Pranzo's: Fort Walton Beach (This is really embarrassing!)

The other night Brian and I finally got around to trying Pranzo's. Every year the Northwest Florida Daily Times holds an auction in December where readers can bid on gift certificates to places all over the Emerald Coast. I happened to "win" a gift certificate to Pranzo's, so since it was paid for in advance it almost felt like a free meal. When I mentioned this to our server he said, "Sooo...that's what brought y'all in. [sigh]"

We started out with the Tuscan Bruschetta which has chopped eggplant, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, and crumbled gorgonzola cheese. Absolutely delicious.

And then things went downhill. You see...this is where I ordered a "Ca-PREECE" salad. Our server feigned a confused expression and said, "A whaaaat?" Finally he regained his composure and said, "Ummm...do you mean a cah-PREHY-zay??" I bit my tongue to keep from calling him Giada (I love her but her over pronunciations drive me crazy), and let him know that indeed, that is what I wanted.

While I waited for my caprese I thought about what an idiot he was. I mean...I ordered a Ca-PREECE at least twice a day when I was in Italy and nobody ever corrected me there. That's how American's say it, right? It's not like we  pronounce mozzarella like Italians.

I gobbled it down when it came. It was delicious but very different than any I had before (even in Italy). The mozzarella had a really unusual texture and the basil was replaced by a very thick pesto-like concoction. I smugly thought, "this guy knows NOTHING about a Ca-PREECE. hmphhh."

We kept our entrees simple. I had angel hair with olive oil and garlic sauce. Brian had linguini with olive oil and garlic sauce and meatballs. The pasta was homemade and everything we hoped it would be.

Despite my pronunciation issues, our server ended up being very friendly, and we liked him a lot. When I got home I thought I would google "caprese" just to assure myself that I was okay to pronounce it the way I always have. Much to my horror I discovered...that, but apparently even 99% of Americans know how to pronounce it correctly.

So with that said, I would highly recommend Pranzo's. Just be sure not to order a "Ca-PREECE" if you go.   :)