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Il Pizzico, Chef Enzio Livia's Regional Italian and Sicilian Cooking on Frederick Road, North Rockville


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We tried a local Italian place last night here in Rockville, and honestly? It was bad. Macaroni Grill has better food, probably Carrabba's does too for the same price. I wish someone, anyone would open a decent red-sauce Italian anywhere near me.

It wasn't Il Pizzico, was it? That place used to be pretty good.

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I've brought my kids to Il Pizzico before, and had no problems. Very gracious staff, and they did half orders of pasta for them without the slightest objection.

The problem I have is that they won't take reservations, so there's a wait for a table even on weekdays. That's why I've gravitated to Amici Mei in Potomac for my "suburb upscale Italian" fix. Very nice space, I've had several excellent meals there, they also treat the kids well, and they take reservations.

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This place should get more recognition. We started with the buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes which should have had better tomatoes for this time of the year, but it was okay. Also had some crostini with creamy white beans and a little spinach. Mmm, that was good stuff. For pasta, I tried the maltagliatelle with veal ragu. The pasta was cooked rather unevenly, but the ragu more than made up for it. My wife had penne with a sort of sauteed eggplant sauce. I'll be making this one at home. I finished up with an excellent swordfish dish with an oniony and capery tomato sauce. All in all, a rock solid Italian meal. The busboys could be a little less agressive in swooping in to remove plates while you're still chewing on your last bite though.

This will be a regular go-to joint in my Rockville rotation. I thought it was much better bang for the buck than Amici Mei.

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Il Pizzico is a standby for us when we do not want to take the time or hassle to drive downtown. Excellent food, well presented, and a decent wine list for Montgomery County. I have never found them to be at all pushy about picking up plates, but they do manage to get there just after you have finished. I much prefer going to Dino because of the wine list there, but Il Pizzico can hold its own with any Italian restaurant in MoCo and blow the doors off most of them.

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I just wanted to share the wonderful experience I had at Il Pizzico this past weekend. My 3-year old nephew was in town and the grown-ups wanted to satisfy his cries for "'sagna" as well as their own for really good italian (Jersey natives). I had never been there before, but the Washingtonian listed it as good food and "kid-friendly".

Well, the plates and glassware may not have been kid-friendly, but the staff more then made up for it. Since Il Pizzico doesn't serve lasagna- I explained to the host that my nephew would ask for it and just to bring the closest thing. He was served home-ade ribbon like pasta with a bolognase sauce (which was delicous). Shortly after being served the chef came out to make sure my nephew's "lasagna" was good... The host further promised to save my nephew lasagna the next time he came. Needless to say my nephew loved it, and he finished the leftovers for lunch the next day INSTEAD of pizza!!

All of the food at Il Pizzico was absolutely delicious but I'd go back again even if it hadn't been! Great pasta, atmosphere, and overall experience!

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Il Pizzico is still excellent, but you are right, not a place for little kids.

I should have said that it is not exactly set up for little kids. Well behaved children should be welcome in any restaurant. However, this is not a "family" restaurant in the classic sense. I would not be at all suprised that the staff dealt well with a small child, they seem to take everything in stride and are very friendly.

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I had never been to Il Pizzico before and entered with no expectations but my wife said she used to go with her family years ago. Overall, we had a very good meal. The pasta was noticeably homemade and perfectly cooked while the sauces complemented our different pasta choices well (tomato veal sauce over wide noodles for me and a punchy basil tomato sauce over penne for her). We'll easily go back to find out if they are consistently this good.

Pax,

Brian

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What night and time did you go? I've had it off my regular rotation for a while because I was tired of long waits at common mealtimes, but I'd love to hear that it's not so bad any more...

Well, we went around 6 PM on a Saturday and got a table no problem. I'd say that all the tables were full by 6:30-6:45, but by 7, there were several groups waiting. Our visit wasn't planned. Just happened to be leaving Home Depot and wanted to eat before a later party. Web site doesn't mention if they take reservations.

Pax,

Brian

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Well, we went around 6 PM on a Saturday and got a table no problem. I'd say that all the tables were full by 6:30-6:45, but by 7, there were several groups waiting. Our visit wasn't planned. Just happened to be leaving Home Depot and wanted to eat before a later party. Web site doesn't mention if they take reservations.

Pax,

Brian

They don't take reservations.

This would be a huge change, if it's not just holiday weekend slowness. A few years ago, you would wait at least 30-60 minutes on a WEEKNIGHT for a table at dinnertime.

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After almost a year since my first and only visit, my wife and I went to back to Il Pizzico for an early dinner Thursday. We were stupid for waiting so long. I can't think of a place with better pasta outside of DC. Our salads were great too. And no worries about wait time: There was one other table filled in the restaurant when we left Thursday night at 6:45. People should really consider putting this place back in their rotations.

Pax,

Brian

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It's clear the economy is causing people to go out less; I haven't had to wait for a table here any time in the last several months. But Enzo is still turning out some fantastic dishes, and the staff is still gracious and friendly. Always a really pleasant family dinner. If you live out that ways, you should definitely go.

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Had a great meal there last night with friends that made me wonder why it had been so long since I had been. On the bright side, they were doing a booming business and at 7:00pm the bar area was >4people deep with folks waiting for tables. Had a great blood orange salad with fennel, celery, parmesan shaving and vinaigrette that was a special. Had a swordfish dish with tomato, kalamata, onion served with a couple of roasted potatoes. While I thought it was very good, it missed the mark only in that it was too sweet. Nonetheless, i would order it again. I guess the sweetness wasn't too bad.. Great tiramisu for dessert (really good, strong espresso flavor). Service was excellent. Price/couple was approx. $120 including tip. Everybody got starters, 3 pasta entrees and one swordfish entree, two got dessert and one bottle of wine. Again, food and service was good and I intend to return sooner rather than later.

