If you’ve been reading this publication for any period of time and you still haven’t at least tried owner/Chef Erik Ravenna’s Johnny C’s Italian Eatery…well, let’s just say that I’m a little surprised. Not only does Erik create delicious Italian food — from New York-style pizzas to the largest variety of fresh seafood dishes (like the crispy calamari on this page to the Frutti di Mare, which means “fruits of the sea”) pasta and “comfort food” dishes like Momma’s Lasagna and spaghettini & meatballs — he also is one of the nicest, hardest-working restaurateurs in our area who also donates incredible amounts of food to local causes he believes in, such as special needs children.
Johnny C’s was actually named for Erik’s former partner Pat Ciaccio’s father Johnny, but he never changed the name, and he also bought out the family of his other partner — the late former Saddlebrook Resort owner Tom Dempsey. Both Erik and Pat previously worked at Saddlebrook.
Erik, who grew up in New Jersey, says the atmosphere at Johnny C’s is very much like having dinner at the home of a large Italian family, with its open kitchen and a large, dais-like table in the center of the restaurant, with a number of smaller tables around that table.
“This might be a little noisier dining room than you’re used to,” Erik says, “but it definitely feels like home to me.”
So, What About The Food?
Jannah, photographer Charmaine George and I have eaten at Johnny C’s at least a dozen times — not including takeout and catering orders — since it first opened a little more than two years ago, and we always have chosen either our own favorite dishes and/or anything new on the menu.
This time, however, we asked Erik to make us either his favorite dishes or the dishes that have proven to be the most popular at Johnny C’s.
And, what a feast he provided! We started with his ever-popular “Johnny’s Own Bruschetta” (above right photo; it just happens to also be Jannah’s favorite appetizer) that combines fresh, diced tomatoes, garlic and balsamic reduction on garlic crostini, served on a bed of tasty greens that also are amazing with the balsamic reduction.
We also were served a zesty Antipasto Salad — spring mix, with tomatoes, black olives, banana peppers and spirals of ham, capicola, salami and provolone cheese and a house-made vinaigrette — and the aforementioned Calamari Fritti (tossed with banana pepper rings and garlic butter and served with house marinara). Thankfully, I’ve never had my shellfish reaction to calamari because I do love it and Erik’s is excellent!
We’ve previously also gobbled down Erik’s Italian meatballs, served with fresh Buffalo mozzarella and finished with asiago and basil, and his incredible hand-breaded fried mozzarella. And, while we’re on the subject of his fresh mozzarella, Erik’s Caprese Salad is another favorite of mine, with fresh yellow and red tomatoes stacked high with slices of mozzarella and finished with both balsamic glaze and extra virgin olive oil.
But, speaking of my accursed shellfish allergy, Erik also wanted us to sample and take pictures of his Frutti di Mare (top left photo) — and Charmaine said it was probably her favorite dish of the evening. It combined nice-sized shrimp, mussels, clams and calamari in a spicy “Fra Diavlo” (which means “Among the Devil,” because of its heat) sauce and served over linguini with kalamata olives and a side, house-made garlic knot. (Note-all of the pasta dishes are served with garlic knot; they’re also available as an appetizer on the menu).
Other seafood pastas on the menu include shrimp scampi, parmigiana, marinara and Fra Diavlo and my favorite, Erik’s linguini vongolé (with fresh clams, marinara or white wine with garlic butter basil).
Thankfully, he also decided to serve us his Momma’s Lasagna (top photo), which he says is “Just how you remembered,” but only if you had an Italian momma or nonna (grandmother). The lasagna has more meat and sauce than ricotta cheese and even though it’s not “authentic Italy Italian” because it has ricotta instead of bechamel sauce, Jannah, Charmaine and I all agreed that it was hearty and oh so delicious.
We also loved his Linguini Alfredo with broccoli and chicken (left photo), which isn’t actually on the menu, so you’ll have to ask for it, but it definitely is a lighter Alfredo sauce than at most places.
Other pasta dishes at Johnny C’s include Chicken Marsala (with mushrooms & Marsala wine brown sauce), Chicken Piccata (with white wine, lemon, basil & capers), Baked Penne (with house Bolognese sauce & mozzarella), Ravioli Pomodoro (cheese ravioli with vine ripened tomato sauce), Penne Vodka (with vodka cream sauce, basil & vine ripened tomato sauce), the previously mentioned Spaghettini & Meatballs and Eggplant or Chicken Parmigiana. Some of these pasta dishes are now available with gluten-free pasta and several of the chicken dishes have a Halal option. Be sure to ask Erik about all of his Halal offerings, also including beef pepperoni and turkey bacon.
You Say You Want Pizza? You Got It!
Although we didn’t actually have any of Erik’s pizzas on this most recent visit, we’ve enjoyed plenty of those options over the years.
