For whatever reason, people are so caught up in definitions, “what’s authentic” or “what tastes like the real thing”. I’m more of a believer in if the food taste good. Whether it’s Cajun, Italian, Japanese, Indian, you name it, people have strong opinions of how the food should be. FioRito Ristorante is hoping to change that mindset with what they call contemporary Italian food. While they are an Italian restaurant by genre, the biggest focus for FioRito is putting out tasty dishes that please the palate.
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3134 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, KS 67214
316-364-4707
Tuesday – Thursday: 11am – 2pm; 4:30pm – 10pm
Friday – Saturday: 11am – 2pm; 4:30pm – 11pm
Closed on Sunday and Monday
Website | Facebook
Cash/Card Accepted
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I stopped by the restaurant soft opening with a couple of fellow food bloggers, Significantly Spicy and Live Local.
Our dinner began with a bread plate of house-made sourdough bread that included five different spreads. Bread isn’t something I’d typically order at a restaurant as a starter, but this came highly recommended. We all ended up enjoying it quite a bit. The bread was pillowy soft and easily enhanced by each of the spreads. My personal favorite was the Pimento Cheese, which was a surprise for me because that’s 100% something I normally wouldn’t order. That’s one of the cool things about venturing out of your norm, you never know what you might find.
For our appetizers, we had the roasted cauliflower, pork meatballs and fritatini diablo.
Each one of the appetizers had something I really gravitated towards. They were fried pasta bites with a herby ranch sauce. They packed a small bit of heat and plenty of flavor. The meatballs came with red sauce and Stracciatella. Those were some of the best meatballs I’ve ever had at a restaurant. On top of a high quality meatball, the red sauce was something I could have licked out of the bowl with zero cares in the world. Lastly, the roasted cauliflower, that I surprisingly enjoyed more than I thought I would.
And then there were the entrees. We had the beef osso busco, French onion radiatore, rigatoni and pepperoni ravioli.
My personal dish was the beef osso busco which I think weight more than I did. It was a slow-braised beef shank that was tender to the touch, melt in your mouth, and one of the biggest highlights of the night. I ordered this myself, but shared it with others at my table who all loved it. This would make for the perfect dish to have on a date night as a shared entree.
I didn’t try much of the rigatoni or pepperoni ravioli, but I did get my tastebuds on the French onion radiatore. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the osso busco, but the radiatore dish was a surprise winner of a meal. The dish gets its name from the radiator-shaped pasta that are made in-house. If you love French onion soup, this dish is very reminiscent in flavor. And those noodles? Wow. This is something you definitely have to order on any visit with a group of people to share.
No visit to an Italian restaurant is complete without desserts. There were three to choose from, Basil Panna Cotta, Malted Milk Cake, and Pineapple Olive Oil Cake. It was a no-brainer to go with all three.
My favorite was the malted milk cake. I loved the sweetness it offered, not too rich, and just light enough, which was right up my alley.
We ordered so much food, and it was a lot to cover (and digest). But all the people I went with came to an agreement on one thing, FioRito Ristorante was a true delight and a worthwhile addition to the College Hill area. It was the owner’s takes and spins on different Italian dishes, and they really nailed it.
2022 has shaped up to be an incredible year for new restaurants. Add FioRito to that remarkable list.
Looking for more visuals? Here’s our video recap:
@wichitabyeb An inside look at Wichita’s newest Italian restaurant because who doesn’t love a delicious Italian spot? #fyp #Wichita #vlog #foodies #italianfood ♬ Paradise – Ikson
Here’s the menu:
Happy Dining,
Eddy
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We had a table of 4. We all tried different dishes. But we shared. First the bread was wonderful, then each choice we made was shared and not a spoonful left. It will be a weekly staple for our group. The brothers((owners) each touched our table to make sure all was good. Not usual in todays world, however Their suggestions were fantastic. Try it with a open mind. Not pre-maid obviously, a total treat.