Vittorio’s Italian restaurant reminds me of a place you would find somewhere in a mob film, the air thick with cigar smoke, the booths crammed with well-dressed men discussing “business” over heaping plates of pasta and Ossobucco. Though smoke-free, the restaurant?s dimly lit interior makes me squint through somewhat of a surreal haze while eyeing plates of food at other people?s tables. Booths are bright red, and the worn, patterned carpeting, ornate chandeliers and stained-glass windows between tables add to this serious scene.
We started with the Bruschetta ($6.95 for a small, $10.95 for a large order), a garlic-rubbed bread with roma tomatoes, thick, almost tube-like pieces of mozzarella cheese, basil and olive oil. It left me wondering how something as simple as tomatoes and oil on toasted bread could be so satisfying.
The restaurant offers pizza and meat specials, but my classic Italian mob scene called for a classic Italian dish. We ordered plates of Spaghetti and Meatballs ($12.95) and Meat Cannelloni ($15.95), both dishes arriving under an abundance of the house tomato sauce. Both are recommended if you want something as hearty as the restaurant itself.
Vittorio’s, 5921 Warner Ave., Huntington Beach. 714-846-9606. www.vittorios.com
Hours: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays
5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
-Cynthia Furey
