Singing the praises of Elvira's

By Howard M. Snyder hsnyder@herald-leader.com

RICHMOND — It was the stuff some ­restaurant critics dream of: a small, ­unassuming Italian café. Nothing on the outside of Elvira's Bella Pasta, in a small strip mall just off Richmond's Dr. Robert Martin Eastern ­Bypass, suggested what was ­awaiting me (I was tipped off, though). Inside, the decorations were French, but the menu, with a couple of exceptions, was decidedly Italian.

Here are a few standouts at Elvira's: They make their own pasta and know how to cook it. They use organic ingredients without price gouging. The most expensive item on the menu is $14.95, and we had a bottle of ­Columbia Crest cabernet sauvignon for $9.99.

To start, our server brought my two companions and me shallow bowls of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping bread. The bread wasn't the best — too soft — but it was a freebie.

We ordered calamari fritti ($7.50) and risotto balls ($7.95) to share. Elvira's served the tiniest calamari I've ever had. Breaded and fried (there was a grease trail), the squid were as good as you can get anywhere.

But the marinara dipping sauce was ­extraordinary — the best tomato sauce I've had in my life. It was lighter, brighter and not too herbed. We were eating it with a spoon.

The sauce helped the risotto balls, too. The appetizer, fried rice balls filled with mozzarella cheese, is a southern Italy/Sicilian specialty similar to hush puppies.

Salads, which were included with the ­entrees, were a mix of Romaine and leaf ­lettuces and as fresh as could be. Dressings — in this case, balsamic vinegar and oil and vinegar — were served on the side.

Entrees we sampled were ravioli ­Florentine with Alfredo sauce ($10.95), pollo peste ($10.95) and veal Parmesan ($14.95).

The large ravioli were stuffed with ­spinach and Bernardi cheese, and the pasta was ­homemade and perfectly cooked. They were placed in a rich, rich Alfredo sauce made of cream, butter and Parmesan cheese.

Pesto sauce has a tendency to overwhelm anything it's near. For Elvira's pollo peste, the cooks tossed the ­fettuccine and cubed chicken in a lighter-than-usual basil pesto. The pasta was, again, perfect cooked al dente, and everything was lightly coated with the sauce.

The veal Parmesan was breaded, sautéed and placed on homemade spaghetti. Topping it was the wonderful marinara and ­Parmesan cheese. There were no complaints from ­anyone.

We ordered ravioli for dessert, too. I'll never forget what our server said: ”I'll have to see if we have any dough left.“ They did, and we got fermache ravioli ($3.99), cheesecake filled ravioli-shaped pastries. The were fried and rolled in sugar and served with sliced strawberries. It was heaven. All of the desserts we tried were served with fresh fruit.

The tiramisu ($3.99), though served frozen, was layers of cake, mascarpone cheese and whipped cream. The rich flavor of coffee was evident throughout, and it was drizzled with chocolate sauce. However, it would have been better had they let it thaw.

Lastly, the amaretto ­biscotti cake ($3.99) was rich, rich, rich. Almond-flavored cake had an amaretto-spiked whipped cream icing. It was bella, bella.

Service at Elvira's was professional and courteous. The kitchen was a bit slow, but you have to remember, the staff was making a lot of the food as we ordered it. If this place gets a rush of diners, expect it to get even slower.

Dinner for three, including wine and tax, but not tip, was $101.