For 11 years there was a family owned Italian restaurant that was a fixture in Nashville. Savarino’s Cucina served up sandwiches, pizzas, homemade pastas, and pastries to locals and visitors alike. They were also featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. But in early 2017 the owners were ready to semi-retire, so they closed down the restaurant. I was one of the lucky people who did get to eat at the original restaurant a few years ago.
Now fast forward a few months, after a month long family trip to Italy, the original owner’s son decided to take up the reins and reopen as Savarino’s in Columbia, Tennessee.
Columbia is south of Nashville but it is in an area of Tennessee that I have noticed is starting to grow. I was thrilled when I read that this new location was finally open. During a road trip to Nashville I made sure to stop by for a bite to eat. The best thing is I got there right when they opened for the day so I did not have to wait long.
One of the things I had to order were their aranchinis. These homemade specialties were loaded with seasoned ground beef, peas, and carrots. You get one huge aranchini per order. They are breaded and fried up.
I cut it open as soon as it arrived to the table. I did this so that it would cool off a little.
The flavor of the meat was savory and the vegetables added extra texture. There was the perfect amount of rice that held everything together.
I also ordered their calzone. I had not ordered this before and thought I would try it out. The filling was loaded with cheese, sausage, and pepperoni.
It was extremely hot when it came to the table. Once it cooled down I got to taste the sweet dough and salty meats and cheese. I added some of the homemade pasta sauce which added the herby flavor of oregano. The outside was a little over cooked, I prefer it to be a little softer.
I also ordered a pepperoni and sausage pizza with black olives. I knew that I had already eaten a lot of food but I figured I would take this home and eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. I love leftover, cold pizza.
I did enjoy a slice while it was still hot. The pepperoni were perfect bite size pieces that had all their edges crispy from the oven. The sausage had a bold flavor from the Italian spices. The taste was much more pronounced on the pizza than in the calzone. They used a generous amount of cheese that made those cheese strings when I took a bite. The dough was sweet and complemented the awesome savory pizza sauce.
I am so glad that Savarino’s is back in the game. The family legacy is in good hands with the next generation. Take a little trip south of Nashville to enjoy a little Italian comfort food.
www.facebook.com/savarinoscucina
Enjoy!
T
