A Taste of Italy

“Taste of Italy is very unique for many reasons. We are elegant fine dining facility that sticks to tradition with everything being homemade. We get only the best Italian imports to use.” The owner John Venturi stated about why people choose Taste of Italy to dine for Italian food. John mentioned everything being homemade which is hard to find in restaurants these days. I myself have a italian background and italian food is the most popular for a classic elegant dinner. That's why Taste of Italy falls in that category, it has calm authentic italian vibe with the food being a popular favorite. 

      The moment you walk in the restaurant you can already feel the environment of a authentic Italian restaurant. I can smell the fresh Italian food from the kitchen and I can hear the classic Italian music playing in the background. The restaurant wasn't that big with a bar in one room and a salon in the other. I was first greeted by the waitress Kirsten with a welcoming hello and seats me at a table next to a big window that. Kirsten gave me a few minutes to order my food. The menu looked very elegant and fancy.I've noticed that the salon has these big windows that really let the light in so the place doesn't look as dark. 

1pm Lunchtime Small Salon Room

      When Kirsten came back I decided to order the Shrimp Alfredo with fettuccine. The wait time for my food did not take long and when I got it the dish looked phenomenal. The cream sauce was just full of flavor and the shrimp my personal favorite was excellent. The cream sauce was so rich and creamy with a hint of the shrimp in it and with the extra parmaesan cheese I put on top It really topped it off. When Kirsten came back for my plate I said that the plate was delicious. I decided to order dessert but I was unsure what to get. I asked Kirsten what her personal favorite is and she said " the Cannoli with cherries and pistachios".  I ended up ordering that. When I got the Cannoli it looked like a artwork because of the way it was all put together. Plus with the whipped cream and orange slice to top it off. The Cannoli was delicious with the cherries and pistachios, which was a beautiful combination. 

Cannoli With Cherries and Pistachios 

Fettuticine Shrimp Alfredo

      I wanted to thank the owner for the amazing experience I had. So I told Kirsten if I could speak with the owner. Sure enough John Venturi came around back and I spoke to him saying how this is rather the best Italian food I've had in Bloomsburg. John Thank me for the compliment. I asked John a little more about how he started the place and what got him into the restaurant business. He noted " well my father owned a restaurant and I always worked with him there and it just really became a passion from there on". He briefly explained how at first it wasn't so easy starting his own business. " It really took a lot of driven motivation to become a successful business owner and give the people what they want a authentic Italian restaurant. It really took time and lots of advertising to start getting well known." He was also telling me about his Italian heritage. How his father is from Calabria region of Italy. And he showed me the pictures on the wall of Mandatoriccio the small town where his father grew up in. 

As John speaks I've noticed he likes to move his hands and make gestures whenever he's on a topic he talks about.. He also has a Italian accent which when some of his words have a extra pronunciation to it when he says it. John really got his passion from working with his Uncle and his father at there restaurant. He cooked there since he was 9. He got the best skills from true Italians. 

People should really go to this restaurant because they don't just give you a meal, they give a full blown experience with the best food, beverages, and service. This is the type of restraint that really suits me. Nice medium sized restart. Authentic cooking for the food. The owner with a proud Italian background that really shows how passionate he is about his heritage. I loved the staff that greeted me which was very welcoming. The place was very calm and had a warm welcoming environment. I definitely recommend to go if your looking for the best authentic Italian food in Bloomsburg.