La Casa Italian Grill

Last night I had the opportunity to meet friends and family for, you guessed it, another Italian dinner. This time we tried the new La Casa Italian Grill in downtown Alpharetta, 37 Old Roswell St.

The restaurant looks beautiful. A far cry from the former dwelling. The owner, Pasquale Cardamuro, born in Naples, Italy, has been a Georgia resident for 30 years. He is a wonderful, friendly, passionate Italian. His love of good food and wine is evident when speaking to him. I greet him introducing myself in Italian, or attempting to, anyway. We talked about Naples, its pizza and then on to discuss the food, the language and, of course, the wine of Italy.

The menu he has created is an array of culinary delights featuring everything from "real" brick oven pizza, justa lika ina Napoli, fresh caprese salad, and, oh the prosciutto, amazing. Pasquale made a few wine recommendations, which my sister and I jumped on immediatley. The white wine he selected for us is called Falanchina Campana. It was a treat in a glass. The red he recommended was Montepulciano D'Abbruzzo, enjoyed fully by my brother-in-law, Barry and Ilan, our friend. Terry ordered a glass of blush, which I am sorry, I cannot recall!

The dishes we ordered were superb and what's even better, they are really affordable. Not only were our meals tasty, they were plentiful and presented beautifully. The atmosphere in the restaurant is friendly and comfortable. Hand-painted tiles depicting scenes from Italy line the walls. The tiles are hand painted by a friend of Pasquales and the colorful scenes come to life as he explains the story of each piece. You will see the first hand-painted tile caricature of Pasquale and the ingredients served in the "Grill" on the patio near the front entry. This, I think, is his favorite!

The chef, John made it a point of coming out to greet us. He's a native New Yorker who takes pride in creating delicious meals for the patrons of La Casa Italian Grill. His past associations include several other local fine Atlanta restaurants. It was a pleasure meeting him. Wait until you see the photos of the dessert plate he created for us. Talk about a sugar rush!!

Pasquale told me his family has been in the restaurant business for 30 years. His family, both here and in Italy, are active in selecting what goes on the menu. Pasquale says that in the spring, he will introduce the latest sfizzi (a new word for me), meaning finger food in his native tongue. The olives, cheeses and wines are all imported from Italy. No wonder I loved them all. The signature dishes recommended here are Grouper with Spinach, Parpadelle with Seafood along with several daily specials. I am excited to learn about the new menu items and look forward to returning to this wonderful new favorite.

Pasquale sat with us for a while and even shared his special Basilcello- think Limoncello and add basil. WOW! We thoroughly enjoyed the evening hearing about his home in Naples and the family he still has there. He politely listens to me attempting to speak Italian and corrects me when I ask if I am saying it right. Even though he's been here for 30 years, his accent tells me he is definitely not Southern! What accent???

It would be my recommendation to stop in and try the place. Pasquale is on the premises and will welcome you as if you, too, are family.

Venite a visitare il ristorante est e godere!

Translation- Come visit the restaurant, eat and enjoy!