Avellinos Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

I rarely write reviews, but I had to write one after eating at Avellinos. I was visiting Blacksburg and had just recovered my smell & taste after a bout with Covid. I was craving a nice Italian meal and was intrigued by the online reviews. Avellinos was about 15 minutes away from where I was staying, but something told me to make the trip and I'm really glad I did.

I ate lunch there at 2:00 on a Thursday afternoon. The restaurant is really cute and inviting inside and the person who seated me was very nice. I immediately felt welcome there. The first thing I noticed was that the restaurant was still at least half full at 2:00 in the afternoon. I sat near a table of people who spoke fluent Italian the entire meal and they were obviously enjoying their food and the atmosphere. There were lots of businesspeople wearing suits & ties in there as well as students and other people dressed casually like me. Music from Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Prima was playing in the background.

My server, Krissy, was the best server I have had in a long time. She was very friendly and attentive and she made my experience there a real joy. She told me she had moved here from New Jersey and that she knows authentic Italian food. She told me that all of Avellinos' food and sauces are prepared in house and that they could accommodate dietary restrictions. She promised I would love the meal and said the food is so good that it sometimes gives her chills! I thought that was really funny but she was actually right.

She also told me that people tend to have long, relaxed meals there, especially on their patio during nice weather. I have never been to Italy, but I lived in France and it reminded me of cafes in Paris where people sit for a few hours enjoying a nice bottle of wine, excellent food, and good conversation.

The first thing Krissy brought me was this amazing bread that is hard to describe. It is nice, thickly sliced Italian bread. I can't do it justice, but it is really crispy on the outside and soft and warm in the middle. The bread is totally addictive and I feel sorry for anyone who is gluten free and can't eat it. I'm embarrassed to say that I ate the entire loaf very quickly and ordered some more.

I had a Capresa salad and a cup of homemade chicken soup as appetizers. Tomatoes were not even in season at the time, but the salad was delicious. Ditto for the soup, which was obviously homemade and a real treat.

My main course was simple cheese ravioli made in a vodka sauce and it was really, really good.

I finished my gigantic lunch off with a slice of limoncello cake, which was also quite memorable.

I literally enjoyed every bite of food I ate there. There's an old country expression I love when food is really good: you tell the cook that they "put their foot in it." Not sure the origin of that expression, but it is a big compliment when someone tells the cook that they put their foot in it. haha. So anyway, the chef at Avellino's clearly put their foot in my entire meal today!

I eat out a lot, and lunches can often be uninspiring or an afterthought for the staff. Not this one. Really well done in a friendly, casual, welcoming atmosphere.

A review I read on here called this restaurant a gem, and I wholeheartedly agree with that. Avellinos is my new favorite restaurant in Bburg and I definitely recommend it. Thank you to Krissy and the entire staff for making what was supposed to be a quick, simple lunch into a really wonderful, memorable dining experience.