Little Italy

Last night we went to Little Italy (near the Jubilee Hills Check post/Filmnagar) for dinner. I don’t know if this is part of the Little Italy chain in the US. There is a Little Italy restaurant in Bangalore too, again I am not sure if the Hyderabad one is a franchise of that or not.

As soon as I entered the restaurant, I had a really pleasant feeling, as though one is guaranteed a good meal and pleasant company. There are two seating options – you can sit inside in air-conditioned elegance or you can choose to dine al fresco in the Hyderabadi breeze which is quite pleasant in the evenings this time of the year. But Hyderabad traffic being what it is, and the busy location of the restaurant, we chose to eat inside.

What really impressed me was the elegance of the place which was achieved by nothing more than cunningly placed wine bottles and some rocks and glass doors – on closer examination the décor is actually very simple. I salute the interior designer – I was absolutely besotted by the look.

Of course the most wonderful interior designer cannot make a place successful if the food is not good – but Little Italy need have no qualms. The food was really delightful and as close to American-Italian food as you can get it India. They made some effort to get vegetables that are generally difficult to get in India, Asparagus, artichokes, capers, sun-dried tomatoes to name a few. And despite the name proclaiming its Italian menu, they also have some Mexican selections.

We ordered Antipasto, and some other appetizer (forgot the name now) – the Antipasto was wonderful. The other dish was also OK. The menu is very extensive; I want to try the Caprese the next time I am there. We skipped soups and salads and for the main meal, we decided to mix it up and ordered Pasta Primavera and Enchiladas with Beans and ended up sharing the two. The portion sizes were pretty generous, and I liked both the dishes. The Pasta was of the dry sort, and not smothered in tomato sauce as the other restaurants in Hyderabad are wont to do. For dessert we had Tiramisu, a particular weakness of mine, and this one was so good I could have had two of them. It just melted in my mouth, which is a true hallmark of a good Tiramisu.

I think major contributors to the enjoyment of the meal were my friends, who accompanied me. An honorable mention goes to the service of the restaurant. From valet parking to serving our meal, every attempt was made to enrich our experience.