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Jonathan,
With all the debate about Zia's closing and the other local Italian restaurants in town, I decided to take my wife out to dinner at Vinny's La Roma last night. The crowd was large but the service was very fast. The decor was nice and the atmosphere was inviting. However I expected a better place-mat rather than a paper one with advertisements on it, especially with the price we paid to dine there. You can notice in the picture that I've attached, there is a advertisement for laser treatment for toe fungus. That was not very appetizing tor me or my wife. The bread that comes with our entree's was served warm and was crusty on the outside and hot and soft on the inside. It was delicious. The salads were good and a decent size. My wife liked her's better than I liked mine because it was mostly romaine hearts and they aren't my favorite. The house dressing was good but I preferred Zia's to this.
For her entree my wife ordered the cheese ravioli with marinara sauce. I believe the price for this entree was around $12. I had a bite of hers and I thought it was delicious. She loved it. The raviolis were tender and the marinara sauce was excellent. It was easy to tell that these were fresh made and the marinara sauce is not from Sysco. The portion size was perfect for her. She received six of them and they were big.
I ordered the Chicken in Marsala sauce. The price for my entree was close to $14. They also gave me the option to have my spaghetti included in the entree or on the side with marinara sauce. I chose to have it on the side because I wanted to get a better taste of the marinara sauce. Once my entree arrived, it looked very appetizing and the portions were large. My chicken was tough but edible, and it was almost as if it were freezer burnt before it was cooked. The flavor however was great. It was not bland and I did not have to season my chicken. The marsala sauce was perfect and the mushrooms were cooked perfectly. The spaghetti on the side was perfectly aldente and the marinara sauce was close to the best that I've ever had. The marinara had a bite to it in the form of heat and spices, which I loved because I am a fan of heat. This is a highly acidic sauce so eat some tums before or after your meal.
We will dine there again. The only real complaints are the place-mats with toe fungus advertisements and my chicken being really tough. 7.75 out of 10. This could have easily been a 9/10.
26 comments:
Excellent food... Friendly atmosphere ....Give me good food over any fancy placemat... Zias food was trash!!!! People raved about their BREADSTICKS and SALAD!!!??? Is that Italian food??? Can't beat Vinnys
I agree, Zias breadstick were great. You can't beat Vinny's though. Vinny's has been a mainstay in South Salisbury a very long time(much longer than Zia's)and it is because Vinny's has the best Italian food in the area...Hands Down
I have to agree that an ad about toenail fungus would definitely be a turn-off.
Marinara sauce from Sysco? It could have been US FOODS, Ferraro, or Holt (my favorite).
Sysco provides some fine products to local eateries. Like anything else, from Sysco or where ever, you get what you pay for.
From what I see the two of you ate for around $30. For that price I'd not think that the owner is growing organic tomatoes behind his store to make fresh marinara each day.
Vinnie's is good. For that money you'll not find a better meal anywhere.
This is the kind of review that should be on the blogs, very fair.
Marinara from Sysco? It could have been from US Foods, Ferraro, or local purveyor Holt.
Sysco provides some fine products. But like anything else, you get what you pay for.
From what I see you paid about $30 for your dinner. For that price I'd doubt ole' Vinny is out back growing organic tomatoes hydroponically to make your marinara sauce.
Vinny's is as good as you're gonna get for that price.
The placemats have to go.
Seems the toe fungus advertisement is excepted with people of salisbury. Pictures of the fungus would be excepted also.
You can thank steroids for chicken being tough. I have a friend whose father raised chickens way back in the day. He still says if he could have grown a full chicken in 6 weeks way back then he'd still be farming chickens.
Looks at some large roasting chickens, they are as big or bigger than a small dog.
Not good! but who reads that junk advertizement anyway. Got to grab a dollar where you can i guess. If that shocks you! Boy would you be surprised about what else might go on out of sight in kitchens you can not see. H'mmm!
To 11:07 AM
"excepted"? Do you mean expected or accepted? Also, town or city names are always capitalized (Salisbury, not salisbury). Apparently you were asleep during English class. Additionally, if you don't like the people of Salisbury, both Route 13 and Route 50 will provide as adequate avenues of exit from Salisbury. Salisbury was many years ago a nice place to live prior to the migration of people from Baltimore, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other similar _ _ _ _ holes. Perhaps you are one of them.
12:19 PM....
H'mmm, How does "bite" me grab you? I might be dumb, But you! "prim and proper pansy" was able to read it word for word. What's that say about you? It's the internet not some class room, idiot.
If it is on the internet, It has to be true!
While eating your meal, Do you ever wonder if that smell on your fingers is the cream cheese or toe fungus?
We have ordered lasagna from Vinny's for two years for our office party and it couldn't be beat. When 18 people like something, it must be good. The bread and salad which came with it were excellent. I thought it was very good. TEN (10)
Jonathan,
I just read this long long story trying to explain someone's supper experience at Vinny's. My wife liked her's better than mine was strange. All bread is soft in the middle. And i didn't need an item by item break down of the bill. More trips to Zia's might have helped.
A clear and simple "The $hit was good" man. Would have covered it. It's Italian food. It's suppose to be different then American. I think somebody tried to sound like Robin Leech or something. Trying to sound all trim and proper with lil pinkies standing up. Tut Tut ole chap and all.
We loved Zia's but since it is now history, we decided to try Fratelli's last night. It was horrible. The salad had too much vinegarette dressing, the green beans were cooked in plan water with no salt or seasonings and although I had heard nothing but praised about their crab cakes, I can tell you they are large and have large clumps of crabmeat but are aqbsolutely tasteless. They have pretty much nothing except crabmeat in them. I will NEVER eat there again.
Once u go carrabas u never go back to none of these places. They are awesome! And I bet no one on here will disagree
Apparently none of you have ever been at Vinny's when the staff has just flipped over a soiled table cloth before seating the next customers at that table. Nasty! I felt like I became dirty just by walking in the place. No true Italian would eat there. Fratelli's is just as bad.
Who goes to an italian restaurant to order crabcakes?
Why doesn't big daddy JT himself go do a proper restaurant review of the local Italian eateries?
9:14 O I will be never fear
I ordered some meat pittsburg style there and they got it all wrong. i spent the night on the toilet. Don't ever go there folks.
Thanks for the review. I usually enjoy reading the ads on placemats but I agree and the toe nail fungus is a bit much-LOL! As far as the chicken having a tough texture that par for course anymore for all meats that are industrial raised. When possible I've been buying meats from farms and farmers who go the free range route instead of the animals only eating grains so they reach weight faster and can be marketed quicker. It makes all the difference in the world with not only texture but taste when the animal is fed the way it's supposed to be instead of this hurry up method.
so the reader wants to complain about a toe fungus ad on his place mat. then proceeds to order the fungus ON his plate. smdh. :)
I guess I would have just flipped the paper over.
Come On JT.
Hold off eating a few days. Then go to Vinny's. Give us the true low down. Disect that meal and report to us. The readers want to know!
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