Not too often I'm inspired to write a restaurant review, but I gotta tell you about Rizzi's in Peoria.
It's a small, hole in the wall, in a generic plaza on North Sheridan. Next door to Jeffrey Allen's, not a bad hobby store, I might add. My mom and I had some Chinese art framed there and the clerk recommended it a few weeks ago. It was closed for lunch, and we had Indian cuisine on our minds then anyway.
Back to pick up the art last evening, Pat secured us a table and lucky he did. The place was packed, and clearly a favorite of Italian patrons. Our clerk at Jeffrey Allen's had told us it was started by a gentleman from Italy, whose sons now run the joint.
I was hoping for fresh gnocchi. But alas, it was not on the menu. It took about two seconds to decide on Butternut Squash Ravioli with sun dried tomatoes, leeks and yada yada. Pat had the Lobster Ravioli (great choice, but extremely rich), and Mom had the Tortellini with Steak.
First, let me say, the hostess was the sweetest and Pat and I both wanted to offer our youngest son her hand in marriage. Second, the bread was fresh but "meh" but the olive oil was to die for. Garlic infused, must have been the most tender Virgin on the planet. Yums.
Pat had ordered Mom merlot, but she wanted Chiante (wow, I did not know how to spell that, thanks Google). She deemed it "not authentic, too sweet." She knows, based on some experience in the 70's.
Salads were fresh, green and with a choice of three homemade dressings and optional blue cheese crumbles. The vinaigrette with crumbles was the perfect choice for me. Each bite better than the last. Sweet French Sesame was also tasty, by report.
All the pasta dishes had different distinct sauces. Mom's was meaty and hearty, the steak tender. Pat's was creamy and rich, and mine was broth based but delicious. I started thinking about dessert immediately since my meal was so abstemious. Had most of my entrée boxed, leaving plenty of room for any of the choices.
How to choose between Crème Brule, Tiramisu, cheesecake, and get this-----Spumoni!! I have not seen Spumoni on a menu for 30, make that 40 years. I couldn't believe it. I had to have it, even at $8! Pretty sure the last time I had it was in Des Moines in the 80's. I thought it was so elegant and the perfect cap to a classy Italian meal. Now, it sounds so dated, old school.
Now here comes my Spumoni. Wait, it's a dark chocolate ball scored in quarters with a very large scoop inside- cherry, pistachio, and chocolate ice cream. Pat called it "Fake chocolate" and "Sherbet" and chortled as he ate his whole piece of cheesecake, which he previously offered me half of. Back to Wikipedia, because this Spumoni did not taste like I remembered. I knew it wasn't anything like sherbet, and it was probably a very expensive dark chocolate. I just don't like cold waxy chocolate. Spumoni is molded gelato, a lower fat version of ice cream (win win). I seem to remember bits or chunks in the mix, possibly peppermint? This reminded me of Neapolitan ice cream, and rather blah at that. Indeed, it is supposed to have bits of fruit or nuts, and this did not.
A note on the service: swift, professional, attentive but in no way annoying. 4.5 stars from me, for the absence of gnocchi and the so-so Spumoni.
