by Cassie Mattia
Loveland, Ohio – As the holidays are right around the corner, many are looking for that perfect family gathering spot where they can safely sit down, catch up with loved ones, and enjoy an affordable yet delicious meal. Well, the wait is almost over as Rodi Italian, located in Historic Downtown Loveland at 115 Karl Brown Way, is set to have its soft opening in December.
In August I visited Rodi to get a feel for the beautiful Italian eatery and wow was I impressed! From the traditional Italian family recipes to the plethora of Italian wines, to the rustic decor, I knew that this soon-to-be Loveland hot-spot would take the community by storm! To see my on-camera interview with Roberto Peloni, Rodi Italian’s owner and head chef, click below!
Since my last visit to Rodi Italian, the restaurant has been totally transformed! Loveland Magazine’s Editor in Chief, David Miller, myself, and my nephew, Emmett, visited Rodi last week just to see the transformation, and after seeing all the new additions, we are more than excited to welcome Rodi Italian into the Loveland restaurant culture!
Peloni walked as through his restaurant as he explained what went into all the new restaurant additions and how proud he was of what Rodi was becoming.
Since August, Rodi Italian’s Stefano Ferrara Neapolitan Wood-Burning Pizza Oven has been installed and is up and running. Peloni said that they recently made their first pizza and he couldn’t wait to share them with Loveland! Click the link below to see a video of Rodi Italian’s first pizza being made in their brand new pizza oven!
https://www.facebook.com/rodiloveland/videos/165089161926803
Each pizza served on Rodi Italian’s menu will be Neapolitan style and cooked from scratch in their 900-degree wood-burning pizza oven. Some of the unique pizza’s that will be served on Rodi Italian’s menu is, Brussels, which will include shaved Brussel sprouts, pancetta, and fontina, finished with ricotta and lemon drizzle, Figs, which will have olive oil, fontina, fresh figs with gorgonzola, and fig puree, and The Fun Guy (FUNGHI), which will include cream, Tallegio, fontina, sausage, a blend of mushrooms, and sea salt. Gluten-Free pizza crust will be available as well.
As we walked through Rodi Italian Peloni showed us another one of their newest additions, The Faema E91Coffee Espresso Machine, which will feature Cafe Filicori Coffee straight from Bologna, Italy! Rodi Italian is the only restaurant other than a few spots in New York, California, and Chicago, that will have this specialty coffee. Peloni shared with us that his restaurant will be serving Brunch on Saturday’s and Sunday’s, he just hasn’t decided on the hours as of now.
As an Italian myself, when I think of a traditional Italian meal I always end up grabbing a beautiful Italian wine that will pair nicely with my meal. Peloni reassured me that finding the perfect wine to match my meal wouldn’t be a problem at Rodi Italian as the restaurant will feature over 70 different labels from Italy and California. As I looked around Rodi Italian I could already see that wine would be a major part of the restaurant as it had gigantic beautifully sculpted wine holders framing one of their doorways and a state of the art mahogany bar located in the heart of the restaurant surrounded with chairs for guests. Rodi Italian’s one-of-a-kind bar was built by The Cincinnati Wood Collaborative, a group that specializes in repurposing wood. The bar will also include 10 beers on tap and 10-15 bottled beer options.
What goes better with a glass of wine than a traditional Italian appetizer or salad? No need to look any further as Rodi Italian will have plenty of legendary family recipes for the community to enjoy! Rodi Italian’s salads and small plates section of the menu will feature items such as The Cesare (an old family recipe), which includes anchovy, garlic, and romaine, the Burrata Tartufato, which is a ball of hand-pulled burrata cheese over arugula, shaved black truffles, and crostini, and the Sacchetti ‘Beggar’s Purse’ (a house specialty), which will feature a pizza dough purse filled with roasted garlic and herbs in olive oil.
Although Rodi Italian’s menu isn’t entirely official yet, Peloni was kind enough to give Loveland Magazine the okay to share a few of the Pasta options, “Chef Rob’s Seasonal Menu,” and the Dinner Plates. A few of the Pasta menu items, which will be made from scratch in the restaurant, that grabbed my attention was the Rodi Pasta, which features Fusilli (GF option available) sauteed with thin onion, pancetta, green peas, and white wine, the Family Recipe Lasagna, a traditional meat sauce lasagna created by Peloni and his family, and the Risotto Al Porcini, which includes Porcini mushrooms, shallots, and green peas.
Peloni told us that he will consistently be featuring a Seasonal Menu crafted by him using ingredients that are in season for that particular time of the year. One of the seasonal meals that caught my attention was the Ravioli Di Zucca, a pumpkin filled ravioli sauteed in brown sugar and sage finished with pieces of toasted hazelnuts. YUM!
Rodi Italian’s Dinner Menu also includes a “Plates” section and of course a few items for the Bambini’s a.k.a The Kids! One particular item on the Plates section that sounded delicious is the Cacciuco, which includes clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari, white fish, and salmon in a tomato and fish stalk broth. This traditional seafood soup originated in Liguria where Peloni’s family is from. Of course, we can’t forget about the Bambini’s menu, which will feature Kids Antipasto, Mini Cheese Pizza, S’ghetti, and the Cheese and Fries Pizza (a kid favorite in Italy), which will literally be an 8-inch pizza, covered in tomato sauce, and mozzarella topped with french fries!
Walking through Rodi Italian and seeing what the building was in August compared to what it is now has made us more than excited to introduce this traditional family Italian restaurant to the community! Like I mentioned previously Rodi Italian is set to have a soft opening in December but as for the official date, Peloni said he will announce it via Rodi’s Facebook Page or Website. Rodi Italian’s dinner hours are set to be Tuesday – Friday 11:30 A.M. – 10 P.M. Again Peloni plans on opening up on Saturday’s and Sunday’s for Brunch, but the hours are yet to be set.
We want to thank Rodi Italian and Rob Peloni for letting Loveland Magazine be a part of the Rodi journey and we cannot wait for opening day! Take a few moments to check out our photo album featuring our walk-through at Rodi Italian last Friday!
Click on an image to see it larger and to click through the photo album.
For more of the Loveland Salad with me, Cassie Mattia, stay tuned!
Such gushing coverage of the grand opening of a banquet hall in the midst of this pandemic demonstrates grotesquely bad judgment. You should not be delighted at the prospect of a new place that can host large gatherings that are both explicitly forbidden and common-sense imprudent. I am very disappointed that you chose to publish such a piece at this time of crisis.
The social distancing was appropriate, and masked were being donned. This is not a banquet hall, Jen, it is a restaurant.
Nice article Dave.