Cool, refreshing Italian-style cocktails are on the summer menu at Roma Café Ristorante.
Best known for their authentic and delicious homemade Italian food, owners Antonio and Anna Magliozzi decided to add a splash of cool for their local summer patrons.
“It’s hot, and no one wants to venture out. So, we thought we’d reward the adventurous with a choice of uniquely crafted cocktails with an Italian flair,” said Antonio. “Our specialty is a Frozen Peach Bellini—a concoction of Prosecco sparkling wine blended with crushed ice and nectar of puréed peaches. This true Italian delight was invented in Venice, Italy, sometime between the 1930s and 40s in a bar frequented by author Ernest Hemingway.”
The Italian Margarita adds a twist using amaretto mixed with triple sec, sweet and sour mix and tequila, for an Old-World taste in a popular local favorite. The name of the almond-flavored liquor is a combination of the Italian words amaro (bitter) and amore (love). “Now that’s Italian,” Antonio quipped.
“Our Limoncello Lemon-Drop Martinis are even better because of our homemade limoncello,” Antonio claims. “An old family recipe makes the fresh lemon flavor really pop.”
Another summer special is the Sunday Summer Buffet, from 1 to 6 p.m. For only $13.95, diners can choose from four buffet items, along with soup or salad. Each Sunday will feature a different four choices from the restaurant’s menu of more than 70 items. The Magliozzis thought this would be a great way to introduce diners to entrées they may not have had a chance to try. The regular menu also is available on Sundays.
Antonio does all the cooking using traditional family recipes handed down through three generations. “We still make our marinara and meat sauces the way my mother did,” Antonio said. The restaurant remains a family affair with son, Marco, and his fiancée, Sydne Bonner, helping out.
Born in Gaeta, Italy, on the coast south of Rome, Antonio and Anna were familiar with dozens of ways to enjoy fresh fish and shellfish. In addition, the Magliozzi family operated a restaurant there, serving the local fare. So, it’s no surprise that seafood is a main focus on Roma Café’s menu.
True to their heritage, Roma Café offers Seafood Cioppino as the specialty of the house—a delightfully seasoned combination of baby clams, mussels, shrimp, bay scallops and chunks of white fish and salmon sautéed together with garlic, butter, parmesan and wine and folded into his homemade sauce over a bed of linguine.
If you’re looking for a cool and comfortable place to have a summer party, wedding dinner or family gathering, Roma Café has a private dining room that will seat up to 70. In addition, if you want a private lunch for groups of 10 or more, the Magliozzis will open just for you.
Roma Café Ristorante summer hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 4 to 9 p.m.; Sunday, from 1 to
6 p.m.; and closed on Mondays.
For more information, visit romacaferistorante.com, or call (480) 654-0558. Roma Café Ristorante is located at 7210 E. Main St.