Trattoria Padana brings authentic Italian food to Fort Myers

Born and raised in Milan, Italy, Nino Sindona was surrounded by the best of design, fashion and food. He was known by his friends and family as a foodie, but was teased for researching and perfecting his own recipes during his years of travel.

After years of developing recipes, Sindna finally narrowed them down to precise measurements. These recipes were taught to each of his chefs at Trattoria Padana in Fort Myers. . Located at 4391 Colonial Boulevard, Suite 104, the new restaurant offers what Sindona calls more authentic Italian than his American cuisine. The main differences are simplicity and reliability.

“Italian food is getting better and better in Italy,” he said. “It’s more sophisticated than usual. Trattoria is the name for casual food in Italy. So Trattoria dishes are classics like bolognese, spaghetti or carbonara.”

Italian-American cuisine has its roots in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. That’s when waves of immigrants from Italy moved to North America. From the less affluent areas of the South, where meat was often scarce, the creation of dishes centered on large amounts of meat and sauces became a staple of Italian-American cuisine after its arrival.

Avoiding dishes such as chicken parmesan and deeming it non-Italian, the restaurant sticks to classic dishes featured on its menu, such as tagliatelle fresh alla bolognese, risotto ai frutti di mare, and filetto di dentice alla grilia.

Every time I’m told, ‘If Americans want alfredo topped with shrimp, why try to make real Italian food,’ I understand it. Please understand that,” Sindna said.

During her travels, Sindona learned how to take cooking skills and techniques from her peers in places such as Thailand, Hong Kong, Spain, and Brazil, where she opened several restaurants.

As for which dishes to try when visiting Trattoria Padana for the first time, Sindna said it depends on the desires of the customer that day.

“I have a principle of putting only perfect items on the menu because from traveling the world, I’ve always found that some restaurants are great on two dishes and okay on the rest,” he said. “I never wanted to do that.”

Sindona said all the dishes are on the same playing field, but thought the bolognese, carbonara and pesto sauce weren’t the only ones worth trying.

Trattoria Padana offers an assortment of pastas, risottos, meat and seafood dishes, as well as desserts such as tiramisu, flourless chocolate cake, and the Italian dessert affogato al caffe.

The current menu continues to grow, and in the near future, an express system will be added to serve pizzas and sandwiches at lunchtime. Hours of operation are Tuesday to Sunday from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with different closing times on weekends.

Sindna rejects the idea of ​​a fine dining restaurant, saying that they are mere show-offs and are not long-lived even if they are enjoyable. can be expected.

“When you sell a trattoria, simple Italian-style food, people come forever,” Sindna said.