THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 20, 1995 TAG: 9508160036
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: BILL OF FARE
TYPE: Restaurant review
SOURCE: BY RUTH FANTASIA, ASSISTANT TO THE FOOD EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
A CASUAL atmosphere, generous servings and reasonable prices make Little Italy in Nassawadox an Eastern Shore favorite.
From the bright green awnings outside to the plastic grapes hanging from a trellis inside, Little Italy imitates an old-style Italian restaurant. On a recent Tuesday evening, arias filtered from the sound system as a steady stream of folks came and went, greeting friends with small-town pleasantries in the dining rooms.
Our meal started with a traditional antipasto ($6.49): a salad plate filled with romaine, several types of olives, tomato, cucumber, salami, ham, roasted peppers, raw bell pepper, marinated vegetables and pepperoncini. The serving was ample for two, a feast for one.
Even tastier was the shrimp cocktail ($6.99). Six large shrimp were served with a fresh, lemon-infused tomato sauce. The shrimp were perfectly steamed, juicy and tender.
Other appetizers include chicken fingers ($4.49), a generous helping of chicken breast tenders coated in Italian-style bread crumbs and lightly fried; mussels; stuffed jalapeno peppers; and a Caesar chicken salad. We wanted to try the calamari but, alas, it's a Friday night special.
The entrees arrived from the kitchen quickly.
The linguine with clam sauce ($7.99) was fresh pasta topped with chopped clams in a delicate wine and butter sauce. We would have preferred fresh herbs in the sauce, especially this time of year, but the dried were well proportioned to the rest of the ingredients. Six fresh clams, still in their shells, ringed the edge of the large pasta bowl.
Veal Parmesan ($8.99) was served in an equally generous bowl on top of spaghetti. A large, tender, veal cutlet hid two smaller cutlets that were also perched on the fresh pasta. An ample portion of mozzarella cheese and fresh tomato sauce completed the dish.
Also on the menu are seafood Alfredo ($8.99); pasta primavera ($7.49); a Mediterranean combination featuring ravioli, manicotti and a stuffed shell ($5.99); and shrimp Parmesan ($6.99).
Our entrees were served with an endless supply of warm Italian rolls and butter, and we received free refills on our sodas.
The wine list offers an ambitious selection of Italian and American wines.
For dessert we sampled the tiramisu ($2.99), a simple but glorious version of soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone cheese. This was a double-decker with two layers of cake and filling topped with cocoa. Spumoni ($1.95), the classic Italian, three-layer ice cream, was a large wedge on a plate - and the best we've had. The pistachios and cherries added the appropriate texture without overwhelming. The chocolate layer was not so large that it detracted from the rest of the dish.
The desserts were served with complimentary espresso, which was intense but not bitter.
Pizzas and submarine sandwiches also are available. An 18-inch special pizza with all the toppings ($17.45) looked so good we considered ordering one to go. But we decided our meals would keep us satisfied until morning.
Little Italy would be a tasty destination for a Sunday drive up the Eastern Shore. But don't take your Visa card. And do leave home without your American Express: Little Italy doesn't accept credit cards. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MARK MITCHELL/Staff
Steamed clams ring the bowl of fresh linguine with chopped clams in
a wine and butter sauce.
by CNB