Local Shout-out: Pizzeria Venti

On Tuesday of last week, I met up with local Tweeps #smmtv at a new restaurant.

We all had the privilege of speaking with the owner, Frank Shaffer, first hand about his pizzeria venture. He owns Pizzeria Venti in Temecula with his wife, Diane. They've been opened for two months.  Frank said that he was tired of retirement (imagine that!) and said he was ready for a new adventure. So they looked into this small franchise (there are currently 13 franchises opened with another 9 coming soon in various states) by visiting another one and really liked the way the food tasted and the atmosphere. Frank is a "NY Italian" and he likes his food a certain way - HIS way! =) His family (parents) are from the outside of Sicily so his tastes have been shaped the right way!

Frank is in the red shirt. He's hands-on.

Their menu encompasses a nice range of Italian items like thin crust pizza, calzones, and pasta. They also offer 5 or 6 different salads (individual or a shareable item), beer and of course, vino (wine). 

Frank said that some ingredients are imported from the Tuscan region of Italy so that the food has a truly authentic feel and taste. As far as produce, he and his wife, support local farmers by visiting the Farmer's Market on average about once a week buying ingredients like peaches, lettuce and other items that spoil quickly. Other items that have a longer shelf life like apples and pasta he orders from a distributor for the franchise. 

A big bonus is that this restaurant has been selected as the pilot program for the iPad menu roll out they plan to do in the near future. A group of photographers were present to capture every single item on the menu to feature it as a "at your fingertip" ordering from your table. Customers will have an opportunity to order at the register or sitting down and ordering from their table and paying as well. Convenience at its finest! Don't worry though, the hospitality is high on the scale. You will still feel like part of the family. The staff took care of removing empty plates and asking us if we needed anything on a regular basis. To me, having lived in Italy, it felt like a true Italian restaurant atmosphere. In Italy, there is no rush to leaving any restaurant. Once you're there, you're like family! Many great memories are shared around the "dinner" table in an Italian family/setting. 

I enjoyed a 4"x8" slice of garlic broccoli pizza and shared their fresh apple salad with my friend @edecristo (find her on Twitter) and a piccolo (small) serving of hazelnut gelato. Thank you friend for treating me to an awesome lunch with your #smmtv group. I'm happy to be a part of a local Tweet Up but I'm happier supporting a locally ran and owned business. 

If you're in the Temecula Valley, do stop in and see Frank and Diane Shaffer at Pizzeria Venti. Ask to be added to their e-mailing list so that you can receive their specials. Buon Appetito!!

For more information on the Pizzeria Venti franchise: Visit http://www.pizzeriaventi.com/locations.asp.