfied. A server attendant kept a careful eye on our progress, clearing dishes as soon as we finished each course.

Pete's Steakhouse Italian Grille doesn't roll off the tongue the way Capriccio's and Mange Bene did, but the food served there tastes every bit as appetizing. It's great to have Chef Salvatore back in action.