Studiously retro, as in the mule with a stiletto heel painted on the ladies room door. Light by day, with a large patio that overlooks a lake, the restaurant goes dark at night, with white-jacketed waiters bustling out of the long exhibition kitchen carrying sizzling griddles of mussels. Service is professional and attentive at this Orlando restaurant.
Upscale beef and snazzy pasta and fish: osso buco, fusilli with wild mushrooms and Gorgonzola, Tuscan seafood stew. Pay a la carte for soups, salads and sides like mashed potatoes or spinach. The seared sirloin is a fine choice, and spring a buck for the finish: al forno (garlic and Parmesan) or al balsamico (honey and vinegar). For a tasty vegetable ration, try the minestrone. Sop up the garlic-tomato broth (with the grilled grouper) with Timpano's excellent foccacia, one of the house breads.