As I pulled open the glass door to San Vito I was welcomed not only by the kind waitress behind the bar, but also by the fresh aroma of Italian food floating around me. The booth at which I was seated provided a view of the nearby bar that had a brick oven behind it, where many pizzas were being prepared.

As I sat down I could not help but stare at the elegant pictures along the walls. They allowed me to feel as though I was peering upon Italy’s blue waterways and looking up at the nearby buildings. The dimmed lighting and strings of lights wrapped neatly around the small columns within the restaurant gave it a slightly romantic feel.

After our drinks arrived, the waiter brought us baskets of steaming, delicious bread. I ordered the chicken parmesan because it is a classic Italian food. However, I was upset with the wait I had to endure in order to receive my food. It usually only takes about fifteen minutes, whereas in the restaurant the time seemed to double. By the time the food finally came, my family and I had eaten our way through two baskets of bread. But with a simple whiff of the food that the waiter was passing out to us, my stomach suddenly felt empty again.

My meal did not live up to my expectations based off of the food I had previously tried there, such as the spaghetti, calzones and lasagna. However, it was still very appetizing. I was satisfied with the chicken in particular because it was perfectly juicy, unlike other places where the chicken is dry. However, in the future I would probably order the calzones, because they were simply packed full of deliciousness. San Vito serves many variations of its brick oven calzones, filled with your choice of meats, cheeses, vegetables and hearty tomato sauce.

The large portion size of my meal was too much for me to eat alone or at least in one sitting. For a little more than ten dollars per main entree, you can get a plate of food that will keep your stomach full for a couple of days. Despite the fact that there was no room left in my stomach I couldn’t resist trying the desserts, which were brought out on a tray for us to pick from. Since there were so many tempting choices I decided to get the sample platter, which consisted of any choice of three reduced desserts out of all their Italian-styled pastries. My family and I all got something different and shared with each other, but were greatly disappointed because the beautiful display of the food did not taste as good as it looked.

On Fridays and Saturdays San Vito is seemingly crowded around dinnertime. It is hard to find a parking space, seeing as it is located in King’s Park shopping center. However, it is worth the wait to eat a delicious and filling meal. Given their large potions, they can easily be used for special occasions, such as family gatherings and holidays.