Salvatore's Italian Grill
 Youngstown, Ohio        Date of Visit  05/15/15            http://www.mysalvatores.com

So it’s official. We don’t celebrate anything on the actual day. So a belated meal is planned for Mother Dear’s Day and one of her suggestions I had never heard of before…Salvatore’s in Howland. There is also an outlet in Austintown, a pizzeria, and a banquet room. All of this has apparently grown out of a tiny spot in a strip mall and the packed house speaks to their having not only survived but also excelled in expansion…a rarity.
 

Many of the places we used to frequent have sadly surrendered after years of service. Antenucci’s, Little Peppino’s, Armondo’s, Antone’s, each having brought their own take on Italian, now gone. It’s nice to see others taking up the mantle with their unique recipes alongside the surviving Ytown classics.

The staff seem relaxed and professional. It’s not a lightening pace, but it likely shouldn’t be. Our server is quietly patient and welcoming. After taking our order she delivered a bottle of ridiculously sweet pink moscatto champagne and a unique bread basket. Round garlicky rolls with crispy exteriors are joined by what they call pizza bread. The crust of the little pizza rectangles has an audible crunch protecting a soft interior, all coated with a bright, sharp, and lightly sweet tomato sauce.

The salads are fresh and cold with flavorful dressings. The wedding soup is rich and salty but still doesn’t manage the balance of Uptown’s. Well begun.
 

Dressings & Salads Are Fine
 

Better Than Most Wedding Soup
 

Steph ordered cavatelli (surprise) with a blush cream sauce (actually a surprise), Mom the penne primavera and I the chicken maximo. The cavs were perfectly toothy while I would have liked a little more punch in the sauce it was rich and velvety, coating the pasta with a bit of opulence. She was happy (wine played a role but so did plate).

Mom’s penne was studded with broccoli, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes then topped with their super chunky marinara sauce. Also happy. Wine + pasta. Salvatore’s was delivering.
 

I, however, had no wine. I had the chicken maximo. The name reminded me of Russell Crowe standing in the coliseum from Gladiator and people were chanting for his chicken dish? Something like that…seriously I was drinking water. Regardless, Maximus Decimus Meridius…Chicken Maximo…Rome…Italy…should be good. It is.

Sautéed with asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, fresh tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes, joined by a white sauce buttressed with a splash of marinara; the chicken is topped with melted provolone cheese and tasty. Again, well cooked, tender and topped with doubled sauces bringing herb and acid to the intense greenness of the asparagus and the earthiness of the shrooms. A pile of capellini is topped with the same lumps and chunks of marinara. It’s a well thought out dish and certainly an enjoyable one. Me happy. Sans wine. We split a fairly good cannoli and went on our way, full and happy. Salvatore’s handled the classics well and added some tasty twists of their own. “Are you not entertained?!?” asked the gladiator. We were.