This is a post about two Italian eateries on opposite sides of the Triad. Two we’ve been wanting to try…and we know there will be more to come, but let’s take a look at a couple of completely different gems in our area.
Kitchen Roselli
Located in East Bend, about 20 minutes from Downtown Winston-Salem, just over the Yadkin River, is this little Mom and Pop restaurant with a rich history in the Italian restaurant business. Owned by David and Laura Roselli, David’s grandparents were the owners of Wilkes County’s legendary Sunny Italy Italian Restaurant, a place I remember going to several times as a child. The recipes featured at Kitchen Roselli will remind (many) folks of some of the best things about the former Sunny Italy (like the Italian Dressing) but also David and Laura’s combined creations.
That’s the dressing! You can get it at the restaurant and other places like Caffe Prada in Winston-Salem.
Not the least of which is…the Ricotta Gnocchi. The pillowy-est, lightest, dreamiest Gnocchi ever ever, ever. I gotta go back and gets me some of that heaven.
Mr. foodie enjoyed a wonderful Pa’s Veal Cutlet. So tender and tasty. It came with a side of pasta.
The microfoodies actually do eat pasta with meatballs so that’s what they got. Some of the other folks at our table got lasagna and spaghetti and everyone seemed to like it. But I won the table. I know I did. Mr. foodie said so! Until…
The cream puff…I mean…Laura’s Famous Cream Puff….as I live and breathe…it is as big as my son’s head and just as chocolatey. 🙂 It is blurry…sorry….the light :/…or is it my eyes? The thing with the CP is that you must ask for it when you sit down…apparently it’s a big deal and they will run out on busy nights. We walked in the door and were the first people to arrive for service and I did not hesitate. It’s a handmade flaky puff filled with a light and airy vanilla cream that’s not too thick or sweet…it’s just perfection. Look…look at that microfoodie schkoff it down. He was a blur!
That Cream Puff can also be found at Caffe Prada on Fridays afternoons for like, a split second so you better call and reserve one if you want it.
Kitchen Roselli is charming and warm and friendly. The menu changes all the time with locally sourced ingredients and many handmade pastas. They are open Thursday through Saturday 5:30-9:30. Make the itty bitty trip to East Bend. It is so worth it.
Kitchen Roselli
105 East Main Street, East Bend
336.699.4898
Another Italian restaurant on my bucket list…Osteria is located at the Westover Gallery Shoppes in Greensboro and has some great restaurants surrounding it, but you may miss it at the end of its little complex if you aren’t watching. Chef and Owner, Koco Tamburi brings us a taste of Italy’s Bologna. You’ll see Chef Koco (pronounced Koh-Choh) in his iconic red toque in the dining room greeting guests and scurrying back to the kitchen to, well, cook! I chose them because I want them to be on a Dishcrawl (it’s true…ya’ll try to persuade him for me) but also, it’s one of the few Italian eateries that actually makes their own pasta. I’m a bit spoiled by now, so that’s becoming a thing for me. It’s just so much better! Say “hi,” to Koco.
We ordered an appetizer, which we didn’t need after such a fabulous white bean ragout to go with the starter of crusty bread. So delicious and different…we are all so used to garlic, butter, olive oil, etc., but the ragout was divine. Our appetizer was Crepes with Artichokes, Tarragon, Spinach and Red Pepper Sauce. Yum!
Mr. also ordered the lobster bisque….tasty and not at all heavy.
I had the Taglialini with Scallops, Shrimp, Grape Tomatoes in Pesto Sauce. This dish was gorgeous and vibrant and so was each and every bite. The seafood was cooked magnificently and the pasta…well, you know how I feel about the pasta.
Mr. had the Fettucini with pancetta, mushroom and peas. Beautiful and fresh with succulent everything. Something about fresh pasta and mushrooms. They likey like each other.
Osteria
1310 Westover Terrace, Greensboro
336.275.2550
We loved it at Osteria. Service was great and we hope this relatively new restaurant will have some longevity.
We know there are a whole lot more out there than these Italian treasures…and these are not even to be compared to one another…simply the foodies marveling at how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy a world-class, formally trained chef’s cuisine in one part of our community and another restaurant that features a treasured family’s recipes touched by generations. So you have options, worth the drive in every way.
Do YOU remember Sunny Italy? What are your favorite, locally owned places to get Italian?
triadfoodies 
Couldn’t agree more. The cream puffs at Kitchen Roselli are amazing! I love the spaghetti with black olives, pine nuts and red pepper flakes. We’ll have to try Osteria. Your pic with pancetta and mushrooms have me hooked.
Dined at Osteria last week and while my entree was solid (Lobster with red sauce), the meatball appetizer literally had zero flavor. I don’t claim to be a world-class chef, but they lacked sufficient breadcrumbs, thus making them very compact (they were quite small to begin with). Maybe that was a good thing because the seasoning was non-existent. Tasted like just beef and veal rolled into a ball. I expected more than that.
Pane e Vino in Reynolda Village has homemade pasta. It is really good.