A few weeks ago my sister and I set aside an evening to try out Mandola’s, a relatively new-ish Italian restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida. Mandola’s Italian Kitchen actually has locations across Florida and Texas; and as my sister loves Italian food, we decided to make this our next restaurant visit.

The interior reminded both of us of those cozy Italian eateries one might find at CityWalk in Orlando. It’s energetic, bright and full of Italian memorabilia, but none of it is tacky. In fact, it feels like you’re eating in just a very massive kitchen in an Italian family’s home, and I believe that’s the vibe they wanted to evoke.

We ordered at the counter and found a seat.

For an appetizer, we split the fried mozzarella with marinara. Instead of sticks, the mozzarella was shaped into triangles, each perfectly crispy and seasoned. The marinara sauce, for me, was a standout throughout both the appetizer and main course.

While we sipped our refreshing Aperol spritzes, we chatted until our entrées came out: I ordered the recommended chicken piccata, while my sister opted for the chicken Parmesan. Both came with a side of spaghetti marinara, but the waitress notified us beforehand this pasta can be swapped out for something else, too.

The chicken was cooked perfectly, and the lemony sauce with capers added the perfect tang. The pasta was not overcooked (a pet peeve of mine), and that tasty marinara sauce made its appearance again. My sister also raved about her dish, stating how they were generous with the chicken sizes.

While we ended up not getting dessert on account of filling ourselves completely, Mandola’s also has a separate gelato bar where you can also order slices of cake and cheesecake as well as authentic cannoli.

— Aoife O’Riordan, associate editor