Say Hello to Ciao Ristorante + Enoteca

I love the sheer romance of Italian food. Shaped by hand, crafted with skill and soaked in flavor, you would be hard-pressed to find a cuisine more comforting.

Ciao is an Italian word rife with meaning, and can informally mean both "hello" and "goodbye." Two years ago, the Italian restaurant Ciao Ristorante + Enoteca in Cape Girardeau was taken over by new owners. They, our waitress informed us, completely revamped both the menu and the restaurant itself, leaving us with a unique place to experience.

"Hello," indeed.

With understated decor, this place puts the touches in all the right places. Large twisted-copper lighted globes hang from a ceiling painted dark, a stark and lovely contrast. The fresh flowers on each table were a varied lot with lavender sprigs and golden and green foliage. All tables were set with an array of sparkling glassware, just waiting to be filled with fine vintages. The menus were hefty, clean and pleasing with "CIAO" boldly stated on the front with nothing else competing for your attention.

Now for me, Ciao is definitely one of those special-occasion places, somewhere you go either for a change of scenery or on a special night. The first thing I ordered was baked escargot, because I have always wanted to try escargot, which is a fancy French word for snails. They are land snails, tucked into a mushroom cap and covered with a thin sheet of pastry, then baked until the pastry is golden brown. The presentation looks delicious and the escargot didn't let me down. I expected a texture akin to alligator tail, a little rubbery and firm, but it was not at all. The flavor really can't be compared to anything else. It was mild and slightly reminiscent of shellfish, though I didn't really think it tasted fishy at all. If you are curious and peel off the pastry before eating, you can very easily make out the whole little snail body, which I found fascinating. If you don't think that sounds like a good idea for you, leave the pastry crust on and you'll be just fine.

Spaghetti bolognese with San Marzano tomato sauce and meatballs from Ciao.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

For the main course, I ordered the butter-brushed salmon, a wild salmon brushed with lemon butter sauce and normally served with capers, spinach and polenta. I can't have that delicious creamy polenta, so I subbed out asparagus spears, and they accommodated me beautifully without batting an eye.

The presentation of their plates is top notch and you know it's going to taste good before you even put your fork to the plate. My salmon was cooked perfectly, golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside, flaky and moist throughout. The asparagus spears were tender and not overcooked, and the capers! I love capers, a burst of salt and a little citrus, the perfect complement to the fish. Delicious.

My husband opted for a more familiar Italian meal and ordered chicken parmigiana. And oh my, was this a large portion. Two slices of chicken breast beaten thin into rounds larger than a hand, coated with breadcrumbs and Italian cheeses and served with tomato basil sauce over homemade gnocchi and vegetables, the presentation was once again impressive. Gnocchi is similar to pasta but with a different texture, because usually potatoes are used as a base in the dough. Finding homemade ones in Cape is a treat.

I took a bite and the chicken was tender and juicy. The breading was extremely flavorful, filled with hints of rich cheeses and Italian herbs. It carried the sauce well, strong enough to stand up to the tomato basil flavor and parmesan cheese melted on top and still come through.

Our daughter ordered spaghetti bolognese, but there was nothing run-of-the-mill about this dish. Made with pancetta (think of it as Italian bacon) and Italian sausage, the flavor was sophisticated and meaty. She ordered meatballs with it, and they came on the side in their own little serving bowl, nestled in sauce. They weren't the slightest bit dry and had a wonderfully herbed flavor, obviously homemade and formed with care.

Buttery, baked escargot, under a pastry crust from Ciao.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

Rich and hearty, Ciao's offering of Italian dishes is varied and satisfying, and we all had a unique experience there that we enjoyed immensely -- especially the snails. Ciao!