From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Best Inexpensive Gourmet Eats

September 21 2005

Giorgio's 17th Street
1499 S.E. 17th St., Fort Lauderdale, 954/767-8300

The term casual gourmet has become a cliché thanks to franchise restaurants, but it's a tag line that has a ring of truth at Giorgio's 17th Street. The 24-seat room is small, but the menu is ample. And the prices are as kind to the wallet as the food is to the stomach. Garden-fresh ingredients like ripe tomatoes, roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts, plus an assortment of herbs, cheeses and meats are found in the delicious hot and cold sandwiches, entrée-size salads, thin-crusted pizzas, more than a dozen pastas and a medley of entrées. Most items cost less than $11 apiece, but everything is prepared with the care of a gourmet kitchen. Giorgio's is especially adept with the pastas, including the not-too-heavy rigatoni served with asparagus and sweet peppers, or the more-filling Bolognese sauce or three-cheese lasagna. Be sure to check out the neat selection of wines and the house-made desserts, especially the tiramisu and chocolate cake. The service is familiar and easygoing and outdoor seating is available.