Daniele’s Casa Mia Italian Restaurant, Paranaque City

I have been eating in a number of restaurants in our beloved city of Paranaque. I know that this district is far for some people, but for residents like me, it feels nice to be in the center of a culinary wonderland (albeit “underrated” and “undiscovered.”) I love the fact that most of the restos have a homey ambiance and offer home cooking. I really prefer to be dining here now than in hip places of Makati or the Fort.

We’re blessed to be near Daniele’s Casa Mia Italian restaurant which is owned by the son of the owner of the famous Bellini’s of Cubao. Like his father, owner Daniele Bellini also worked as a photographer in Italy and you can see pictures of him with famous people like Bill Clinton on his resto’s wall.

Okay, here’s the restaurant owner in person. I thought he looked Filipino at first. LOL. He seems very down to earth and most of the time can be found serving the pizza himself.

Here’s a no-fail foodie tip: if you want good-tasting Italian food, at least make sure the owner is Italian. Same holds true with other cuisines. We love most the thin crust, oven-baked pizzas of Daniele’s. Hubby always makes sure to order his favorite pizza margherita (P180) while I prefer tasting more adventurous flavors like blue cheese “with longganisa” (P250) … as the jolly owner calls it.

On my first visit, I ordered pappardelle cinghiale (pasta with wild boar sauce which wasn’t on the menu) @P300 I found the noodles overcooked though and the taste didn’t really live up to its exotic name or ingredient. The next visit, I hit the jackpot with my spaghetti vongole (P170) while the husband relished his ricotta ravioli (P230).

verdict: some of the food items can be a hit or miss. It’s best to stick to the basics 😉

Like this colorfully laid-out melanzane alla Parmigiana or eggplant Parmesan (P220) ….

Since I love salmon, I tried ordering the salmon bruschetta (P170) and was wondering why the owner tried to discourage me. true enough , it tasted like pinaksiw na salmon! This should be scrapped from the menu if Mr. Daniele himself doesn’t believe in the dish *sigh*

I guess they can never go wrong with the desserts. Must-tries are the different flavors of gelato (P170 an order). I also loved the house cakes (but it seems these are not available all the time)

The papier mache replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa is an eyecatching centerpiece in the resto. I also love the paintings of different places in Italy which remain a dream place for me 😀

I’d love to go back to Daniele’s Casa Mia for my Italian food fix. It’s just the location that freaks me out. It seems so dark in the street at night and is beside a lapida maker. I asked the owner about his unlikely location and he said the fact that he owns the house makes his food prices low since he doesn’t have to pay rent. Way to go!

Daniele’s Casa Mia Italian Restaurant
(the Bellini’s of the South)
Address: 8351 Dr. A. Santos Ave. (Sucat Road)
Paranaque City
Tel. No. 826-5163

Check out the restaurant page on Facebook too
just type restaurant name in search box 😀