Giovanna's Italian Kitchen
1375 Virginia Ave., East Point. 404-762-6755, www.giovannasitaliankitchen.com.
ON A RECENT SUNDAY EVENING, most of the diners at Giovanna's Italian Kitchen in East Point were seated in the spacious bar area. Many were munching with one eye fixed on the football game up on the flat-screen TV, while others seemed content to contemplate their pasta or make small talk with the friendly wait staff. The bartender offered that the relatively quiet conviviality could be the calm before the storm. And that at any moment, all heck might break loose, if a horde of hungry "displaced passengers" bearing airline vouchers decided to descend.
AIRPORT ROW: Such is the boom-and-bust nature of many restaurants doing business around Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. But in a short time, Giovanna's has already built up a reliable Southside neighborhood following, according to manager Matthew Kamal. Atlanta restaurateur Fred Delawalla, who opened Giovanna's in early this year, also owns Malone's, just across I-85 on Virginia Avenue, and Simon's on Main Street in College Park. Like those steak and seafood places, the approach here is to offer reliable food, and atmosphere, service and prices similar to the big-box chains, but with a local touch.
CASUAL ITALIAN: Giovanna's advertises itself as a "casual Italian" restaurant, featuring brick-oven pizza, made-from-scratch pasta dishes and desserts, as well as steaks and seafood. The pizza is classic thin crust, with high quality San Marzano tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, and a variety of toppings, including prosciutto, mushrooms, artichokes and arugula. Pastas are served with salad, ciabatta bread and a vegetable. Pappardelle bolognese is a favorite, with a rich, spicy sauce, thick with ground beef, carrots and onions, over wide egg noodles. Linguine and meatballs, fettuccine Alfredo, lasagna and penne with shrimp, sausage or chicken are among the other offerings. Starters range from steamed mussels in a white wine and tomato broth to fried calamari and grilled portobello mushrooms. And entrees go from a chef's special pot roast to lamb, tuna and veal. The dessert case at the front of the dining room tempts passersby with cheesecake, tiramisu and cannolis.
LUNCH, BRUNCH, BAR: Giovanna's serves lunch daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with lower prices on many items from the dinner menu, plus a variety of salads and sandwiches. On Sundays, there's a brunch menu from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. And the bar is open until 1 a.m. most nights, with specialty cocktails and a surprisingly sophisticated wine and beer list. If only the bartenders wouldn't insist on serving the beers, including Chimay Blue, in frosted glasses.
HOURS: Lunch: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Dinner: 4-10:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Bar open late. Brunch: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays; lunch-dinner: 2-10:30 p.m. Sundays.
CREDIT CARDS: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover
PRICES: Appetizers and soups, $3.50-$8.99; lunch salads and sandwiches, $6.99-$12.99; pizza, $11.99-$14.99; pastas, entrees and steaks, $12.99-$23.99.
RESERVATIONS: Yes
RECOMMENDED DISHES: Pizza; pasta dishes
PARKING: Lot parking
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
SMOKING: On patios
NOISE LEVEL: Moderate
TAKEOUT: Yes
VERDICT
A convivial pizza and pasta place catering to Southsiders and airport travelers.
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