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I thought to myself, "this [Pasta Plus] could be the greatest restaurant in the shittiest location in the shittiest building within a 250 mile radius."

hmmm....I always thought Il Pizzico in Rockville offered absolutely great food in a particularly ratty looking dumpy shopping center...albeit on Rockville Pike, which is, I suppose a "better location"

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Il Pizzico not only has a shake, barn style roof, but a curb to prevent you from driving through the front of the building. Pasta Plus has no such amenities. And before Pasta Plus purchased the adjacent space, that space was boarded up, hurricane style

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Il Pizzico not only has a shake, barn style roof, but a curb to prevent you from driving through the front of the building. Pasta Plus has no such amenities. And before Pasta Plus purchased the adjacent space, that space was boarded up, hurricane style

touche

plus I haven't eaten at Pasta Plus so I can't add anything relative to the "best" part of your terrific sentence. :D

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I ate at this restaurant last week with my goddaughter and her mother. Mother tends to overorder and had the mixed grill, half of which she took home. Goddaughter and I both ordered the salad Romana and the rigatoni with sausage, purely coincidental, and we both enjoyed them immensely. Consdering that this part of Montgomery County features mainly chain dining, Il Pizico is a welcome change from the norm. I had eaten rigatoni with chicken livers the previous week at Osteria in Philadelphia and was really looking for another rigatoni fix. The sausage was an excellent substitute.

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I love the food here but the last time we went I had a disturbing experience.  I made sure to check that Il Pizzico was on the approved corkage list for Montgomery County.  It was on the list that is on the county's website.  So I took a nice bottle of Italian wine with me, not the best in my cellar, but nothing shabby.  When I got there, the manager informed me that they do not allow corkage and that they do not have a corkage permit.  When I showed him the list on the county website (see smart phones do come in handy sometimes) he said that he would know, and they did not have a permit.

I don't mind if they don't want to permit corkage, but the county is not in favor of corkage (Maryland made it legal on a statewide basis just because MoCo had always blocked it when it was a county option) and I doubt they would put a restaurant on the list that did not complete the required paperwork to get a permit.  Say you don't want to permit corkage, but don't lie to me.  I made a point of checking with the county the next day by phone and was informed that yes, the restaurant applied for and was issued a corkage permit.

We ended up having a great meal, and I bought a bottle off the list, but I can get great meals lots of places where I can take a bottle of wine with me.  I will still go to Il Pizzico, but I won't go as often as I would if I could bring a great Brunello or Borolo from my cellar.

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So we went to Il Pizzico after a long absence (prompted mainly by the disappointing treatment noted above) and this time I called ahead first to confirm that corkage was permitted.  After confirmation, I brought a 2003 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso (drinking beautifully btw) to go with our meal.  Appetizers included an excellent grilled octopus, Crespelle, and a tuna tartare. Second courses include half orders of Bucatini con Pancetta e Pomodoro, Insalata di rughetta e parmigiano, and Casarecce alla Krizia.  Secondis were an excellent pork chop (I didn't get a taste so I can't say how it was prepared), Scalopipine alla Sandra, and a side order of Sautéed eggplant and mushrooms.  We all enjoyed it.  Unfortunately the wine was gone before the secondi arrived, so I ordered a 2010 Inferi Marramiero Montepulciano D'Abruzzo.

When the bill arrived, I found that the corkage fee was $40.  I guess they are serious about protecting their wine list.  I should have asked, but to be honest, I would have still opened the Brunello even if I knew the fee in advance.

Bottom line, food is still excellent, service also.  They have a fairly good wine list, considering they are in Montgomery County, but if you plan on bring your own bottle, make sure it is something that is worth paying a $40 corkage fee.

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My wife and I go about once a month. I've never had a bad meal there.

I looked at your most recent post and upthread.  You are a long term fan of this restaurant.  It struck me.  I believe I've been there about 3 times in the last 15 years, possibly the last time was about 8 or so years ago and before I knew about DR.   Each of the meals over the last 15 years were excellent with a diverse group of diners each enjoying what they ordered and relishing excellent service.

If I recall I learned of Il Pizzico in the late '80's from someone who was either an early investor or just a great fan.  I was a big fan in the late 80's and through the 90's when I lived in MoCo.  Really remarkable, a rare restaurant in that it has kept excellent standards for over 2 and 1/2 decades.  There are others, but those that do so are in the minority.

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On 3/27/2020 at 4:22 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

Thought it might give each other ideas based on where and what you're ordering for take-out or delivery.  

Carry out was busy last night! As we were waiting in our car there were other people driving up and picking up their orders.

Grilled eggplant bundles filled with mozzarella and ricotta tomato sauce

Homemade wide shape pasta served with veal meat sauce (substitute fettucine)

risotto with mushroon and prosciutto

canoli

Pietra Salento Prmitivo

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If you are anywhere near Rockville Pike and Gude Drive in Rockville near Montgomery College then Il Pizzico is a good choice! They've been good to us the 3 times we've ordered since March. Delivery too in their area. We are on the other side of the county.

Offering specials and 35% off bottles of wine. Our last one was Pio Cesare Barbera.

You pull up at their door and a man comes out and delivers to your car. You pay by card when you order. Tip of course!

Recent stand outs? Risotto with mushrooms. Tagliatelle with shrimp and scallops. Mousse. Appetizer with eggplant.

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