Mangia e Bevi: Italian food is done right at this Cocoa Beach eatery | Restaurant review

Lyn Dowling
·4 min read

We hadn’t been to Mangia e Bevi Pizzeria Napoletana, with its puffy pizzas and its lovely meat and cheese trays, since well before it added sandwiches, pasta dishes and a new dining room. We should have headed to Cocoa Beach sooner.

As always, it has that long, narrow main room dominated by its ovens, with those Italo-stylish movie posters and a rack or two of imported wines. Its cooks still move quickly to get its signature dishes and others into the fires too. Meals still are served on colorful plates and wine, in stemmed glasses.

Restaurant reviewer Lyn Dowling, on Mangia e Bevi Pizzeria Napoletana: "You cannot put Mangia e Bevi’s pizza up against typical American pizzeria pizza; this comes from a completely different genre."
Restaurant reviewer Lyn Dowling, on Mangia e Bevi Pizzeria Napoletana: "You cannot put Mangia e Bevi’s pizza up against typical American pizzeria pizza; this comes from a completely different genre."

The newer dining area is festooned with SSC Napoli and other shirts and on the ceiling, a mural of the Naples coast. It is by no means fancy; the food does the talking.

Pizzas still measure 12 inches and come in “rossa” (red) or “bianca” (white) and the appetizers include combinations of cheeses or cheeses and meats. Now, however, the menu lists more panuozzi (sandwiches) and pasta entrees, as well as a couple of desserts.

The man formerly known as the Child Gourmet and I went for pizzas on our first recent visit: he, Mortadella ($13) and I, Quattro Formaggi ($13).

The mortadella pizza at Mangia e Bevi Pizzeria Napoletana in Cocoa Beach: "Beautifully done pesto, house-made mozzarella, thinly sliced mortadella ... crushed pistachios, shaved Parmesan, a little basil and extra-virgin olive oil," says restaurant reviewer Lyn Dowling.
The mortadella pizza at Mangia e Bevi Pizzeria Napoletana in Cocoa Beach: "Beautifully done pesto, house-made mozzarella, thinly sliced mortadella ... crushed pistachios, shaved Parmesan, a little basil and extra-virgin olive oil," says restaurant reviewer Lyn Dowling.

The former was unlike any either of us had had, with beautifully done pesto, house-made mozzarella, thinly-sliced mortadella — still the only version of it that I can actually enjoy — crushed pistachios, shaved Parmesan, a little basil and extra-virgin olive oil.

Jon always has prided himself on being a “texture man” and this one gave it to him and then some, from the smoky crispness of the crust to the softness of the cheese, the silky meat and the crunch of the pistachios.

The less adventurous pizza was no less carefully concocted: that puffy, smoky, crispy crust piled with ricotta, mozzarella, a little Asiago and Parmesan to add salty bite, with basil and EVOO. It was delicious, and if a little soggy in the middle, doubtless because of the homemade cheese (whole-milk mozzarella exudes water as it melts), so what? The cheeses were perfect. The texture was grand. I gobbled the thing.

In a couple of days, we returned for more: that now-American-stalwart, Caprese salad ($10), spaghetti alla vongole ($19) and panuozzo prosciutto crudo ($14).

Restaurant review Lyn Dowoling, on spaghetti alla vongole at Mangia e Bevi in Cocoa Beach: "The spaghetti was outstanding: al dente, but not undercooked, with a little spice, a little fresh cheese and a lot of sweet little clams." And not too much spaghetti, either.
Restaurant review Lyn Dowoling, on spaghetti alla vongole at Mangia e Bevi in Cocoa Beach: "The spaghetti was outstanding: al dente, but not undercooked, with a little spice, a little fresh cheese and a lot of sweet little clams." And not too much spaghetti, either.

The salad was as it should have been, with slices of bright, red tomato and chunks of that glorious mozzarella over arugula, drizzled with balsamic glaze. It was plenty of salad for two people.

The spaghetti was outstanding: al dente, but not undercooked, with a little spice, a little fresh cheese and a lot of sweet little clams. Well done, Mangia e Bevi, for not piling a ridiculous mound on the plate too; that serving was just enough.

The sandwich rated as one of the best in Brevard: smoky, pizza crust-style bread folded over a lot of arugula, mozzarella and shaved parmesan topped with a single, exquisitely tender and salty but not bitter prosciutto, heated. No, it did not contain a lot of meat in good Northeastern style. But it’s not a good Northeastern restaurant. It’s Italian.

Dessert was the best non-alcoholic tiramisu ($10) I’ve ever had, espresso-soaked, layered in a cream that was not horribly sweet and served in a tiny bread pan. Magic.

Restaurant reviewer Lyn Dowling, at Mangia e Bevi in Cocoa Beach: "Dessert was the best non-alcoholic tiramisu ($10) I’ve ever had, espresso-soaked, layered in a cream that was not horribly sweet and served in a tiny bread pan. Magic."
Restaurant reviewer Lyn Dowling, at Mangia e Bevi in Cocoa Beach: "Dessert was the best non-alcoholic tiramisu ($10) I’ve ever had, espresso-soaked, layered in a cream that was not horribly sweet and served in a tiny bread pan. Magic."

Yes, Mangia e Bevi veers a bit into Italian-American territory, with cannoli for dessert and use of polpetti (meatballs) all over the place; customers asked for such things and got them. But if you seek the usual pizzeria fare — parmigianas, for example — this is not your place.

This is Italian food, and what was written in this space years ago holds: You cannot put Mangia e Bevi’s pizza up against typical American pizzeria pizza; this comes from a completely different genre.

That’s all. See you at Mangia e Bevi.

Lyn Dowling is a freelance food and lifestyles writer based in Melbourne. Join the conversation atfacebook.com/groups/321FlavorWhereBrevardEats.

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Mangia e Bevi Pizzeria Napoletana

Four stars

Address: 218 E. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach

Hours: 1 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays

Call: 321-613-0691

Online: www.mangiaebevipizza.com

WiFi: Yes

Other: Italian beers and wines are served

About our reviews

Restaurants are rated on a five-star system by FLORIDA TODAY’s reviewer. The reviews are the opinion of the reviewer and take into account quality of the restaurant’s food, ambiance and service. Ratings reflect the quality of what a diner can reasonably expect to find. To receive a rating of less than three stars, a restaurant must be tried twice and prove unimpressive on each visit. Each reviewer visit is unannounced and paid for by FLORIDA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Mangia e Bevi: They do Italian right at this place | Restaurant review