This was a great little find hidden up in Anthem near the Von's. We stopped in for dinner and were greeted quickly. It was explained to us that the restaurant is divided in half and the bar side had a happy hour. We decided on that since its a great way to try the food (and get cheap drinks of course!).
Tara came over and explained that it was a small family run business and all the recipes are from the owners grandmother. They offer happy hour from 4-6 with $3 beers (I had a Peroni) and $4 house wine and liquor. Most appetizers are only $6. Tara brought us out bread and the most delicious olive spread. Im not a huge olive fan but this spread was absolutely delicious.
A house salad followed with probably the best homemade balsamic vinegar Ive ever had. It was the perfect balance of sweet and tangy, I could have just drank it. Tara told us it is house made every day and it shows. We shared the fried ravioli and the calamari. The fried ravioli were huge, stuffed with ricotta and spinach and fried to a very nice crispy golden brown. The calamari were good as well, but nothing like the raviolis.
We also shared a penne with vodka sauce. Tara was nice enough to bring out fresh grated parmesan for us. I thought the pasta was cooked perfectly but the sauce was actually quite bland for me. Luckily the cheese helped add some flavor. We finished off with a slice of Tiramisu and again it was one of the best I have had. So creamy and soft and full of flavor. Dusted with chocolate powder it was the perfect ending.
I am really glad I found this place and I will definitely be returning to try some of their other entrees but I think the meats were priced really high, almost strip prices so will stick with the Italian favorites. Besides those few minor complaints it was really really hot inside. The A/C needs to be fixed or turned cooler, otherwise this place could be 5 stars!