I believe that my husband and I were one of the first customers of The Venetian when they opened in 1965. When Irene, Candy and I walked in the door that thought was intensified, because memories just seemed to play over me. The restaurant has not changed that much over the years. (It should be pointed out that Bob and I ate there frequently, not just in 1965, and if changes were made, they were done gradually and we just became used to it.)
The three of us were starting the celebration of Irene’s birthday and although there were many pizza options on the menu, we elected to order individual meals.
Our server, Jeanene, was fantastic. She offered great suggestions; and turned the heat in the building up because we were all cold. She was attentive the entire time that we were there.
The “birthday girl” decided to order lasagna. It was described as “large ribbon noodles layered with ricotta cheese, our meatballs, Jack and mozzarella cheeses and smothered with meat sauce and baked.” It was $18.75.
Candy ordered what I was thinking about ordering, and was gracious enough to share it with me. From the appetizer menu, it was Mediterranean scallops ($19.95). The menu description was “caramelized scallops, butter, olive oil, tomatoes, basil, parsley and lemon juice, topped with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.” This was one of the recommendations that Jeanene made, and it was a great recommendation!
Since Candy ordered what I wanted, and I wanted to taste something different, I took another of Jeanene’s recommendations and had the Cannelloni. It was a fresh made pasta – made at the restaurant – stuffed with ground beef, spinach and three cheeses. It was baked in their own meat sauce and topped with a béchamel sauce. It was $18.75.
Along with our meals, a huge basket of garlic bread was served and when Irene mentioned to the server that she could not eat garlic, she was brought her own basket of rolls and butter.
Candy’s scallops were some of the most tender scallops I have ever tried. They were quite large, seasoned well, and absolutely delicious. There is no doubt that I will order it, or one of the other two scallop items the next time.
Irene raved about the lasagne. She ate more than she thought she would, and only had a little bit left to take home for another meal.
I cannot say for sure, but I think that The Venetian may have been the first place that I ever had Cannelloni. I usually order Manicotti because I like the spinach and cheese combination, but I have to say that the Cannelloni was excellent. The pasta was soft and tasty, the stuffing was succulent, and the sauce was delightful. With the addition of the garlic bread I was completely satisfied.
In fact, we were all so full that we never told Jeanene that we were celebrating Irene’s birthday. We had talked about ordering Tiramisu before we even entered the restaurant, but I don’t think that any of us would have been able to do it justice had we ordered it.
I also want to complement the restaurant on the wonderful, old music that they had playing, softly, in the background. We could enjoy it and still converse without having to raise our voices. I wish that other restaurants could follow their example, because it was relaxing and enjoyable, and, at times, we even sang along with Vic Damone, Frank Sinatra, etc.
We all enjoyed our meals. There is no doubt that we will all go back again soon. The Venetian
3663 Voltaire Ave.
619-223-8197