Ragazzi for Every Appetite

To celebrate the week’s end, one vegetarian, one vegan and two carnivores arrived at Ragazzi for dinner, stomachs rumbling. After being quickly seated, bread and water was brought to our table almost immediately. As if our waitress had read my mind (or heard my rumbling stomach), the bread was placed directly in front of me and I dove right in. Ragazzi’s breadbasket boasted a variety of bread and homemade hummus. The garlic knots were my particular favorite and I’m not ashamed to say that I ate at least four of them and could have kept going.

To kick off our night in Italy, our appetizer orders were the Zucchini Fritti, Sushi Italiano, Pasta Fagioli, Insalata Di Tri Colore and the Polpete.

We also ordered the Tre Formaggi pizza for the table.

My Zucchini Fritti were perfectly fried and paired with two dipping sauces: a homemade tomato sauce and a Wasabi aioli.

The star dish of this course was the Sushi Italiano. The dish was presented so that it looked like actual sushi and had breadsticks posing as chopsticks.

After allowing us a brief moment for our stomachs, our entrees arrived.

I ordered the Capellini Al Orto with whole-wheat spaghetti. My dining companions ordered the Gamberetti “Ragazzi” and Fettucini Con Gorgonzola from the traditional dinner menu, and the Pasta Putanesca from Dr. T’s Heart Healthy Menu.

Dr. T’s Heart Healthy menu provides dining options for those that are looking to abide by the guidelines from the American Heart Association and still enjoy delicious, Italian cuisine. The generous portion sizes were daunting, but devoured.

Finally, to fill the tiny space that was left in our stomachs, we ordered desserts. Instead of four desserts, we opted to order just two. We ordered the Tartufo, an Italian classic, and the Pesca Dena.

The Tartufo, Italian for “truffle”, is a ball of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, coated in dark chocolate with a raspberry center.

The Pesca Dena, a signature Ragazzi dessert, is made up of baked peaches stuffed with crushed amaretti cookies and topped with a sweetened Mascarpone cream.

Dinner at Ragazzi was “molto buono!” With such an extensive menu, Ragazzi proved that they satisfy every appetite – even if you’re dining with a vegetarian, a vegan, a carnivore or all three at one table. And after looking at the lunch menu and Ragazzi’s prime location directly across the street from the Smithaven Mall, it’s also the ideal location to refuel in between power-shopping session.