Little
Italy Ristorante
3308 Taylor Rd.
Chesapeake, VA 23321
Phone: 757 483-8162
By Archie R. Whitehill
It’s been a while since I’ve had a good, solid Italian meal, and today at
lunch I had one. While exploring the Western Branch area of Chesapeake and
Portsmouth, my stomach began growling at me, and I started to look for a likely
candidate for lunch. The big red and white ‘Little Italy Ristorante’ sign
next to Taylor Road with ‘buffet’ written on it caught my attention.
As I entered, there were only a few diners, so I had misgivings. How good could
a buffet be for only $4.99? If it was so good, why not more diners? Well, the
food smelled good and my stomach growled louder, so I decided to try it. After
all, I’d at least get a chance to write a bad dining review for a change.
No such luck!
The friendly wait staff took my drink order as I was inspecting the buffet line
to see if I really wanted to have that, or to order off the menu. The buffet
looked good. The spaghetti wasn’t gooey, nor was it pre-mixed with sauce. Good
signs so far. The pizza looked and smelled good, one cheese and one pepperoni
were available on the buffet. There was also the makings of a simple salad,
nothing fancy, just a few basics, but it all looked fresh, another good sign
that the restaurant was serious about good food. One of the buffet choices was
steamed broccoli, which I like, but not with Italian food.
So I ordered my Coca Cola and a glass of water, grabbed a plate and proceeded to
make a small salad on my plate; some lettuce, a few carrot slivers and some
dressing, and the dressing was in individual serving containers. I liked that
hygienic touch.
I helped myself to a couple slices of pepperoni pizza to go with my salad.
Unlike one of the chain pizza places, whose huts shall remain un-named, the
pizza was tasty, not too salty, and it had a “just right” crust that was
somewhere between chewy and crispy. The waitperson brought red pepper and
Parmesan cheese shakers to the table, another nice touch, and refilled the water
and cola glasses without asking or intruding on my meal.
After the salad and pizza, I returned to the line, not really hungry anymore,
but wanting a bit of the spaghetti and meatballs I had looked at earlier as I
perused the buffet line. I took some spaghetti, covered it with a bit of sauce
and a few meatballs, and took a stuffed seashell pasta for good measure. It was
all good. The sauce was thick and tasty, no acid aftertaste, and the pasta was
done to perfection. Again, the chef had not overdone it with the salt as so many
other Italian places do.
Everything I ate from the buffet tasted fresh and appeared to be freshly
prepared, nothing canned, dehydrated or frozen.
Had I ordered off the menu, I would have had a choice of appetizers, soups,
salads, subs, burgers, various pasta dishes and a nice selection of Italian
specialties. They also serve beer and wine, in addition to a selection of
non-alcoholic beverages. This is a place I’ll certainly return to so that I
can try some of the most interesting menu items.
Again, there is nothing fancy about this restaurant, but the food at Little
Italy Ristorante is much better than that warehouse place that advertises
Italian food, delivers a mere shadow of Italian cuisine and charges more than
Little Italy Ristorante did. Like the “big boys,” Little Italy Ristorante
accepts MasterCard, Visa and American Express.
Little Italy Ristorante is a bit off the beaten path, but easy to get to off
I-664, and not too far from Chesapeake Square Mall. So, if you are in the area
of that mall, I recommend you try Little Italy Ristorante instead of the fast
food places that will cost at least as much but give you much less in terms of
nutrition and taste.
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Thursday: 11 AM – 9 PM
Friday - Saturday: 11 AM – 10 PM
Sunday: 11 AM – 8 PM
Take Out Orders Also Available.
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