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Searching for a fine Italian restaurant in Grand Rapids is not easy. We came across this name (too long to be a chain), and although we dislike Alpine Avenue as much as we do 28th Street, this place was worth it.
The exterior is unassuming and nothing that would attract attention. Parking is in the rear and the entrance is in the front, with no parking. Walking in, we were charmed by the replica of the La Bocca della Verita, known to us from the movie “Roman Holiday”.
A narrow hallway with nostalgic Italian photos on the walls leads past the bar and its dining area and into the main dining room, where we were seated. A couple of things we didn’t like immediately popped up: crinkly paper laid over tablecloths and seating the next arrivals immediately proximate to us. We soon forgot about the paper and got over the seating choices when we realized that we still had privacy in our high-backed booth, even with people in front and in back of us.
A few booths line the two side walls and nine tables fill out the middle. Abstract artwork is displayed the walls. It’s a subdued, comfortable, classy atmosphere and the service is just as fine.
The large two-sided menu is seasonal and we appropriately experienced the spring edition: appetizers; soups; salads; pizza, with and without tomato sauce; first course pasta; and second course meats. Unfortunately for us, Americans expect huge servings and the restaurant accommodates this predilection.
Unless you are used to bellying up at the Golden Corral Buffet, you cannot eat your way through the coursed menu. Choose between pasta or meat, and among appetizers, soups, or salads. And keep in mind that your server will promptly bring you delicious warm bread, made daily.
We asked for a recommendation for a couple of appetizers and our server suggested the Arancini, and the selection was seconded by someone in the kitchen. They didn’t steer us wrong. Risotto fritters stuffed with fontina cheese were topped with drizzled spinach aioli. We’ve never had as delicious a fritter.
The soups were too interesting to resist and we ordered the Lasagne soup and the Broccoli Parmesan. They were just alright and we should have passed on them and saved room for other courses. The Lasagne soup was enjoyable but nothing particularly special - it did taste like lasagne, however :) The broccoli soup was too salty and was in an uncomfortable place between chunky and pureed.
We both chose our main dishes from the pasta menu. The first was the Rigatoni Della Casa, smoked blue cheese cream sauce and smoked prosciutto tossed with rigatoni. The serving was large but beautifully prepared and presented.
The second selection was crespelle: homemade crepes with baked Italian vegetables, topped with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. If you think crepes are native only to France, this will expand your horizons.
To our surprise, we were brought an on-the-house tiramisu for dessert. If nothing else we’ve said will draw you to this restaurant, this delectable treat should.
Pastas are house-made and the restaurant looks for local sources for ingredients. There is a special lunch menu and an extensive Italian wine list. This is a well-run restaurant serving great food with superb service from knowledgeable servers. The next time you even think about going to a national chain Italian restaurant, head to Amore instead.
They have a somewhat active presence on Facebook and very light activity on Twitter.
www.amoretrattoriaitaliana.com
Post Script: We received a very nice response from the restaurant on our review and also an explanation that the owner/chef was not there the night of our visit and did not make the soups.
We spotted this restaurant en route to another and since it was Italian we decided to double-back later on. Finding a non-national chain Italian restaurant in Grand Rapids isn’t that easy (we have Noto’s, Pietro’s, and Tre Cugini - any others?). With twelve cars outside, we were surprised to find only one person in the restaurant (two men came in soon after and for some reason, took a booth right behind ours, with the rest of the restaurant empty; unfortunately, they were loud talkers :). The atmosphere is pleasant and welcoming. Textured, salmon-colored walls are complemented with wood trim and other warm colors. Throughout this fairly large restaurant on high shelves are interesting household items that we later learned were from every house our server (and decorator) ever lived in. Service was friendly and efficient; she let us take our time and was happy to make suggestions or answer any questions.
The one-page menu held no surprises and from the ten appetizers we chose the Italian Sampler: deep-fried zucchini, mozzarella sticks, and mushroom caps. All good, they were accompanied by marinara sauce, pizza sauce, and ranch dressing (marinara was the best of the three). Menu choices range from sandwiches ($5-8), burgers ($6.50-7.25, salads ($7-11), pasta ($7.95-8.95), subs ($5.95-6.95), and pizza ($7.95-13.95). A soup and salad bar is available for $6.95, and can be added to any entree for $2.99. Seeing as there was nothing special about the salad bar (except maybe the homemade soup), we opted for pasta dishes: lasagna and rigatoni. Pasta is made fresh at the restaurant each morning and was nice quality. The rigatoni was a little over baked so a few around the edge were hard and dried out. Lasagna was fine but the sauce on both could have been spicier and more flavorful. Portions are large with take-home boxes needed. On our way out, we saw where the owners of the other eleven cars were - in an attractive, little bar tucked off the entry way.
So it’s worth a stop, but just don’t expect anything out of the ordinary and you’ll be satisfied.
