There are many varieties of Italian restaurants to choose from when you’re feeling the urge for some authentic flavors. Mezzaluna’s approach puts them into a category of eateries that might be desciibed as a trattoria if it were in Italy. These are places with a more relaxed type of atmosphere and a somewhat more simplified menu.
What Mezzaluna is really known for is its pizza menu, which seems to be the most popular food item here judging by a survey of the tables we see when we visit. Their list of specialty pies includes some interesting, and unique, entries such as a vodka pie, a broccoli rabe pie and a Greek salad pie.
Our favorite, so far, is the more pedestrian sausage and mushroom that tastes delicious although we’re going to have to branch out at some point and get a little more adventurous considering the menu alternatives here.
But whatever’s on the top is not as important to us as the great thin crusts that are usually described as New York-style in different parts of the country. That’s where the restaurant owners came from years ago after running a successful deli in a small New York town. Anyway, it’s the great thin crusts that we really love and the ones here are perfect.
We’ve also sampled a number of the other main dishes here mosdt of which are tradtitional Italian favorites. You’ll see a lot of familiar items here like the veal piccata, chicken and veal parmesan, ravioli, stuffed shells and lasagna.
There are a number of other pastas to choose from such as bolognese, carbonara and alfredo along with some dishes that Mezzaluna has apparently created on their own.
Other traditional dishes include calzones and strombolis and a selection of sandwiches, they’re called Heroes on this menu and include sausage and peppers and eggplant parmesan. Their signature dishes are Chicken Mezzaluna (or veal or shrimp) which involves fresh spinach, a seafood platter and Baked Ziti Mezzaluna. They also have some seafood dishes with shrimp, calamari, mussels and conch.
Alcoholic beverages are limited to beer and wine but there is a decent selection of both reds and whites that come from Europe and California. The beers are imported and domestic with two Italian beers, Moretti and Peroni included.
All things considered, Mezzaluna offers an interesting dining experience in a casual atmosphere with lots of outdoor seating. The prices are reasonable too, another feature of tradityional trattorias that Mezzaluna displays.
Mezzaluna, European Village, 386-445-1004
