LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Tag: Rob Peloni

  • “Favorite People” Dinner at Loveland’s Rodi Italian is a hit!

    “Favorite People” Dinner at Loveland’s Rodi Italian is a hit!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Could Downtown Loveland get any better? One local restaurant has proven that it definitely can and all it took was a little bit of authentic Italian cuisine!

    On Friday, February 5th Rodi Italian, located at 115 Karl Brown Way in the Downtown Historic District of Loveland, hosted a “Favorite People” dinner, in which yours truly was invited, where owner and head Chef Rob Peloni, owner Jo Beyersdorfer, and a very upbeat staff served up some outstanding Italian dishes!

    A view of Rodi Italian’s beautiful bar area

    Peloni and Beyersdorfer thought holding a “soft opening” would give the staff the practice they needed to prepare for the official opening which just recently occurred on Saturday, February 13th.

    Peloni decided to call the soft opening a “Favorite People” dinner because he knew these individuals would be understanding if there happened to be a mistake or coaching on the spot!

    Rodi Italian held four “Favorite People” dinners, two on February 5th at 5 PM and 7:30 PM and two on February 6th at 5 PM and 7:30 PM. Those invited were able to enjoy a beautifully cooked meal and drink free of charge with up to six guests.

    Rodi was sure to abide by COVID-19 regulations during the soft-opening by enforcing masks and built-in plexiglass structures that were strategically placed between each table as well as each separate group of individuals at the bar.

    Rodi Italian’s dining area

    I attended Rodi Italian’s “Favorite People” dinner on Friday, February 5th at 7:30 PM and decided to bring along my boyfriend, Adam, his Father, Dave, and Step-Mother, Debbie, for what I knew was going to be a fun-filled evening!

    When I entered Rodi Italian’s beautifully remodeled restaurant I witnessed the hustle and bustle you would typically see at a restaurant that has the desire to succeed. Owner Jo was there to greet each and every single guest that walked into Rodi with a “smize” (smile with your eyes) as she enthusiastically walked each of us to our table. When we sat down we were thoroughly impressed with the COVID-19 regulations as Rodi had individual plexiglasses hanging from the ceiling dividing each seating area. Not only did this addition make me and my guests feel safe it also made for one special private dining experience!

    The Rodi Italian decor was exactly what I imagined it to be; both modern and vintage, with industrial high ceilings, and a specially made liquor/bar glass shelving system that gave off a beautiful purple glow. Those were just a few of the unique Rodi decor finishes that caught my eye! In the heart of Rodi’s state-of-the-art open concept kitchen is a gorgeous ceramic wood fire pizza oven, with “RODI” embedded in the ceramic tiles on the front. Peloni wanted the open kitchen concept with the one-of-a-kind pizza oven at the heart of it all because he thought guests would enjoy watching their delicious homemade Italian dishes and pizzas being prepared by him and his crew!

    Of course, the restaurant decor and atmosphere is not the only thing Rodi Italian has to offer; both the service and food are also out of this world!

    Rodi Italian’s Wood Fire Pizza Oven

    When my guests and I attended the “Favorite People,” we were greeted with the utmost kindness and enthusiasm by our waiter. Not only did he thoroughly explain the menu, which is predominately authentic Italian dishes, he was also able to help us select glasses of wine (Rodi has a great selection of Italian wines) that we ended up loving! I was very impressed that in light of it being a “soft-opening” the staff was more than prepared for both menu and wine questions.

    After looking at what was a “soft opening” menu (not the full Rodi menu) my guests and I decided to start our Italian dinner off with the “Brussels,” which included arugula, shaved brussel sprouts, crispy pancetta, shaved ricotta salata, pine nuts, lemon juice, and olive oil, and the “Occhi Blu,” which was prepared using romaine hearts, pancetta, creamy gorgonzola, and balsamic dressing. I am vegan so the kitchen was able to modify the Brussels for me, which I greatly appreciated!

    The kitchen quickly prepared our appetizers and wow was the presentation impressive! Check out the photos I took of the Brussels and the Occhi Blu below!

    The “Brussels”

    After enjoying some wine and appetizers we selected the most important part of our Italian experience; the main course! I went with the “Cacio Pepe,” which included fusilli pasta, pecorino, cracked pepper, and olive oil, as did my boyfriend’s step-mom. My boyfriend ordered the “Emilia-Romagna” pizza, which was made with cream, mozzarella, roasted corn, prosciutto cotto, and sea salt, and his dad selected the “Lasagne,” a traditional lasagne bolognese layered with fontina and prosciutto cotto.

