Review: Pietro's Italian needs some work

Chilean Sea bass prepared Sicilian style with a sauce of Pinot Grigio and vegetables on angel hair pasta at Pietro's Famiglia Ristorante Italiano.

Some people crave a big, juicy steak or a cold beer the way I crave a bowl of hot pasta. Swirling ribbons of pappardelle in meaty Bolognese or rigatoni tossed in spicy puttanesca — no week is complete without a helping of the stuff.

So I head over to Pietro's Famiglia Ristorante Italiano in Sparks the other night in search of pasta nirvana.

When I walk in the door, I'm unsure where the restaurant is until I notice a sign pointing me toward a staircase that leads to Pietro's. The room is warm and inviting. Pink walls display enormous paintings that depict another era.

Tables — only about a dozen in the main dining room — are clad in green and white tablecloths, and glass water goblets display red napkins. Vases hold a single red rose.

Patrons laugh over glasses of wine — in the case of a table behind me, it seems like they've had several — or whisper over their plates.

Calamari fritti, touted by the waiter as the best on the West Coast, is delicious. Tender rings and tentacles are lightly battered, fried crisp, sprinkled with fresh parsley and served with marinara.

The squid is flavorful, and the coating isn't overwhelming. A squeeze of lemon and a dip in the marinara provide coolness and balance.

Insalata caprese is less successful. Small Roma tomato slices are topped with fresh mozzarella, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and served on a bed of mixed greens.

The tomatoes are not quite ripe, and the mozzarella is dry — it lacks the creamy mouthfeel of high-quality fresh mozzarella. More olive oil is needed, and where's the basil? I only see specks of the herb.

Minestrone primavera — explained as a nontraditional version lacking tomatoes and beans — incorporates zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, tubetti-style pasta, pesto and freshly grated parmesan in chicken stock. The soup is decently tasty but lacks real excitement.

The insalata della casa is forgettable. Mixed greens, too-large chunks of iceberg, onion and cucumber slices, and a stingy amount of gorgonzola are tossed with the house dressing, an Italian-style vinaigrette.

The scallops special — ringing in at $26.95 — features seared sea scallops served atop capellini tossed with tomatoes, spinach, garlic, olive oil and basil. The large scallops are cooked nicely, but the accompanying pasta is bland.

Several dashes of salt remedy the seasoning problem, but the dish would have greater appeal with more tomatoes and spinach.

Pollo piccata is a chicken breast sautéed in garlic, white wine, butter, lemon and capers and served alongside a helping of linguine and vegetables — green beans, zucchini, squash, carrots and green bell peppers.

The chicken is a little dry, but the piccata sauce perks things up. The vegetables are overcooked and tired.

Desserts are uninspired and seem like an afterthought. Tiramisù is dry, with two layers of ladyfingers separated by a miniscule layer mascarpone and cocoa. More cocoa on top, and the dessert is almost powdery.

Cannoli are highly disappointing, the crunchy shells stuffed with dry, chalky filling and speckled with way too much chopped chocolate. There's no creaminess whatsoever.

Service is friendly. Although the server splashes a bit of my wine and botches the presentation of the caprese salad, he is pleasant and times dishes properly.

Pietro's, with its expansive menu and Victorian Avenue location, offers what could be a prime spot to appeal to locals. But at $83 for dinner for two — excluding cocktails or wine — I expect higher quality dishes.

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