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La Dolce Vita: Italian Food Isn't Just Pizza And Pasta

by Lauren Flemming
10/17/2007

Nestled in a small, upstairs loft space on East Broad Street, La Dolce Vita Ristorante remains relatively under the radar for many Athenians. Nevertheless, for those downtown strollers looking for a new restaurant to try, this understated Italian restaurant may be a refreshing option.

Antonio Spadea, chef and owner of La Dolce Vita, is originally from Italy but has settled in downtown Athens after nurturing his culinary skills all over Europe. The menu looks modest at first glance, but actually boasts a number of authentic Italian dishes that are difficult to come across in Athens. An entire section of the menu is devoted to his carpaccio dishes - thin slices of lean beef usually marinated and served rare. For those whose stomachs aren’t ready for rare meat, Spadea has included a portion of cooked carpaccio dishes to try as well.

I started off the meal eager to try the prosciutto and melon appetizer, one of my favorite combinations of sweet and salty. Four large, wedge slices of melon came topped with thin slices of prosciutto draped on top - a nice deviation from the usual melon ball wrapped in prosciutto. The dish met all expectations, and I was soon offered fresh bread with a roasted red pepper pesto spread.

My date and I were then greeted with our entrees, lasagna al forno for me and fetuccini 3 P (panna, prosciutto, piselli) for him. The lasagna was a nice sized portion, and the flavors were fresh and filling - a traditional combination of Bolognese and beschamel sauces layered between flat pasta and more cheese. Classic lasagna, the feel-good meal, although nothing to jump up and down about.

My date’s dish, however, was incredible: packed with flavor from thick chunks of prosciutto and a generous portion of peas adding lots of color to a light and creamy alfredo sauce. Savory and somehow surprisingly light.

We ended the night with a dessert called Torta della Nonna, a lemon pastry similar to pie, but infused with an amazing essence of almond. The waitress told us that Spadea specializes in desserts. I managed to eat the entire piece almost by myself because my date lacks a sweet tooth. I, however, do not, and every bite was worth it. The lemon was just the right balance of sweet and tangy, but the taste of almond throughout complimented by sliced almonds and a generous dusting of powdered sugar on top really brought the dish together for me. The other desserts were hard to turn down, with a selection of bigne pastries and profiteroles, tiramisu (the waiter’s recommendation), cannoli, and gelato.

Prices were moderate, with entrees averaging $13, appetizers at around $6 and most desserts priced at $5.