Just down the road from the hellhole more formally known as the BC Junction sits an establishment that takes you far away from its neighbors. That establishment is the lovely Little Venice Restaurant.
Little Venice, located at 111 Chenango St., is anything but. It’s not only home to fine family-style Italian food, it also houses over 150 signed paintings, so there’s no shortage of things to look at. Think of it as a 19th-century Applebees, but with paintings.
Little Venice prides itself on its traditions. Only six cooks have ever made the “legendary house-made tomato sauce” since the 1940s. The tomato sauce is available for purchase along with various other sauces used in the restaurant, and it’s so popular that it can also be purchased throughout New York and Pennsylvania — just use the handy sauce locator on their website.
My waiter, Jack Kuhn, also explained that all of the salad dressings are homemade and said that “people go crazy for the blue cheese.” Little Venice’s cooks put forth the extra effort to have a finished product that would make their ancestors proud. The pasta dough is also made fresh each morning, and it is rolled out specifically for each order.
As an appetizer, I decided on the Little Venice egg roll. I am a huge fan of the original Chinese egg roll, so I knew I couldn’t go wrong with one filled with chicken and cheese, served with a side of alfredo sauce. The Little Venice original did not disappoint — and I could easily eat an entire plate — but another dish unique to the restaurant was being served.
Ravioli with meat logs. No, not meatballs; meat logs. While the logs don’t look as appetizing as the familiar and beloved meatballs, their unique shape allows the meat to cook evenly. Little Venice embraces the fact that meat logs are a little strange and even sells “spaghetti and meat logs” merchandise at the front of the restaurant. The raviolis made from scratch were a real treat and were nothing like the frozen box of pierogi to which I’m accustomed.
For dessert, Little Venice offers house-made gelato, cannolis or one of six dessert “shooters.” The waiter brings out a sample of the little dessert cups and explains of what each is composed. The go-to according to my waiter is the tiramisu, but I decided on the Baileys trifle. This decadent dessert was made up of Baileys whipped cream, chocolate sponge cake and rich chocolate. The portion was small yet rich, and paired nicely with my fresh cup of coffee. I would go back to Little Venice for the rest of the desserts alone.
If you’re looking for some house-made Italian tradition, Little Venice will not disappoint. Try one of their original creations, or really anything made with the famous tomato sauce and pasta dough.