a la Carteret
A Taste of
Italy
by
Sandy Craft
I am sure there are many who fondly
remember Pizzuti’s Restaurant on
I had always thoroughly enjoyed dining
with the Pizzutis at their 
and I was afraid that things would be different at the new
location. I must learn to embrace
change, however, because this move is a good one.
Instead of being one of those
cavernous, loud, cafeteria-like restaurants, the new venue is divided into
four very cozy dining rooms, each with an interesting décor.
When my Companion-in-Eating (CiE) and I arrived, one of the tenors was
singing in the background, and there was a great aroma wafting about.
I had a very good feeling about this new location.
As we were being seated, Alyssa, our
very congenial and informative waitress, assured us that she was not sure
exactly what the Pizzutis were preparing, but it didn’t really matter,
because “Everything is wonderful. Very,
very fresh and made right here in the kitchen.”
She never gets tired of the food…but then what would you expect her
to say?
Alyssa placed the favorite antipasto
selection in front of us and cautioned us that there was more to come.
That’s great advice, but not easy to follow.
I love appetizers and I could definitely make a meal out of these!
Let me tell you the fried zucchini and
the fried mozzarella do not resemble anything you get in the freezer section
of the grocery or in those Italian franchise restaurants.
The zucchini is fresh, lightly battered, and delicious dipped in their
homemade marinara sauce. Likewise,
this is not that store-bought mozzarella, but made right there by Francesco.
This is a very difficult and labor-intensive process, but the results
are incredible. Either breaded and
fried or served with the roasted red peppers (my favorite) it was delicious.
Then there was the stuffed eggplant, which we both wanted to wrap up
and bring home. There were no
stuffed clams left to bring home. We
were trying not to overdo. But
this is a tough job, as I’ve said before.
We were eager to see what would be next
and Francesco did not disappoint. The
Scallops al Dragoncello were perfectly cooked, with just a touch of tarragon
in the garlic and white wine sauce on a bed of spinach.
Equally good was one of the specials that night, a wonderful boneless
chicken breast with artichoke hearts and mushrooms in a pink sauce.
They were as pretty as they were delicious.
This
is obviously a team effort, but desserts are primarily Gloria’s domain.
The cannoli was crisp with a rich, velvety cream filling.
CiE and I had never had the pannacotta — Italian custard topped with
a raspberry sauce; it was out of this world.
Not only were they exquisitely presented, but also they were a
wonderful way to end a great meal.
In case you haven’t guessed, this is
not your pizza pie kind of place. The
menu has a nice selection of veal, chicken and seafood dishes, as well as some
lovely sounding pasta. So you can
take a whole group, vegetarian, calorie commandos, whatever, and there is
something delicious for everyone. All entrees are served with a salad and many
come with a side order of pasta. Their
wine list is reasonable and varied, featuring largely Italian and
If you’d like to host your own party,
call Gloria and discuss the options.
Sunday and Monday nights they have a
wonderful buffet so you can sample ‘til your heart — or tummy — is
content and for only $14.95! What
sounds like the most fun would be to go on Friday night when they have someone
playing the keyboard and singing. Alyssa
says it gets pretty crazy because you never know who might join in the
singing; waiters, guests, all of the above.
So take your special CiE for great
Italian food and atmosphere and perhaps even a little serenade.
Buon appetito!
Quick Bites
A
Taste of Italy 
Address:
Phone:
(252)
222-0166
Hours:
Open Thursday—Monday at
Sunday
and Monday night Buffet $14.95.
Payment:
All major credit cards
Reservations:
Recommended, not required
Other:
Private parties accommodated. Take
out available. Many vegetarian items. Menu
and staff are kid friendly. Smoking permitted in one dining room only.
12/02/05
Sandy
Craft owned and operated a catering company in Atlanta
for 17 years.
She is one of the few people who actually still cooks, but she finds
following
a recipe goes against her nature. When traveling she likes to visit local
grocery
stores and farm stands, and she thoroughly enjoys good food.
See the previously reviewed restaurants on the Restaurant Archive page
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