OFM dining critic Michael Lit sizes up Winter Park’s Prato

Located on tony Park Avenue, Prato celebrates cuisine from Italy’s rich culinary landscape, blending Italian classics with modern techniques and seasonal ingredients. Chef Brandon McGlamery’s dishes range from light primi and insalata choices to savory, handcrafted pastas and inventive Italian entrees.

The restaurant itself is set with brick and rich woods, and it features an open kitchen and woodburning pizza oven flown over from Tuscany, with a long bar serving as the centerpiece. Large chalkboards line the walls, giving information about the menu and local ingredients used. Prato also has large, window-paned doors and windows that span the front wall, and year-round sidewalk dining is available.

The result is a venue upscale enough to celebrate an anniversary or other special event, but also casual enough to bring the kids (as we did at 5 p.m.). With Prato’s wonderfully crisp pizza from the wood-burning oven or sandwiches like the BLT Panini, there are more than enough options for younger diners.

The menu pulls on classic Italian for inspiration but pays homage to McGlamery’s culinary evolution, allowing for inspired seasonal ingredients and creativity. Half portions on most of the pastas allow for a more authentic Italian experience—and more opportunities to share and sample. And as with McGlamery’s first award-winning eatery on Park Avenue, Luma, you can watch the chefs perfect their dishes in the open kitchen.

Service at either the bar or seated in the restaurant is warm, efficient and knowledgeable without being obtrusive, and the servers I’ve encountered demonstrate a genuine passion for their food recommendations. As the wine selection is predominantly Italian, their knowledge is particularly important for those customers who are unfamiliar with the grape variety and names of regions. In this respect, the servers and bartenders are more than happy and knowledgeable enough to guide you through some comparisons to your regular selection and supply samples to ensure your wine choice is to your taste.

Since we decided to bring the kids to share the experience, we ate a bit earlier than usual, and I started with a signature cocktail: the Hug It Out ($14.50) made with Riazul Tequila, mango puree and lime juice. It was a delicious beverage with perfect balances of sweet, tangy and earthy. The chorizo-salted rim was my deciding factor when choosing this one, and I wanted more.

The Prato Meatballs ($12.50) appetizer was recommended by many people I had talked to, and it did not disappoint. I loved the chunky roasted tomato and Cipollini agrodolce. It felt like a sweetand- sour meatball on a grander scale. The kids got the Pretzel-Crusted Calamari ($13.50), which came with a grain-mustard aioli. It was an inventive take on traditionally breaded calamari, and the family enjoyed the slight difference in preparation.

From the wood-burning oven, we sampled the Funghi Pizza ($15), a nicely rumpled, hand-tossed pie topped with roasted mushrooms, caramelized radicchio, braised scallion and fontina cheese. The combination was spot on and the crust was delectable, making for one of the better restaurant pizzas I have had. The Funghi seemed too daring for the children, so we also tried the Margherita Pizza ($15). The pomodoro, Genovese basil and fior de latte blended perfectly and was a huge hit. The crust on both pizzas was superbly crafted, and we can’t wait to try some of McGlamery’s other pizza creations.

I couldn’t possibly go to Prato and not try one of the handmade pastas. Since they come in half portions, I felt compelled to order one as a side to the pies. They all sounded exquisite, but I finally found the pasta I have been looking for: the Sunchoke Casarecce ($9 half/$16 full). It had a short-rib ragu, bone marrow and a horseradish crèma. For such a rich pasta dish, I didn’t feel weighed down, but I did feel extremely satisfied.

To finish the meal, we ordered the Tiramisu ($6). McGlamery and his pastry team hit this classic Italian dessert out of the park, with a delicate coffee flavor, creamy mascarpone and what felt like house-made lady fingers. Paired with an Italian coffee, it was like I was sitting in Tuscany.

Next time you’re walking down Park Avenue or attending a Central Park festival, stop into Prato. McGlamery and team take Tuscany to the next level with their stylish décor and inventive cuisine. Not to mention it’s a great spot to people watch while eating some of the best creative Italian fare in town.

An Orlando resident for more than 25 years, Michael Lit is the executive chef for Central Florida Regional Hospital and also has extensive experience in both casual and fine dining.

Prato
Winter Park | (407) 262-0050

This article originally appeared in Orlando Family Magazine’s March 2017 issue.