Vito’s Cucina, Memphis, Tennessee

We had an afternoon of errands, and we were starved by the time we headed home. Since we’re heading out in the morning for Austin, Texas, we really didn’t want to cook food and make a mess of the kitchen tonight. And, we’ve pretty much eaten everything we had in the house that isn’t frozen since we knew we were leaving.

So, we had to decide what was for supper. We drive down Walnut Grove all the time, and we’ve watched eagerly as an old shop has been remodeled. When we saw that it was going to be an Italian drive-thru/walk-up, we knew we’d be trying it soon. Since it was on our way home, our decision was made.

Ordering at Vito’s is easy. They’ll help you through the menu and offer suggestions. Their menu is on their website, and I would advise you to take a look before you go. And one note – if you want a whole pizza, call in the order for carry-out, or Vito’s will deliver.

How was the food? Pretty good. We started with the toasted cheese ravioli. These were really well done. The filling is creamy ricotta, and the coating is crisp without being tough or oily. The marinara is bright and not too sweet. Overall, I would happily make a meal of these.

Next, we tried the breadsticks. These are nice with a good coating of garlic and parmesan, but they seemed a little under-done to me; I like mine to be a little crisper on the outside, but these were definitely edible.

We split a couple of sandwiches, too. The Vinnie is a meatball sub on good French bread. This was a great sandwich – the meatballs were soft and flavorful, and it wasn’t drowning in sauce. This sandwich vanished quickly into the bottomless pit that is our son.

The Joseph is a muffaletta-style sandwich. The olive spread is really good, but I think we would have preferred the sandwich to be heated. I’m sure Vito’s would heat it on request. Hot or not, we enjoyed it.

Then we got to the pizza. We got a Centurion (Italian sausage, salami, pancetta, ham, cheese, tomatoes, black olives and banana peppers). This is a nicely made pizza. The toppings are generous, and the sauce is just right. Like the breadsticks, we thought the crust was a little underdone, but it was still thin and crisp without getting soggy. And it was probably our fault. We didn’t know that we needed to call ahead for a whole pie, but they took pity on us and made it for us on the spot.

Overall, we had a good meal, and I’m sure that we’ll be dining with Vito’s again.