"Marina Ristorante 6550 North Atlantic Ave. Cape Canaveral, FL 32931 4 Stars Egads! I looked again. Nope. Still there. Not to cause a pother here or to slam my fellow residents of the Space Coast, but according to my random name generator, I was off to tourist trap haven, better known as Cape Canaveral, for another what I could only surmise would be an Italian nick joint. At least I didn't have to go OTB today; that by itself was a good thing. Upon entering Marina Ristorante, I found myself in a small but quaint and effective place. Gino is the owner, service pro, and saucier. I asked Gino for an order of his Lasagna Bolognese along with a Ribeye Au Poivre in Cognac Sauce. Sauce. Sauce. Sauce. A brilliant sauce can solve many a food-related problem. At Marina Ristorante, I came to find that sauce is king. Lasagna is never a go-to dish for me because it has to be made in advance. Many times it sits in the walk-in cooler for days and then warmed up as needed. While this may be the case here, what separates this from the others is the sauce and cheese. The sauce is made fresh to order and the cheese is baked on (not melted in the microwave). This was an extremely tasty dish. As I've said ad nauseam it's all about execution. A cook who knows what they are doing in the kitchen and takes a modicum of pride in their work can make a plate of fried worms taste akin to the most succulent dish you've ever had. Not that the Ribeye Au Poivre in Cognac Sauce was similar in any way, shape, or form to a plate of fried worms. However, it was not USDA Grade A Prime meat either. I would say it was a mid-range steak. Regardless of the grade, it was cooked spot on and the sauce was made so flawlessly that it truly allowed you to enjoy the food. A sauce should never overpower or drown your food. Its purpose is to enhance flavor, not mask. If this had been a better-quality slab of charred cow flesh, this would have been a 5-star review. Great job, Gino! The Big Boy says, “Finally! The Big Boy has found a good Italian restaurant in a tourist area. If you smellllllllllllllllll. What. Gino. Is. Cooking.”"
