That’s Amore - Italy Restaurant & Grill

What’s Cooking with Happy

“When the moon hits your eye like a big-a pizza pie that’s amore’.  When the world seems to shine like you’ve had too much wine, that’s amore’.”  Dean Martin may have been referencing a fatal injury with cupid’s arrow, but my guess is if he’d ever dined at Italy Restaurant & Grill, he’d have been even more enamored of their heartwarming Italian Cuisine.

Valentine’s Day is just around the curve, and if your idea of being in hot water is soaking in a steaming jacuzzi with your sweety pie, rather than washing up the supper dishes, I’m going to propose an enchanting alternative to dish pan hands.

Italy Restaurant & Grill in Poteau, OK will romance your taste buds with sumptuous and savory items like Italian Nachos blanketed in a spicy Alfredo sauce and three Italian cheeses, dressed with sautee’d shrimp and chicken and banana pepper rings. 

At Italy the passion for serving up the finest Italian and American cuisine is evident by the spicy detail owner Luke Adams infuses into each dish.  Adams maybe young, but his flare for culinary fare is incredibly seasoned.

While dining at Italy, I not only tried and savored each delectable bite, I loved every single dish they brought me.  When I say every single dish, what I really mean is, EVERY SINGLE DISH they brought me was delectably delicious.

Among my stroll down this savory, culinary lover’s lane at Italy, I not only partook of the Italian Nachos, but also the Italian meatballs and spaghetti, a 16 oz. Delmonico Bone-In Ribeye, an amazingly cooked to perfection grilled halibut steak, the most delicious potato soup I’ve ever been tempted with, a quadruple lemon layer cake, and a cool and creamy caramel cheesecake.

The Delmonico was extreme, and by extreme I maintain it was extremely superior to most steaks I’ve eaten in restaurants.  I still say my cousin Carol Dewitt cooks the best steak around, and only occasionally will I find a steak in a restaurant that will run nose-to-nose with hers, but the Italy version is one of them.  Tender, perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection, this steak will have you coming back once a week for your meat and potatoes fix.

I have to confess that I had not been to the restaurant when they initially opened under the Little Italy name, or since the new ‘Italy Restaurant & Grill’ name had changed and Adams had become the sole proprietor. 

Furthermore, even though I love Italian food, it’s not something I want to eat every week.  After dining at Italy, and loving the food, I was amazed at my own misconceptions about the restaurant and the food.

Although the Italy name hails ‘Italian cuisine,’ truth be told they have delicious grilled fish, gourmet burgers, and just a plain old, big fat juicy hamburger if that’s more your style, a wide variety of sandwiches, brick oven pizzas and some deliciously intriguing soups and salads.  So even if you’re not in the mood for Italian all the time, Adams’ all American versions of everyday classics will have you dining here often.

My initial surprise upon entry was the interior décor and attention to detail the restaurant hosts.  Huge over sized and private booths entice you to linger.  The intimate setting will afford you the time to savor slowly the exquisitely gratifying cuisine.  Big family sized tables that allow for a bountiful meal and hearty laughter.  It still amazes me the transformation from an old filling station to a unique and beautiful restaurant that ingratiates and welcomes with open arms.

Nat King Cole set the bar way too high for many of you fellows when he crooned “I love you, for sentimental reasons, I hope you do believe me, I’ll give you my heart.” 

It may be that you don’t have the velvety voice of Mr. Cole, and singing your sweetheart a song may cause more harm than good if you can’t carry a tune in a heart shaped box.

If sentimentality isn’t your forte’, my advice is, take your sweetheart to Italy Restaurant and romance her with their culinary creations.  It may save you from dishpan hands, and might even lead to a soiree’ in the hot tub.