Ristorante Gioia

Ristorante Gioia
140 Washington Street
978.744.7333

How can a fairly decent sized Italian restaurant be hidden away in down town Salem? By putting their entrance on a desolate side street.

Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday I occasionally see people in Ristorante Gioia but its always empty when I go in. I felt like I was in a before segment of Chef Ramsays Kitchen Nightmares all alone in a restaurant on a Friday night.

We were greeted and seated in a nice table by the window so we could watch the people walk by as they started their night out. The restaurant was clean and decorated with Tuscan influences (minus the ceiling tiles). Our wait staff was attentive and helpful, answering the questions about our selections. The appetizer menu was interesting offering up some items not found elsewhere in Salem. We opted for the Mozzarella Davinci ($8), a brick of baked mozzarella stuffed with prosciutto seasoned and topped with red sauce.

Ristorante Gioia’s menu abounds with traditional Italian favorites making the choice difficult. I went with the Vitello Saltimbocca ($20) while my companion chose the Ravioli di Aragosta ($20). The veal served with pasta on the side was prepared in a white wine sauce was nice although a bit tough. The lobster in the lobster ravioli seemed a little bland and slightly overpowered by the garlic (perhaps due to eating lobster early in the season) but that didn’t stop it from being totally consumed.

Deserts at Ristorante Gioia are purchased daily from Modern Pastry, a legendary desert shop in Boston’s Italian North End neighborhood. Most prices are around $5 and you can’t go wrong with any selection. I chose the cannoli as it’s one of my personal favorites.

Of note this Italian restaurant has a nice selection of wines and beer but look elsewhere if you want a cocktail. As we have seen with many other restaurants in Salem this is a beer and wine only establishment.

Atmosphere: C
Drinks: n/a beer & wine only
Food: B
Service: B+
Overall: B-