Ristorante Venere - Westbury

Lauren and I changed it up and met on a Tuesday this past week. We selected Ristorante Venere in a shopping center off of Carman Avenue in Westbury. It's not a giant restaurant but the place was considerably busy for a Tuesday night. You can tell it's the type of neighborhood restaurant that has regulars.

We were seated almost immediately against a wall with a beautiful painted mural. This was really one of the highlights of the decor, as the place could really use a little sprucing up. It looks VERY 1990. But, everything was neat and clean, just perhaps a bit out of date. It seems to be the type of place that is so focused on the food that less attention is given to surroundings.

So, onto the food. Our friendly waiter came over after a few minutes of waiting with bread and water. The bread was typical Italian bread but it did some with some fresh, piping hot garlic knots in the basket which Lauren and I always find to be a plus. There is really nothing quite like reaching into what you think will be a normal bread basket, and finding a surprise additional food item. At this point, we decided to place an appetizer. There is a sign that hangs on the front of the restaurant that says "Voted Best Pizza" (by who is really to be determined)so we figured we ought to start out with the Margherita pizza as an appetizer.

After what seemed like a little too long, the pizza finally arrived at our table, nice and hot. The word fresh really came to mind for both Lauren and me the second we bit into it. The cheese was great and the sauce had a very delicious and distinct home-style taste. I don't have an Italian grandmother but if I did, I imagine her sauce would taste similar. While I really enjoyed it, Lauren said she found it to be crisp, but that she has had better.

For main course, Lauren selected the Eggplant Rollatini. She describes it as EXCEPTIONAL! It came smothered in delicious,hot oozy mozzarella cheese. The eggplant was fresh and stuffed with ricotta, salami, and provolone cheese. She said: "The sauce reminded me one a tomato sauce you would get from a pizza parlor in Brooklyn... homemade just like Mama meant for it to be!"

I went with the Paglia Fieno Pomodoro, which is Green and white pasta covered in a fresh tomato, onion and basil sauce. The soft pasta went very well with their home-style sauce. It was filling and enjoyable. My only criticism, is that there could have been a little less sauce. But that's really a personal preference thing. I should note that the dish also comes in a cream and bacon sauce (called Carbonara) but after the pizza, I was really into their tomato sauces and felt like ordering it that way. We decided to order dessert but we were a little hesitant since the service had been a little slow. To be fair, there was a party going in the back of their dining room, but that really shouldn't present too much of a problem on a Tuesday night.

Nevertheless we ordered a Tartuffo dessert. (Ice cream inside a hard chocolate shell) But Ristorante Venere also has a Pistachio Tartuffo option, so we selected that. It came covered in whipped cream and chocolate sauce. It also had some kind of a cinnamon or nutmeg on the bottom of the place so you got a hint of extra taste as you dragged your ice cream through. Nice touch! It was great! And as Lauren said: "A delightful ending to a delicious meal." Ristorante Venere gets a hearty 3.5 on the dinner mint scale.

Ristorante Venere is open 7 days for lunch and dinner. 841 Carman Avenue Westbury,NY 516 333 2332