As part of the Central Florida Lady Bloggers, I was invited to attend a meet up at this new Italian restaurant in the Kissimmee, FL area.

(Photo Property of Jacquie Montes de Oca)

The moment I parked and saw the sign I knew I was going to be taken back in time to the 1950’s. As I walked in the restaurant I was greeted by two smiling faces, those of the owners, Renata Rabello and Giuliano Garbi, who owned a 50’s restaurant and club for over 10 years in Brazil, and now they’re bringing their knowledge and flavor to Central Florida!

(Photo Property of Jacquie Montes de Oca)

The restaurant is decorated with a 50’s flair, the details of the items are very tasteful and fun.

(Photos Property of Jacquie Montes de Oca)

For this meet up we were given a special menu in order for us to try their most popular items from the menu. We had no idea what to expect and let me tell you… it was glorious!

(Photo Property of Jacquie Montes de Oca)

First they brought us what looked like crackers, but it was thin pieces of pizza crust with their homemade Marinara sauce. The crust was outstanding! So flaky and crunchy and yummy! The sauce you can tell is homemade, the combination of spices and just enough sweetness was amazing.

(Photo Property of Jacquie Montes de Oca)

Then came the Cheese Garlic Bread. Wow! The bread was so soft with the right amount of garlic/cheese ratio which made it so delicious!

(Photo Property of Jacquie Montes de Oca)

Next, I must admit, one of my favorites of the night. The Italian Bruschetta. Now, I make this at home… but Retro’s is so much better! The bread was crunchy on the outside and oh so soft in the inside and once again, the combination of the tomatoes, basil, spices… I could’ve eaten the whole tray!

(Photo Property of Jacquie Montes de Oca)

The Soup of the Day – this time was Mushroom. Needless to say, I had two bowls. It was so creamy yet light and the flavors… it reminded me of my childhood so it made me very happy! I would’ve liked if it had just a bit more pieces of mushroom, but that’s just my preference. When I go back I need to make sure is on Mushroom Soup Day!

(Photo Property of Jacquie Montes de Oca)

At this point I was already full from all the goodies… but there was more… oh so much more to come!

Spaghetti with Homemade Marinara Sauce. What can I say but heavenly. The pasta cooked just right with their signature sauce was delicious. The lasagna… so cheesy and meaty and oh so good!!!

(Photo Property of Jacquie Montes de Oca)

And because we didn’t have enough to eat, they brought 2 pizzas! One was thin crust, the other New York Style. The thin crust is made without butter, which is great for our vegan friends. My favorite, the NY Style. The crust was so flaky and light and the flavor was just awesome! We had the plain pizza, so I can only imagine when toppings are added!

(Photo Property of Jacquie Montes de Oca)

For dessert we had Homemade Cheese Cake. There’s always room for dessert, right? Well, this cheesecake was out of this world! So light, not overly sweet, on a bed of chocolate sauce. I was in heaven!!!

(Photo Property of Andrea Kuczynski)

All of the food was so delicious and in the words of the amazing & talented, Chef Judy, “made with love”!

(Photo Property of Jacquie Montes de Oca)

One of the events they like to have at Retro is a Rockabilly dance. So, after dinner, Renata and Giuliano gave us a sample of what Rockabilly dancing is like. It looked like so much fun, I had to join in! Now, I’ve never danced Rockabilly, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into. However, Giuliano was a great teacher and I had so much fun! Can’t wait for their next dance!!!

(Photos Property of Jacquie Montes de Oca & Andrea Kuczynski)

Overall it was a fabulous evening of delicious food, fun dancing and amazing people!

About the author – Jacquie is a freelance contributor for Living the Dream Podcast; freelance contributor to Peter Alden Entertainment and freelance assistant, social media coordinator & roadie for Armando Diaz, Frank Sinatra Tribute Artist.