Although you can custom-design your own pizza, his varieties named for the five boroughs of New York City and the area known as “SoHo” are all among Johnny C’s most popular New York-style pies. The Brooklyn is a chicken, bacon, ranch pizza with Alfredo sauce and ricotta. The Bronx is your “Meat Lovers” option, with pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham and meatballs. The Manhattan has Hawaiian pineapple and ham, but I personally don’t think he should have named this variety after any borough of NYC. The Queens is your Margherita with light tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, Buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil and garlic. The Staten Island is another white pizza, with Alfredo sauce, mozz, ricotta, mushrooms and a pesto drizzle. And the Soho is his veggie variety, with marinara, mushrooms, peppers, onion, spinach, olives and broccoli.
Also super-popular (and delish!) is the “Yea Babe!,” that Erik calls his “Grandpa Bill’s Warm Welcome to You!.” It features vodka sauce, Italian sausage and mozzarella. And yes, Erik still is happy to add Mike’s hot honey to your favorite pizza. “It’s a game-changing extra kick,” he says.
All of these pizzas, as well as the chicken & broccoli pizza in the right photo above, are available with a gluten-free cauliflower crust — honestly one of the best cauliflower crust pizzas I’ve had in our area. I usually prefer extra gluten myself, but for those who need to be gluten-free and those who enjoy a crisp, different-tasting crust, you should definitely try a cauliflower crust pizza at Johnny C’s!
I also sometimes enjoy Johnny C’s “grinders” (I call them subs or hero sandwiches), but he offers meatball, eggplant, chicken or sausage parmesan hot grinders and a turkey BLT and Johnny C’s Italian grinder with capicola, salami, ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, banana peppers and roasted peppers with Italian dressing.
Johnny C’s also offers a kids menu with spaghettini & meatballs, a slice of pizza (with fries) and cheese ravioli with choice of marinara or Alfredo sauce, each for only $7.95!
Think you can still handle dessert? There’s a tartufo gelato “bomb” with hot fudge & whipped cream, NY-style cheesecake, tiramisu, chocolate chip or pistachio cannolis and two gluten-free options — a Reese’s pie and a chocolate torte.
Cooking Classes, Catering & More!
Also near and dear to Erik’s heart are his “Cooking Classes for Kids” (right photo). He has hosted these classes for special needs kids from Cypress Creek High and other local schools but also offers them as a unique birthday or other party opportunity to anyone whose kid wants to learn how to toss (and catch) pizza dough and make their own pizzas. I wish this was available when my two adult sons were still in school. Jannah and I want to learn how to make pizza like Erik, too!
And, with the holiday season now just around the corner, you also can’t go wrong with catering from Johnny C’s — for parties large and small and for anything from a single tray of Momma’s Lasagna or Baked Penne to go with your Thanksgiving dinner to a fully catered meal, give Erik a call at the restaurant and talk to him about his many different menu options — from appetizers, pastas and pizzas, to salads, pretty much any type of sandwiches and more — you really should give him an opportunity to do at least some of the holiday cooking for you!
During our most recent visit, Erik told me that he had an order the next day for a variety of breakfast pizzas, “So, even though I hadn’t ever even tried to make a breakfast pizza, I said, ‘Why not?’ and came up with five different options — fried egg, sausage & cheese; Canadian bacon, hash brown & cheese; biscuit cinnamon roll, a biscuit, gravy & sausage and the scrambled egg, bacon & cheese shown on this page.”
I asked, “So, what did everyone say?”
“Everyone loved them,” he replied. I think the biscuit and gravy pie was the biggest hit, though.”
Johnny C’s serves beer and wine and has dine-in, take-out with online ordering, as well as delivery with Grubhub, Uber Eats, Seamless and Toast.
As it says on the Johnny C’s website, “Come and visit us at Johnny C’s Italian Eatery, where every bite is a tribute to our family heritage and a celebration of life, love, and good food.”
But, don’t just take our word for it — Johnny C’s has a 4.8-star (out of 5) overall rating on Google — on more than 600 reviews! As Charlene B. said in her 5-star review: “The food was AMAZING! The owner was great. He came out and talked to us and thanked us for coming. You can tell the heart he put into the restaurant & food. It was my first time coming and I told him I’d be back — two days later! I definitely found my new favorite,go-to Italian food. 10/10 recommend!”
For more information about Johnny C’s Italian Eatery 10970 Cross Creek Blvd. (at Morris Bridge Rd.), Suite A, is open for dinner only Monday-Friday, 4 p.m.-9 p.m. and for lunch and dinner on Saturday (11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.) and Sunday (3 p.m.-9 p.m.). For more information, call (813) 278-8020 or visit JohnnyCsItalianEatery.com.
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