There's a new taste of Italy on downtown Norfolk's Granby Street. In January, chef-owner Gabriele Pianezze opened Il Colosseo Ristorante for lunch and dinner in the spot that once housed Blue Hippo.
On the day of our lunch visit, the understated dining room offered a cool reprieve on a 98-degree afternoon. We were immediately greeted with Italian accents.
The staff's attentiveness maintained its momentum throughout our visit with refilled beverages and a genuine interest in aiming to please, in spite of an occasional language barrier.
Owing to the tomato scare, the only ones being served at Il Colosseo that day were grape tomatoes. When ordering, we steered clear of items such as caprese, bruschetta and shrimp with fresh tomatoes, believing that the absence of other varieties would alter the overall effect and that we wouldn't get the full flavor of the dish.
We were disappointed in the mozzarella fritta ($5.50), served with a marinara sauce for dipping. They were the same frozen fried "sticks" I can pick up in the grocer's freezer aisle. Complimentary bread and butter was a nicety.
A shared salad served up better starter results. Our server told us that grape tomatoes would be used in the insalata di pollo con portobello ($10).
Grilled sliced chicken breast atop fresh mesclun mix, with grilled mushroom quarters, halved grape tomatoes, pimento-stuffed green olives, feta cheese, carrot matchsticks and roasted red peppers, made a colorful display. The balsamic vinaigrette served on the side helped the few darker and drier chicken pieces in the fresh and satisfying salad.
Lobster ravioli ($11), round, al dente pasta pillows stuffed with minced lobster basking in a pink tomato sauce with grated Parmesan atop, was flavorful.
Penne con Melanzane ($9) was a bountiful bowl of pasta, eggplant and crushed tomatoes topped with slices of fresh mozzarella. It was abundant in ingredients as well as tomato seeds. Perhaps the lack fresh tomatoes compromised this particular sauce's seed factor.
From the panini list, "tricolore" ($9.95) consisted of prosciutto, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella and arugula. The herb bread round, soggy on the bottom from balsamic vinegar, was not pressed or grilled as in the classic Italian-style sandwich. The leftover portion I heated at home resulted in a more pleasant panini.
For her sandwich side dish, my guest chose the pasta salad accompaniment. Tri-color rotini was topped with a blanket of grated Parmesan and had red peppers, onions and carrots mixed with a mayonnaise product. Based on the toothsome mushrooms and grilled red peppers in the salad that we so enjoyed, I suggest the vegetable side option.
Torta formaggio alla creme brulee ($7), described by our server as creme brulee cheesecake, left us anticipating a burnt sugar top. The smooth cheesecake, without a candied top, was delicious nevertheless.
I look forward to returning to Il Colosseo when the tomato ban has been lifted and discovering additional fresh-made Italian dishes prepared with heart and soul.
Tammy Jaxtheimer, flavor@pilotonline.com
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