ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 24, 1997 TAG: 9701240049
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SERIES: On the menu - One in an occasional series of articles about
restaurants in the New River Valley.
SOURCE: JOANNE ANDERSON SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
The most common question first-time patrons at Zeppoli's ask is not usually "Is your bread homemade?" (it is); or "Is the sausage fresh?" (ditto); or "Are your sauces made here from original recipes?" (yes, indeed).
The question is: "What's the name of the paint color on the walls?"
Owners Doris Fleming and Joe Slattery know it only as Benjamin Moore HC130. It's a rich teal green that Valley Paint & Decorating owner Duane Mills said is called webster green.
Against these walls are classy prints spotlighted with soft track lighting. A few Robert Miller paintings are for sale. The plants are real.
White table linens look all the crisper in contrast, and the whole place exudes a warm, contemporary spirit.
Their bread is prepared, proofed and baked back in the kitchen where they also cut, grind and season the sausage.
"We're just making Italian sausage now, but we have plans to make other kinds," said Slattery.
Both owners were raised by Italian mothers, so many of their dishes are from family recipes. The pasta is also made on the premises in a nifty commercial pasta machine smaller than a standard oven. It can make as much as 40 pounds per hour.
"We're making about eight or nine shapes now," said Fleming, "but we can buy attachments for all kinds of pasta."
The restaurant, tucked in a new building behind Blockbuster on University City Boulevard, opened Oct. 4. They served dinner only until Dec. 6, when the hours were extended to include lunch and all afternoon.
Lunch specials are $5.25 to $6.95, with sub sandwiches on the low end and shrimp and fusilli marinara or shrimp and scallops alfredo on the upper end. In the middle are baked shells, roma spaghetti and chicken cacciatore. There's homemade soup, salad and bread for $4.50.
The dinner menu is available all the time, so you can dine on appetizers of fried calamari, steamed mussels or an antipasto platter whenever you want. There are other appetizers as well as soup and a variety of salads.
Sausage and rigatoni is a popular entree featuring the fresh Italian sausage with rigatoni, mozzarella, grilled peppers, onion and marinara sauce. Pasta pinwheels come with a variety of special fillings, and there's a special entree every night.
Traditional Italian dishes such as lasagna, spaghetti, manicotti and chicken parmigiana are also available. Dinner entrees come with the bread, as much as you want. Wine with dinner is affordable.
"The industry standard for wine sales," explained Slattery, who also owns London Underground Pub in downtown Blacksburg, "is 100 percent markup plus a dollar." At Zeppoli's, the markup is well under 100 percent.
They offer a children's menu, Pepsi products and a tiramisu torte that's worth every calorie.
With the lunch operation in full swing, Fleming and Slattery, who met years ago while working at a local restaurant, plan to concentrate on their retail plans.
"We expect it to be a significant part of our business," said Fleming. They will sell wine, pasta, sauces, desserts - whole or by the slice, bread and sausage. Basically, you can purchase stuff for a meal for one or 51, or more, or less.
A zeppoli is a fried Italian dough ball rolled in sugar. For the traditional Catholic feast of St. Joseph on March 19, zeppolis are dressed up with whipped cream and cherries.
Pull out your new 1997 calendar and make a note on March 19. This will be observed at Zeppoli's on that day, the only day of the year for now that zeppolis will be available at Zeppoli's.
Zeppoli's
810 University City Blvd.
953-2000
Hours: Sun-Thurs., 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.
Fri-Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Beverages: Beer and wine
Price range: $5.25 to $13.75
Specialties: All homemade bread, sauces, pasta, sausage.
Credit cards: Yes
Reservations: Not taken
Limited smoking section
Handicapped accessible
LENGTH: Medium: 86 linesby CNB