Review: Mamma DiSalvo’s Italian Ristorante feels like family (and tastes great)

I’ve been to Mamma DiSalvo’s Italian Ristorante once, and it was so long ago I’d don’t remember anything about it. I see the familiar signage when I pass, read the mostly positive reviews online, and think about a family that’s been a big part of the community for a long time.

I had forgotten how popular the place is.

I pulled up on a recent Thursday night and was surprised to find DiSalvo’s packed by 5:30 p.m. I didn’t have a reservation, so I took a seat at the bar while I waited for a table. It was the beginning of an evening in which the food and people felt like you were eating in Nona’s house.

House made gnocchi with an alfredo/pesto sauce (left) and rigatoni all’amatriciana

Marvin (left) the bartender and Taylor, a server, contributed to the family feel of Mama DiSalvo’s Italian Restaurant

I’ve been experimenting more with cocktails but didn’t see anything appealing on the list. The bartender, Marvin, asked what I liked, and when I said bourbon and citrus, he said: “Do you trust me?”

Anytime a bartender has that much confidence, I answer yes. He came back with what he called a “Persophone Punch,” made with bourbon, pomegranate liqueur, house made sour mix and cranberry juice. The flavors were so well balanced I only tasted a hint of bourbon, which could be dangerous since the drink went down so smoothy. I got a refreshing pre-dinner drink on a hot evening — and stopped at one.

When seated, the smiling and effervescent Taylor came to our table. She’s worked there since she was 16, and her tenure of more than a decade meant she knew the menu as well as the kitchen staff. I asked her what she liked and crafted a dinner based on her suggestions.

I started with the small antipasto plate ($16), which is supposed to serve two, but really serves three or four. It was full of prosciutto, ham, capicola, parmesan cheese and salami. The giardiniera mix included mushrooms, olives, peppers, olives and lettuce and they were coated with a dressing that had a nice vinegar bite.

The antipasto appetizer

Ray Marcano/Contributed

For dinner, the large menu offers an array of standards (spaghetti and meatballs) and signature dishes (eggplant parmesan). I ordered the rigatoni all’amatriciana ($24) because it’s a dish unique to DiSalvo’s, and the homemade gnocchi with one sausage and meatball ($26).

The gnocchi comes with your choice of red sauce, alfredo or pesto, but Taylor suggested asking for an Alfredo/pesto combo.

House made gnocchi with an alfredo/pesto sauce (left) and rigatoni all’amatriciana

Ray Marcano/Contributed

Red wine goes hand and hand with Italian food, and slightly tannic Villa Antinori Chianti classico Riserva ($16) with its hint of dark cherry, was a good choice. If that’s not your style, the restaurant offers several wines by the glass that start at $10, a number of good bottles in the $30-$40 range, and a collection of higher end Cellar Wines like the Darioush Cabernet ($160) or the Antinori Tiganello ($200). The Darioush and Tiganello, two of my favorite wines, had minimal marekups over MSRP, so that’s a bargain for those looking for something special.

The gnocchi were pillowy soft and the sauce creamy, with hints of basil that didn’t add to and didn’t detract from the dish. Most importantly, the sauce stuck to the pasta, creating a single bite that brings together all the flavors. (I still roiled the gnocchi in the sauce so I could get more. So good). The gnocchi reminded me of pasta made at the Abruzzo Cibus cooking school in Carunchio, Italy, where a group of us learned how to make authentic dishes.

Take a bite of the sausage and you can tell it’s made in house; you don’t get that fennel taste with something purchased in a grocery store. The meatball was light and airy, not the dense overcooked version I’ve had way to often.

The fabulous al dente rigatoni contained imported guanciale, sautéed onions, wine, red sauce and Pecorino Romano Cheese. The guanciale’s saltiness complimented the sauce’s slightly sweet acidity. That’s the dish I’ll get when I return.

Marvin (left) the bartender and Taylor, a server, contributed to the family feel of Mama DiSalvo’s Italian Restaurant

Ray Marcano/Contributed

For dessert, the house made turtle cheesecake was as delicious as it sounds, lush and creamy chocolate goodness on a plate. I ordered a grappa to go with it and the light sweet and oaky spirit was a nice accompaniment. (You don’t find a lot of grappa in the area).

When I think “DiSalvo’s” I tend to think of the deli, which is next door. I used to bring my twins girls there when they were young, and Ronnie DiSalvo would always hand them cookies. My girls still remember that, and I love the place for giving them that memory.

Now, I can also think of the restaurant and how the smiling and attentive staff act as if they welcome you into their home. In many respects, they have. DiSalvo’s has that warm feeling that makes the wonderful food taste even better.

The Review

5 = outstanding, 4 = above average, 3= average, 2 = poor, 1 = terrible

What: Mamma DiSalvo’s Italian Ristorante, 1375 E. Stroop Road, Kettering

Ambiance: 4. Nice lighting, table arrangements

Appetizer: 4. Filling antipasti

Gnocchi: 4. Light and airy

Rigatoni: 4.5: My fav

Turtle cheesecake: 4. Creamy

Wine: 4. Good list

Service: 5. Like family

Parking: On site, surface lot

Upcoming wine dinners