I’ve always had a penchant for Italian cooking. And if only I had better skills in the kitchen, I’d probably spend most of my time whipping up these delicious Italian recipes myself at home. But since mine’s an unfortunate case, it is a good thing that there are a few restaurants here in Davao City that serve up quite delectable and authentic Italian dishes for an Italian food tripper like me to enjoy.
While I do have a wide array of food preference, Italian cuisine has been on top of my list. I could probably eat them in a week before I grow sick of them. lol But I was dead serious about trying out some of those recipes when I see Giada de Laurentiis prepare them on her “Everyday Italian” show on Food Network that I just had to kick my butt out of the couch and go somewhere I can have my fill on.From what I’ve tried so far, there are two Italian restaurants that I would recommend to try if you’re from, or in, Davao.
First, Picobello is one of the first Italian restaurants in Davao City. Located at the 5th floor of Gaisano South Citimall, it serves up a cozy area where you can delight in your Italian food cravings. One of the best aspects about their menu is that they offer a lot of choices in pizza, antipasta, pasta dishes, and the main course. Their classic lasagna was very rich in fresh tomato sauce, while their serving of Mozarella & Pepperoni pizza was quite humongous. When my boyfriend and I ordered these two off the menu, we thought it was going to be a heavy snack but as it turns out, we had trouble finishing the entire meal – me being the first one to say, “I’m done.”
me enjoying a serving of tiramisu @ Picobello
I also tried tiramisu for dessert, costing around P95. And I tell you, it was the best way to end my Italian meal. It has that rich bittersweet taste that I like and I think I shared none of that to Ed, poor him. 
(sorry, no photo for the dishes. i was too caught up with the food that I completely forgot to take some. 
)
Next up, Salutti. I never really found out about this restaurant until Tiara, a former colleague at UP and fellow Italian food fanatic, shared it to me.
And so one day after work, I told Ed to try it out for ourselves. It is located in Habana Compound in Rizal St., if you are unfamiliar with Salutti. It has a very homey ambiance, plus you have the option to dine al fresco. But we opted to dine inside since the restaurants’ white walls were both sophisticated and relaxing.
Ed chose to order Asian Beef Panini and I opted for Fettuccine Alfredo with Garlic Sauce and Shiitake Mushrooms. (this one I got the photos, but will have to wait once I’ve uploaded them 
). Again, my stomach was unable to finish the entire plate of my pasta and so I had to switch plates with Ed. I tried a little of the Asian Beef Panini, and god was it good! He chose the mango sauce for the salad that came along with his order and it really blended quite well with the crunchy lettuce and all the other veggies that was in there. Plus, service was good. By good, I mean better than that of Picobello’s.
Asian Beef Panini
But if these restaurants were to be rated only for their food, then both are definite winners. If you haven’t tried any of these, then make sure you do one of these days. Happy eating! 
