By Kyle Coppola
Luigi’s Italian Restaurant in Eustis is Italian Food Done Right
If you ask around Eustis for the best Italian food in Lake County, chances are you’ll hear the same answer, Luigi’s Italian Restaurant. Located at 2814 David Walker Drive, this cozy, family-owned eatery is more than just a place to grab pizza and pasta. It’s a slice of Napoli, served with love and a touch of legacy.
Behind every great dish is a great story, and Luigi Folgore’s is rooted in family, food and a deep love for serving others. The son of Pasquale and Maria Folgore, original owners of the first Luigi’s Italian Restaurant that opened in the 1990s in Eustis, Luigi grew up in the kitchen, learning the ropes of the restaurant world before he could even see over the counter.
When his parents sold the restaurant in 2001, Luigi worked with his uncle and cousins at Vincent’s Italian Restaurant and Mount Dora Pizza and Subs. In 2007, he opened his first solo venture Gigi’s but it was too small and with no option to expand decided to reopen the original Luigi’s Italian Restaurant. While in the midst of a global pandemic in 2020, Luigi’s Italian Restaurant returned to Eustis with full force. Folgore reopened the restaurant name with renewed purpose: to preserve the traditions of Luigi’s childhood and to bring authentic Italian flavors to a new generation of diners.
(This eggplant parm sub is on a different level of goodness. Photo Credit – Luigi’s Italian Restaurant.)
“Legend says Luigi’s blood type is marinara,” the locals joke. And if you’ve tasted his food, you might believe it. Cooking has always been Luigi’s happy place, and he finds his greatest joy watching others enjoy his creations. His menu, rooted in classic recipes straight from Napoli, is packed with comfort-food favorites prepared with passion and the freshest ingredients.
(Everyone’s favorite garlic knots topped with with pepperoni, mozzarella, fresh basil, and Romano cheese. Photo Credit – Luigi’s Italian Restaurant.)
Expect to find homemade pastas, hearty spaghetti and meatballs, bubbly lasagna, crispy thin-crust pizzas, and signature garlic knots slathered in butter and garlic. Their garlic knots, served with dinner, are addictive in the best way possible. The restaurant also offers fresh salads, hot and cold subs, and standout specials like the Cuban Italiano and grilled chicken sub.
(Homemade Garlic Knots with butter and garlic on the top. Nothing better! Photo Credit – Luigi’s Italian Restaurant.)
Every plate that leaves the kitchen is a labor of love, crafted to taste like it came straight from Nonna’s table. Whether you’re stopping in for a quick lunch or settling in for a family dinner, Luigi’s offers the kind of food that warms your soul and keeps you coming back for more.
Now open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Luigi’s Italian Restaurant invites you to join the Folgore family in celebrating good food, great company, and timeless Italian tradition.
Mangia!
(Italian Food Done Right – Photo Credit – Luigi’s Italian Restuarant.)
(Napolitano Pizza – This dressed up Vesuvio gets topped with salami, feta, banana peppers, fresh basil, and garlic. Photo Credit – Luigi’s Italian Restaurant.)
(Anyone like calzones? This one looks baked to perfection. Photo Credit – Luigi’s Italian Restaurant.)
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
