Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Staunton's L'Italia retains its allure
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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It's been quite a few years since I've enjoyed a meal at L'Italia on Beverley Street in Staunton. It's a huge complex that encompasses several floors and perhaps two different buildings. There are private dining rooms on the mezzanine and second floor levels; as well as a lounge on the 3rd and fourth floors -- plus an outdoor rooftop deck for the warm season. The place just goes on and on. Despite that, it's intimate with dark paneling and cozy corners.
As for the food, it's kept its usual high standards, though the food's flavorful spices this time didn't stand out quite as they had in the past. For one thing, I was there on the second or third day of a fully-booked weekend, with the staff and kitchen running full-tilt until 1 a.m. every day. Staunton's proximity to a lot of Shenandoah Valley Colleges makes L'Italia a popular spot for parents to take their graduates for a special meal.
We had a late afternoon lunch and despite the volume of business, our service was attentive, even fun. The food was served steaming hot and delicious.
L'Italia always sets the table with complimentary olive oil and tons of bread with which to sop it up in the old world tradition. But I recall that the bread on an earlier visit was a bit more Italian and a lot less "heat and serve". Something just didn't quite ring true and I didn't feel that the rolls appropriately complimented the olive oil presentation.
Nonetheless, our luncheon appetizers (and we did nearly all of them) were quite satisfactory, though one guest found the stuffed mushrooms off-putting. Instead of being stuffed with crab meat, they're stuffed with more mushrooms. The calamari were fresh and crispy and not fishy, the shrimp cocktail done in the typical presentation with sauce, and the fried mozzarella -- well what can you do to fried mozzarella?
My veal saltimbocca alla Romana featured more than a generous portion of veal, topped with even more prosciutto, on a bed of sautéed spinach and fresh mushrooms in a divine white wine sauce. Another fellow diner gushed over the veal piccata, featuring capers; and yet another enjoyed the chicken Francese. Our table was so long and held such a large graduation party (from nearby JMU) that I couldn't get around to seeing what everyone else had.
The manicotti features homemade crepes that are filled with Ricotta cheese and herbs. Every time I see the plate presentation I always wish I had ordered it.
The luncheon menu features a handful of seafood items: shrimp, lobster tail, scallops and so forth; and even a half rack of lamb, done up with rosemary, warm mint sauce and grilled to perfection.
Dinner is quite special at L'Italia. Choose from an extensive wine list from the cellar; or try the house Cabernet, which is a nice full bodied mid-range wine.
Choose from four distinct soups, including minestrone, chicken, cream of mushroom, and Italian wedding soup. There are plenty of salads: Antipasto Italiano, Caesar and a gourmet salad. I tried the Caesar (I've been on a diet of Caesar salads now for more than8 months and have become a bit picky about them) and found it to be pretty ordinary.
But entrees are where L'Italia shines. The choices fill three to four pages in the menu and are everything you could expect in a fine Italian restaurant: chicken dishes galore, including chicken rollatine, chicken marsala, chicken cacciatore, etc; and tons of pasta dishes out of the ordinary -- alla Napoletana, Gnocchi alla Bolognese, Bake ziti alla Siciliana to name a few.
This restaurant is big on veal -- lots of veal dishes both for lunch and dinner; and some other signature dishes that people come here to get: shrimp marinara, Scungilli marinara (conch simmered in marinara sauce with wine and herbs), fresh broiled salmon with crab-stuffed ravioli in an alfredo sauce.
Despite our large and sometimes cranky crowd, our server, Tabby, was on top of our service and quite bubbly and fun to be with as well. We gladly exceeded the 18 percent tip that's automatically tacked onto parties of sixor more.
Overall, L'Italia retains its allure. There are few letdowns and many highlights when eating at this fine Italian restaurant. In addition to the extensive wine list, there is full bar service as well.
L'Italia Restaurant
23 East Beverley Street
Staunton, VA 24401
540/885-0102
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