“Zeppoli's brings homemade Italian meals to Blacksburg”

Zeppoli's brings homemade Italian meals to Blacksburg

Posted: 14 Sep 2010 08:13 PM PDT

Zeppoli's brings homemade Italian meals to Blacksburg

Tuesday, September 14, 2010; 11:08 PM | | |

by Mika Maloney, features reporter

Entering the dimly-lit Zeppoli's Italian Restaurant and Wine Shop, customers step into owner Doris Fleming's Italian world of fine wines and fresh pasta.

The restaurant opened in fall 1996, in response to the many fast food and chain restaurants in Blacksburg. Since then, it has successfully achieved its goal to provide quality Italian cuisine.

Zeppoli's most noteworthy feature is its commitment to making everything from scratch, including the bread, pasta and meatball sauces. The top-notch ingredients combine to make simultaneously flavorful and wholesome meals.

The menu is heavily influenced by Italian food, but offers some innovative twists on traditional recipes, which sets it apart from its other downtown counterparts. Available entrees range from a host of homemade raviolis, to seafood pastas, to a variety of soups and salads.

The fresh pasta is a must when dining at Zeppoli's. The lemon vegetable linguine is a perfect combination of seasonal sauteed vegetables in a zesty lemon sauce over a large portion of homemade pasta. All meals are served with bread, which is made from scratch, with a choice of olive oil or whipped butter.

Zeppoli's offers a wide selection of international wines, which diners can enjoy by the glass or bottle. Unlike many other restaurants, its worldwide collection complements any meal at retail price, with an additional $2 corking fee.

The front room of the restaurant serves as a wine store, with its diverse selection of Chiantis, Pinot Grigios and Aglianico, to name a few, which sell for between $6 and $100. Every Wednesday, the restaurant offers wine tasting and hor d'oeuvres for $15 (reservations required).

While the restaurant's lighting is borderline gloomy, the multitude of art for sale by local painters and photographers helps brighten the walls and lighten the overall atmosphere. The layout is spacious with many tables scattered across the large room, which offer simple and functional place settings.

The wait staff was also friendly and eager to answer any customer questions or complaints.

Zeppoli's attracts a diverse crowd of professionals, students and Blacksburg residents. However, the prices may be higher than many students wish to pay for a casual dinner out. Entrees are priced between $9 and $17, and a variety of gourmet lunch sandwiches are served for about $7.

The restaurant's success can be largely attributed to Fleming's uncompromising dedication to fresh ingredients and her years of experience.

Diners will not be disappointed with the plethora of flavors to choose from and selection of wines which complement them. Overall, this restaurant comes highly recommended for foodies seeking a nice but relaxed night out with a variety of traditional Italian cuisine.

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