Lamotta's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria celebrates its 30th year of continual business in South Fort Myers on February 13th.

Today we're going to take things in a different direction. In place of my normal, straightforward review -- I'm going to mix it up a little by going deep into the mind and thoughts which collectively give shape to Lamotta's Italian Restaurant.

Carmelo Lamotta is the man at the helm of this longstanding eatery. He is a multi-faceted character: down to earth, media-savvy, passionate, current, informed, analytic and driven. Three decades of the daily grind only a family-owned venture can provide have granted Lamotta a unique perspective on the restaurant business and the cuisine scene of Southwest Florida. The evolution of a restaurant over thirty years is a compelling story. Lamotta is the perfect person to tell it. I jumped at the opportunity to interview him while reacquainting myself with the cuisine of Lamotta's Italian Restaurant.

Read more: Lamotta's Italian Restaurant in Fort Myers