Sal’s is hard to beat for Italian comfort food

Sal’s Italian restaurant opened in December 2010 in a corner space at the new Kroger Square in Bonsack. It is owned by the Scotto family, which previously owned Mamma Maria’s in Salem and Mamma Concetta’s in Christiansburg . But this is the first Scotto establishment named after the family patriarch. Both of the previous restaurants were named after matriarchs.

In typical European style, Sal is the head chef, his sons assist him, the mother runs the front of the house and their son Gennaro makes certain the dining room operates smoothly.

The vibe

The spacious interior at Sal’s combines Italian-themed decor with fresh flowers adorning tables. The staff, dressed in black, is courteous and attentive as well as knowledgeable about the menu.

Sal’s features the generously portioned, reasonably priced meals that you want to tuck into at an Italian restaurant.

The menu

It is hard find better than Sal’s when it comes to the basics. The menu features nine appetizers, including an outstanding bruschetta, Al Granchio ($8.99). This is topped with tomatoes, garlic, roasted peppers, herbs, capers, olive oil, crab meat and fresh mozzarella.

There are six hot and cold sandwiches and four salads, including an antipasto Italiano outfitted with all the fixings, which pairs well with a plateful of garlic knots, a Sal’s specialty.

Save room for any of the 10 pasta dishes , which present the opportunity for customizing your pasta choice from a list of six with a preferred sauce. Five baked pastas , such as manicotti, stuffed shells and lasagna, round out this side of the menu.

A wide array of pizzas , calzones and stromboli , along with a range of toppings and fillings, makes diners want to try a different one each time . These delicious creations stand apart from most I have had at other restaurants.

Entrees of chicken , veal and seafood come with a choice of pasta, unless you order linguine with clams. These dishes are fresh and nicely prepared. The brief wine and beer lists are eclectic, reasonably priced and pair well with the food.

What I ate

I have been to Sal’s twice each for lunch and dinner, and I cannot resist their pizza. A 10-inch cheese pizza ($6.99) lives up to expectations with a thin, crisp yet pliable crust topped with tasty sauce and plenty of melted mozzarella.

A heap of fried calamari ($7.99) looked as pretty as a picture, but a couple of tastes revealed excessive saltiness. When we tried the calamari on future visits, it was fantastic, down to the last crispy morsel.

My favorite entrees include those in a white wine, lemon and butter sauce. I count on chicken piccata ($14.99), a lightly battered chicken Francese ($15.49), salmon Francese ($16.99), salmon piccata ($16.99), veal Francese ($16.99) and shrimp scampi ($16.99).

Sal’s dishes out hearty lunches at its “sit-down buffet,” an extravaganza from which you select three items from several listed with refill options. Priced at $7.99, the collection lists salad, soups, lasagna, ravioli, wings and various sauces for pasta. I enjoyed salad, lasagna and chicken tidbits Marsala over plenty of pasta. My partner had chicken morsels cacciatore, a heap of ravioli and salad.

Not to be picky, but …

A dinner lasagna arrived engulfed in tomato sauce with slippery, loose noodles resisting control from a knife and fork. It was not well-constructed. Two other occasions brought perfectly made lasagna.

The bottom line

A few small missteps will not keep me away from Sal’s. It is an inviting family place serving affordable Italian comfort food in an attractive setting.

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