Oliveto bistro: serving food with amore'

Recently, my daughter and son-in-law joined me for an early dinner at Oliveto Italian Bistro. Located one block south of Loop 323 on Troup Highway, it is situated in a small strip mall next door to Casa Olé Mexican Restaurant.

Because it was 6 p.m. on a Monday night, the restaurant was not crowded at all. The hostess said their busiest times are weekend nights and Sundays at lunch.

With the look and feel of a comfortable neighborhood cafe, it is a great place for singles or families to meet, eat and unwind. The wait staff is mostly college-aged, well-groomed, courteous and very attentive.

The modest wine list includes 20 types priced under $25, with the menu mostly priced under $10. Land and seafood entrées are hearth-baked and delivered sizzling hot on cast-iron skillets.

A slice of warm herbed bread accompanies each order. Because chefs make artisan dough in house daily, the specialty breads and pizza crusts are simply divine and always fresh.

We began our meal with the hearth-baked cheese bread ($4.75). Served with marinara sauce for dipping, artisan bread is topped with provolone, Asiago and mozzarella cheeses and sprinkled with fresh herbs. We savored every morsel while waiting for our orders.

My son-in-law ordered the amoré pizza ($9.50), topped with tomato sauce, pepperoni, Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, mozzarella and provolone cheeses. He said he loved it, especially the crust, which was just the right thickness, not too thick or too thin.

That’s amoré.

My daughter requested the pepperoni chicken ($9.75). This dish of bowtie pasta and marinara sauce is tossed with grilled chicken, pepperoni, black olives, mushrooms, red peppers and mozzarella cheese. She said it was heavenly because it included all of her favorite pizza ingredients.

I chose the chicken scallopine ($10.50), featuring a Milanese chicken breast, mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach in lemon sauce served over angel-hair pasta. I really enjoyed the tender, tasty chicken with its velvety sauce.

Ordering three different desserts, we sampled each. My son-in-law got the dulce de leche bread pudding ($6.50), served warm with a scoop of Blue Bell® vanilla ice cream and luscious dulce de leche sauce cascading over all. It was delightful, like a party inside your mouth.

My daughter couldn’t wait to taste the cheesecake ($5.25), drizzled with warm caramel sauce. She rated it two-thumbs-up.

I tried a new menu item, crème brulée cheesecake ($5.50). Garnished with a caramelized-sugar topping, the rich, creamy cheesecake filling rested on a crust of crushed vanilla cookies.

The sound of my spoon cracking through its hardened-sugar surface made my mouth water with anticipation of my next bite. This is definitely one dessert I will order again.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, one may choose any two of the following for $8: soup of the day, tomato bisque, house salad, house wedge salad, Caesar salad, pasta and half of a sandwich.

Oliveto Italian Bistro also offers catering. Go to olivetobistro.com to find more information and menus.