Ristorante Venere -- A Hidden Gem in Westbury

On a rainy night we headed over to Ristorante Venere on Carman Avenue in Westbury. Ristorante Venere is in a non descript strip mall where parking is easy which won kudos, especially from my wife, on this rainy night. From the first moment we stepped in, we had the most amazing experience. My overall take is the experience at Ristorante Venere is how Italian Restaurants should be and probably were in the past.

We were welcomed as we walked in by the hostess and taken immediately to our table. The tables were appropriately spaced out so you did not feel on top on the customers next to you. Before we get to the food, the area that Ristorante Venere excels at is the wait staff. Our waiter in particular was both friendly and helpful. His insight started with our choice of wine. As we reviewed the menu and deciding on what to order, our waiter offered his opinion and suggestions on what we should order. Of course, we followed his advice and were richly rewarded for it.

Our first decision was whether we should get the regular bread basket or the Housemade Bread. Our waiter suggested that we go with regular house bread. The bread was served hot and was the absolute best. I really love when a restaurant delivers on the bread. My only regret was I wonder how good the Housemade Bread if the regular bread is so good.

We started our dinner with the Angelos Chopped Salad. We then ordered a Veal Scaloppine Sorrentino and a Chicken Mediterraneo.

We really enjoyed each dish especially the Veal because it was so tender. We have had veal at other restaurants where it was tough. This ruins the entire dish. The tomato sauce also had a great flavor which complemented the veal and the eggplant. I am gushing but the meal was that good.

We only had three regrets and they relate to the food we should have ordered. First, I am dying to know what is in the homemade bread, second, how did we pass up the pizza and third, we needed more people so we could try one or more pasta dishes.

As you can tell, we give Ristorante Venere the highest review of any Italian Restaurant that we have eaten at. Not only is the food great, but they also have the old class charm and helpfulness. We encourage everyone to visit Ristorante Venere!

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