Picobello Ristorante Italiano Offers a Feast for the Senses

Next to Chinese food, Italian dishes seem to be the most favored foreign cuisine in Davao City. From pasta to pizza, Dabawenyos certainly love to have Italy on their plates.

If you are eager to taste a wide variety of authentic Italian flavors, then you better head on to Picobello Ristorante Italiano. The restaurant is housed atop Gaisano South Citimall (formerly JS Gaisano) in Ilustre Street, and has been serving Italian cuisine for many years.

Last month’s dinner with officemates was probably one of the most satisfying nights I have experienced in Picobello. On that particular night, our table was packed with three kinds of pizza, two bowls of pasta, and desserts. Everything was insanely delicious! Here’s a quick run-through of the flavors that my mind was able to wrap around:

• Pizza Con Salciccie (all meat pizza) was a belly buster, jampacked with meat toppings. Despite all of the sinful toppings, the pizza wasn’t too oily. In fact, it measures up to the more famous Meat Lovers’ Pizza from Pizza Hut.
• Quattro Stagioni (pizza with seafood and black olives) offered a fresh taste because of the saltiness of anchovies and black olives.
• Rustica Quattro Formaggi (pizza with four kinds of cheese) was a wondrous dish, something that any cheese lover will absolutely die for. The presence of rich cheeses more than makes up for the absence of other toppings.

• Spaghetti ala Marinara (seafood pasta) was another heavyweight on our table. The hefty chunks of fish and shrimp in tomato sauce were succulently satisfying.

Picobello’s pizza crust is thin and hand-tossed, which makes the pizza toppings more flavorful. It’s similar to the pizzas created in Boyd’s Pizza House and Paparazzi’s by Papa’s Pizza.

For dessert, we sampled Apple Strudel and Mousse Al Cioccolato (Chocolate Mousse). Yes, they were both tasty and perfectly sweet. However, these confections could not overpower the heavenly flavors of pasta and pizza.

On a final note, here is a summary of reasons why Davao City is blessed to have Picobello Ristorante Italiano around:

1. All of their pizzas are sold “Buy 1, Take 1” everyday from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM! It’s a feast for the senses.
2. It has been serving great Italian food for years now. Don’t tell me you’ll pass up this opportunity.
3. While waiting for your orders, freshly baked bread and olive oil dip will be served. Hurrah for freebies!
4. They offer unique pizza flavors, from seafood to all-cheese. The huge number of menu items makes you want to come back for more.
5. Haven’t you read the term “Buy 1, Take 1” above? 🙂

Picobello Ristorante Italiano
5th floor, Gaisano South Citimall
Ilustre Street, Davao City
Phone: (082) 221-1696