O Sole Mio can bring sunshine into your day

When I write “O Sole Mio,” you may think of an Italian tenor belting out that old Neapolitan classic. I don’t.

I think of sunny days and restaurants. Actually, one restaurant in particular, out of direct sunlight in a strip center in Jonesville.

I’ve always loved those “hole in the wall” places hidden away on side streets and strip malls just off the beaten path. They usually are family owned and operated, and that often brings a level of care and commitment less often found on a main street, or in those corporate restaurants that haunt the freeway exits.

We don’t live in a big city, thankfully as far as I’m concerned, but our city is just big enough to have a few of those special neighborhood restaurants that can bring sunshine into my day. O Sole Mio is one of them.

My attempt at a sun pun actually is not very good. “O Sole Mio” does not mean “hole in the wall.” Nor does it mean “sunshine in my day.” The name translates from the Neapolitan as “my own sun.”

The original location has been open for a decade in Alachua and usually goes by the name “New York Pizza Plus.” It truly is a neighborhood place in which many of the customers are on a first-name basis with the owners. Its sunny offspring in Jonesville is seven years old, and it too is a place where staff and customers often know one another.

Each has a different personality, which I think is dictated mostly by its location. The Jonesville restaurant is closer to the Gainesville “metro area” and more upscale. The two menus are almost the same, but the pasta dishes are a little better in Jonesville and cost a dollar or two more, probably because the rent is higher in a Publix shopping center. Or perhaps it’s to help pay for the wonderful murals that depict Italy in Jonesville. If so, it’s worth it.

Just about everything in both locations is house-made.

I dined mostly in Jonesville where gnocci, the potato-flour dumplings, were light and tasty, bathed in a creamy, pink, Bolognese sauce which, unlike the usual dark red meat sauce, did not overpower the flavor of the potato flour ($14).

Pollo alla Gorgonzola featured slices of chicken breast, pounded thin, with spinach and sliced mushrooms in a creamy, garlic-laden, cheese sauce with just a hint of Gorgonzola ($15).

Fettuccini Alfredo was, one of my guests announced, the best she had ever eaten ($12).

Salmone della Casa offered fresh salmon with spinach, mushrooms and fresh tomatoes gracing linguini with a lemony francese sauce. The lemon flavor was beyond what I expected, but when I checked my cookbooks afterward, I decided it was my mistake and not the chef’s ($17).

My favorite dish was a simple but delicious Penne alla Burrina, which featured bacon, mushrooms, sautéed onions and green peas in a pink, tomato-cream sauce over tubes of penne ($13).

Veal dishes were good, too, Veal alla Siciliano, with eggplant and marinara, served in Jonesville ($16), was delightful. Veal Marsala served over spaghetti in the Alachua location was not quite as good, the marsala a little too sweet and the veal a bit chewy.

The food may not compete with that of Sicily, Tuscany or New York City, but it competes very well in North Central Florida.

Every dish at both locations was under seasoned for my taste, but that is not a complaint. It is much wiser for a chef to season too lightly than to go overboard. At both locations, salt, pepper, Parmesan, crushed red pepper and oregano were on every table, so you may season your heart out (I hope not literally).

The menus feature a wide variety of dishes beyond what I was able to sample. There are baked pastas such as lasagna, ziti and stuffed shells, hot and cold sandwiches, baked stromboli and calzones, soups, salads, antipasti and, of course, desserts. The pizzas, offered whole or by the slice, looked amazing. Vegetarian and gluten free options are available.

Both locations have a full bar and accept reservations at lunch and dinner. They truly are family restaurants where you can bring young children, friends from out of town or just your spouse for a night out, or a sunny day.

David Carlson has been writing about food, wine and restaurants for more than 25 years. Dining is done anonymously and without warning. All meals are paid for by the Gainesville Sun. If you know of a new, unusual or just plain good restaurant, email dave@carlsonfamily.net.

Location: 14320 W. Newberry Road, Jonesville

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

Food: Italian

Service: Good to very good

Libations: Full bar and a small wine list that is well priced

Atmosphere: Casual

Noise Level: Medium

Delivery: Via various online sites

Info: 332-0916, osolemios.com

O Sole Mio