    The “Occhi Blu”

    My guests and I were more than impressed with the Rodi Italian cuisine! My boyfriend’s step-mom at one point said, “This is the best pasta I have ever had,” and I couldn’t have agreed more. The texture of the pasta, the use of olive oil, and the addition of the cracked pepper just left me begging for more! Like I mentioned previously I am vegan so I did have to get some much-needed commentary on what precisely the Lasagne and pizza tasted like! According to my boyfriend, the pizza expert, the Emilia-Romagna pizza was not only, “perfectly cooked” but also “unique” in that the roasted corn perfectly complimented the prosciutto cotto and mozzarella. Check out the photo I captured below of Rodi Italian’s Emilia-Romagna pizza!

    Rodi Italian’s “Emilia-Romagna” Pizza

    Although my guests and I had a small amount of leftovers because the dishes were so incredible, I will say the portion sizes for just one dish were more than enough to feed multiple people! My advice is that if you are planning on making a trip to Rodi Italian, which I highly recommend, come with an empty stomach and your English to Italian translation dictionary so you fully understand what meal your selecting. If you forget your dictionary no big deal as the staff is fully equipped to steer you in the right direction!

    Rodi Italian officially opened their doors to the general public, Saturday, February 13th. Rodi is closed on Monday’s, open from 4:30 PM to 10 PM Tuesday through Saturday, and open from 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM on Sunday’s.

    Carry-out will begin on Wednesday, February 17th. For the time being Rodi Italian will only be open for dinner service, but when the weather begins to warm up Rodi plans on opening its doors for both lunch and weekend brunch. To make reservations you can visit Rodiitalian.com or call 513-774-RODI.

    Congratulations to Rob and Jo, owners of Rodi Italian, as well as the staff for hosting such a brilliant soft opening! Here at Loveland Magazine, we know that this authentic Italian restaurant will not only succeed but will quickly become one of the go-to restaurants in Downtown, Loveland! We are excited to see what the future holds for this new Loveland gem!

    For more of the Loveland Salad With Me, Cassie Mattia stay tuned!

  • A Peek into RODI Italian –Historic Downtown Loveland’s Latest Restaurant Addition!

    A Peek into RODI Italian –Historic Downtown Loveland’s Latest Restaurant Addition!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Rob Peloni

    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!

    [Video Interview] Authentic Italian Restaurant Plants its Roots in the Heart of Downtown Loveland!

    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!

    The Faema E91Coffee Espresso Machine, which will feature Cafe Filicori Coffee straight from Bologna, Italy!

    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.

    Rob Peloni showing me the early draft of the RODI menu

    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!

  • [Video Interview] Authentic Italian Restaurant Plants its Roots in the Heart of Downtown Loveland!

    [Video Interview] Authentic Italian Restaurant Plants its Roots in the Heart of Downtown Loveland!

     

    Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine, lives in Historic Downtown, and is Italian-American!

    By: Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – As Historic Downtown Loveland expands so is the cuisine! I’m not just talking restaurant chains or commercialized venues, I’m taking REAL straight from Northern Italy homemade Italian food!

    Coming to Loveland in Mid-September is “RODI,” owned by new local Roberto aka Rob Peloni and his wife, Cincinnati native, Jo Beyersdorfer. RODI is set to offer one of the most authentic Italian menus you can find in the Tri-State area along with wines, beers, and coffee shipped in from all over the world. Oh, and did I mention Rob literally imported his Gelato machine in his very own vehicle all the way from L.A. just so he could add his homemade Italian Gelato to RODI’s menu?!

    Peloni’s father, Angelo Peloni, is a legendary chef in L.A who has his own successful Italian restaurant called La Bruschetta. For 38 years La Bruschetta has offered all of Angelo’s very own recipes that found their origins in Northern Italy. Peloni spent multiple years in L.A with his father running his own restaurant and learning as much as he possibly could from his father and the culinary masters that reside in L.A. With just that information alone, and of course, the fact that I am VERY Italian myself, hence my last name is Mattia, I knew I had to learn more about the Peloni’s!

    An early rendering of what RODI Italian will look like.

    When I expressed interest in RODI, Peloni himself invited me over to see the restaurant’s layout. While I was there Peloni participated in an on-camera interview so that he could answer the questions that I thought the community of Loveland would be “craving” to hear answers to.

    Intrigued yet?! If your answer is yes today is your lucky day because we have included below the full on-camera interview with Rob Peloni and believe me you don’t want to miss his inspirational cooking journey! So sit back, grab a couple of breadsticks to go with your pasta, and enjoy my exclusive one-on-one interview with “RODI” owner Roberto Peloni!

    Be sure to stay up to date on when RODI will be opening up its doors to the public by visiting the restaurant’s Facebook page @rodiloveland or RODI’s official website HERE!