Local flavors come alive in August

There’s no doubt that Johnston – a small town with the largest Italian population in Rhode Island – has some excellent eateries.

But what do people eat at those establishments that have built their reputations on serving fine Italian dishes? And, just what are the ingredients that make those mouth-watering items taste so fantastic?

Ralph Battista says, “veal cutlet Parmigiana is the most popular dish” at Luigi’s Restaurant and Gourmet Express, located at 1359 Hartford Avenue, owned and operated by the Battista family, Luigi and Antonette Battista, Alan Atwood and Lu-Ann Battista, Loreen Parente and Ralph Battista.

“We make many other great dishes, but we sell more veal cutlet Parmigiana than anything else,” he said.

The veal at Luigi’s is simply breaded veal cutlets topped with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese served with pasta.

Another favorite dish at Luigi’s is veal Luigi; tender medallions of veal sautéed in a zesty marinara sauce and layered with proscuitto and provolone cheese.

Luigi’s is also, Battista said, “where our family treats your family like family.”

Andrea DiMaio, along with her husband John DiMaio, owns the relatively new kid on Johnston’s dining block, Johna’s, at 659 Killingly Street.

While chicken Anthony and chicken Parmigiana with proscuitto are among the popular dishes, perhaps the favorite is the homemade veal bracciole.

“People love this dish because it is homemade and tastes terrific,” Andrea DiMaio said. “This is scallopini veal, seasoned and rolled with proscuitto, mozzarella cheese and red roasted peppers and slowly baked in a mushroom marsala sauce. The presentation is special and the taste is even better.”

The Original Italian Bakery at 915 Atwood Avenue is a good friend of Saint Rocco’s Church and the Feast. Owners Don DePetrillo and Alicia McArthur donate all the dough for the famous Saint Rocco doughboys. Don DePetrillo also donates 1,000 pounds of his dough to the Santa Maria Di Prata Society, located at 29 Walnut Avenue in Cranston, for its annual outing.

Don DePetrillo has been at the food service business for 47 years. In that time, he has offered a variety of homemade Italian bread, calzones and just about everything you’d expect to find in an Italian bakery. And while The Original Italian Bakery offers a wide variety of goodies, DePetrillo says, “The pizza chips are our biggest seller.”

They’re so popular, in fact, that The Original Italian Bakery sells more than 1 million each year.

Pizza chips are made from The Original Italian Bakery dough and are about the size of a three-inch oval, topped with DePetrillo’s tomato pizza sauce and imported Romano cheese, then sprayed with special oil.

At From Soup to Nuts, they get right to the main course.

“One of our customers told us we have the best meatballs around,” said Dawn Sano, who owns From Soup to Nuts Gourmet Italian Bakery and Deli with her husband Peter Sano. The deli is located at 1402 Plainfield Street on the Cranston-Johnston line.

There’s one sandwich that perhaps stands out more than the meatballs, and that’s the rabe and Italian salami topped with sharp provolone cheese.

“People have lots of favorites,” Dawn said. “Everyone seems to love our pastrami, steak and roast beef sandwiches.”