I remember watching you as a kid, back in Brooklyn; always serving delicious Italian food to many customers.  Your restaurant “Del-Dio” was number one in Canarsie back in the 1960′s.  Even today people mention that the food was remakable.  Everyone still remembers the fine food you and my father served.  I named my restaurant Del-Dio, but without the original owners it just isn’t the same.

I will carry on the name but the legend is gone and we will miss all the great times we had together.  I hope to see you and my father again so we can do this all over again.  God bless you.

Friends,

We can’t tell you how much we appreciate the positive feedback.  Your love of our food and the neighborhood atmosphere we’ve strived to create is what keeps us going!  Nothing makes us happier than to see you enter with a wave and leave with a smile.

Thank you to Yelper Rayni for the recent  5-star review of Del-Dio on Yelp!

My latest favorite for Italian food. They don’t just have great pizzas, they have great pastas and other standard Italian dishes as well. Their location is a little unfortunate because of how hidden it is, but the interior is decorated very well, and once you’re inside, it feels very cozy.

Everyone that we’ve interacted with that worked there have been friendly. They were also attentive, which perhaps isn’t difficult in a restaurant that is on the smaller side, but still very much appreciated. I actually witnessed quite a few regulars in the restaurant and it felt like I was a fly on the wall observing a family reunion. It was a comforting sight. Maybe I’ll be their token Asian-Italian?

Their pizzas are great! There is something about the crust that is special. It’s thin, but not too thin. It’s greasy, but doesn’t make you feel guilty. It’s salty, but just right. I’ve tried the Special and also the Hawaiian and both were great. I like the Hawaiian better, but they both had fresh ingredients and definitely hit my pizza cravings.

I’ve also tried the garlic knots, which was excellent. It had the right amount of garlic. You still won’t want to eat this if you’re on a date, but it’s not strong enough to clear up your nasal passages. We actually ended up keeping the leftover oil+garlic+parmesan “dressing” to dip our pizza crusts in. Yum!

They make their pasta sauces fresh and their alfredo is so amazing that I would really like to buy from them instead of Publix or Olive Garden when I feel like having some at home.

I can’t wait to come back and try more of their dishes.

* * * * *

When I checked out this place I was already expecting good pizza. I had heard from a few of my local friends that Del-Dio was better than other pizza joints in town. But what I didn’t expect was how good some of the other dishes on the menu are! This place is definitely more than a pizza joint. They have a pasta dish with bacon and Parmesan cheese that is totally to die for! Go be tricked into thinking this is just a pizza place!

My family and I love this place. My son and I go here often for pizza and it’s amazing and reminds me of all my trips to NYC. The crust is chewy yet thin and awesome. The chicken parm is delicious too!!!

Its hard to find if you’re not looking. It faces the executive airport and not Colonial. Whenever I hear, “small family business” I think of this place. There’s only a handful of employees and the owner is always on duty in the kitchen. If you come in once, they’ll recognize you every time you return.

We live nearby and run into our neighbors frequently here. It’s always a great sign when you love a place and see the same people month after month. This place is consistently great. The servers are also fantastic with kids.

Sometimes there’s a wait to be seated due to the smaller dining room size but the server is quick to accommodate you as soon as there’s an opportunity. Its worth the wait.

For the price you won’t find a better deal when it comes to quality, presentation and service level.

* Visited September 2011

I was so delighted to read it, I wish I would have found it sooner!

She writes…

I have just visited Orlando with the kids this weekend and yes I visited a pizza spot that I visit everytime I go there. Pizzeria Del-Dio is what I would call, as close to NY style pizza as you could get. I would have to say, its actually better than many actual NY pizza joints.

Not only was the pizza delectable, but the spinach and cheese calzone was unreal. I saw the owner himself take out the dough on the spot and make the calzone from scratch. He used fresh spinach and mozzarella. It was obvious that this owner knew what he was doing & was highly experienced. Low and behold, I find out that he’s from Brooklyn NY as well. Finding a place like this in Florida is a rare find. Not many pizzas can live up to New Yorkers pizza expectations.

Read more…

All I can say is our customers totally rock!

I’ve been on a mission to find someplace that had that true “New York City” taste to it. So in my search, i’ve been here and there and everything was just…okay. Then, I was referred to a place I’ve never heard of before, Pizzeria Del-Dio. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere alone was already giving me a good feeling. … read more

Apparently Dana tried a number of items from our menu as well as the daily special – and Del-Dio’s did not disappoint!

It’s comments such as these that make serving our customers so rewarding!

Special thanks to you Dana!

Here are a few of our most popular appetizers.  You’ll find that they’re perfect for sharing before a meal, or, they can be enjoyed as a side dish or snack.

Above: Garlic Bread with Cheese and Tomato

Above: Garlic Knots served with tomato sauce

Above: Fried Calamari

Del-Dio’s prepares fried calamari fresh; lightly breaded and seasoned then fried perfectly and served with marinara sauce

Click and print the special coupon below and save big!

photo by Michelle K

Michelle K‘s Review of the Day (ROTD)

My review for Pizzeria Del-Dio comes naturally just like wonderful pizza comes naturally for the humble little pizzeria tucked neatly away into the corner of the shopping on Colonial near just east of Maguire. On my first visit, I started off with a sampling of the garlic knots. They were abundant, flavorful and drenched in delicious garlic butter. The garlic knots were the right amount of crispy and doughy. The accompanying marinara was sweet, tangy and warm. Yum! I then ordered an entire 16″ cheese pizza for myself so that I could really test out the NYness of this pizza. Sometimes, when you order slices, the reheating disrupts the cheese and crust. Boy, was I glad I ordered that whole, steaming hot, cheesy deliciousness! The gods started singing, the angels chimed in on their trumpets and the heavens opened….well, maybe that’s just me being dramatic.

Regardless, Pizzeria Del-Dio is one of the better pizzerias in the area.

On a scale of 1-5, I rate the following:

Crust: 4 ( I love the taste but I wanted it just a tad bit more floppy)

How the cheese melts and taste: 5

Sauce: 4.5

Service: 5

Wow!! Thanks Michelle K! We really enjoyed reading your review and appreciate that you shared your experience!

You can find Del-Dio’s on Yelp, listed in  “Best NY Pizza in Orlando“

Breaded chicken runs the gamut across menus

Think breaded chicken, and the ubiquitous chicken tender may come to mind. Yet many pizzeria operators find that breaded chicken also fits nicely in entrées and salads — and even as specialty pizza toppers.

At Casa Del-Dio Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen in Orlando, Florida, breaded chicken appears in traditional dishes such as chicken parmigiana and over salads. Guests also enjoy entrées such as chicken Del-Dio, which is a breaded chicken cutlet layered with ham, ricotta and mozzarella that is baked in a casserole dish, garnished with fresh parsley and served with pasta.

Casa Del-Dio Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen, says the best way to prepare breaded chicken is to pound out the cutlets, making sure they are not too thin. Then dip the cutlets in an egg wash made out of a mixture of egg and heavy cream. Then, drench the cutlets into seasoned breadcrumbs and deep-fry the cutlets until golden brown.

Read the entire article by Melanie Wolkoff Wachsman

Melanie Wolkoff Wachsman is a freelance writer in Louisville, Kentucky.

She covers food, business and lifestyle trends.