‘Best Italian In KC,’ Garozzo’s Doesn’t Disappoint

Store-Bought Cheesecake May Be Shunned Forever

Abigail Kitchen, Reporter|January 16, 2022

    Garozzo’s Ristorante526 Harrison Street, Kansas City, Mo., 64106

  Voted best Italian restaurant of 2021 by Ingram’s magazine, The Pitch and Kansas City magazine, Garozzo’s Ristorante offers a warm and cozy environment along with a mouth-watering menu.

     The first thing I noticed was how well the staff worked together. It made the restaurant feel well organized.      

     The food was a bit pricey for a teenager, ranging from about $20 to $30 a dish. As we walked in, I worried we would have a wait despite making reservations because it looked like there wasn’t going to be enough room for us and other people. But with no wait, the host walked us back out the front door and around the building to go upstairs.      

     It was a small room, but it was comfortable and had a romantic feel. The servers were attentive and friendly. We only had to wait for about 20 minutes for our food, and everyone at the table got their meal at the same time.      

     The rigatoni canzoneri is sauteed prosciutto, peas and mushrooms served in a tomato cream sauce. It reminded me of my favorite tortellini pasta my mom makes. I didn’t know something so simple could be so delicious.      Our appetizers were baked cheese ravioli with a marinara dipping sauce. The cheese was subtle and creamy, and the ravioli were breaded and baked to perfection.      

     I was hesitant to order the raspberry cheesecake because it was made with ricotta cheese, and typically I don’t like ricotta cheesecake, but I really loved this one. Normally ricotta cheesecake has more of a savory taste. This one did not. It was smooth and creamy. Layered with graham cracker crust, it had a bold flavor and wasn’t overly sweet.  After dinner, I didn’t think I could eat anything else, but when it was time for dessert, I ended up eating the whole thing. I may never be able to enjoy grocery store cheesecake again.      

     The espresso I ordered was the only thing I didn’t like. It was extremely strong with a heavy body.      

     Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. It didn’t feel as if they were putting on an extravagant show like some other fine dining experiences have. And that honestly was a pleasant surprise and made Garozzo’s very inviting. Every course came out at a perfect temperature while plated beautifully. It is easy to say it was worth every penny.