Note to Editor Opinion Piece Concerning Almost Italy: A Quaint Italian Jewel Emerges

Dear Editor,

In a region dotted with chain restaurants, a charming Italian restaurant has been open! Almost Italy is situated just 10 miles of Oxford within the city of Heflin.

The décor is an amazing blend of a dark, moody ambience, paired with colorful abstract art that was painted by an local Artist. Each table is decorated with linen napkins and tablecloths. The diners can sit in the elegant lounge, complete with comfy armchairs and thematic artwork, or in a beautiful outdoor patio. The wait, however, is generally not too long. We arrived around 7pm on a Saturday night. We were welcomed by the hostess and taken the table.

The menu has a limited selection of mouthwatering and delicious appetizers and main courses which will please children as well as adults. I began with a whipped ricotta toast. It was delicious and had just the hint of lemon which gave it a lovely flavor that was light. My husband enjoyed the meatballs as an appetizer. The sauce and meatball were both good however, we discovered the sauce to be somewhat acidic and the meatball to contain an extra pinch of oregano that it required. The main course consisted of white lasagna made of chicken for me, along with Shrimp Alfredo on behalf of my spouse. It was tasty. Personally, I would have enjoyed it more if there was more garlic and parmesan were included. It’s just my personal preference. The meal was nevertheless a enjoyable food. My husband enjoyed his shrimp alfredo. The only issue he had was that the tails remained on the shrimp. While that’s fine on certain dishes, when you’re cooking the flavor of a smoky dish, you would not want to remove the tails. The chef also stated that it could have been better with more shrimp. Regarding the flavor and texture it was tasty. The meal was then followed by a slice cheesecake with homemade raspberry sauce, and an espresso. The cheesecake had just the right balance of tartness and sweetness. The coffee had a lovely strong taste. All of the food we enjoyed was delicious and fresh.

We had the opportunity to have an informal chat with Michael the proprietor of Almost Italy. He is a charming man who has been working in the restaurant business for more than a quarter of a century. It’s almost like Italy is in the stage of its beginning, which means that there will be a following. The menu at the moment isn’t extensive however there are plenty of options to select from. The license for liquor is currently getting it, but they do have a solution in which you can use your personal wine. In all I would rate the restaurant 5 stars. I was impressed by the ambience along with the meal. We’ll definitely be back and we hope for Michael the best of luck in his venture!