Bites Nearby: Strizzi's in Livermore

If you are looking for an Italian restaurant in the Tri-Valley that has consistently good food and won't leave you gasping for air when you get your bill, look no farther than the chain of Strizzi's restaurants in Pleasanton, Danville, Livermore and Fremont. 

I recently visited Strizzi's in downtown Livermore. You are greeted immediately, seated and served warm bread. It is perfectly fine with the basalmic vinegar and oil but my dining companion is a regular at this establishment and asked for "the works" with our bread. We were given a small bowl filled with fresh minced garlic as well as nice thick shaved Parmesan at no extra charge. While the combination sounded horrible to me (who needs that kind of garlic breath unless we are worried about vampires?), my companion was perfectly happy, noshing away on this combo with reckless abandon. 

It wasn't until later that I realized why she was so fearless. She simply asked for a sprig of parsley and a lemon wedge. She nibbled that parsley like a little rabbit, bit into the lemon and the garlic breath vanished. It was amazing! 

Strizzi's has delicious pasta dishes. For dinner you can find anything from Penne Pomodori for $12.99 to Seafood Fettucine for $19.75. It also has wood-grilled items such as chicken, smoked pork chops or salmon ranging from $19.99 to $21. 

You can add a cup of minestrone or clam chowder for $2.99 or a starter salad such as a mixed green, spinach or Caesar. The starter salads are quite large, which was a pleasant surprise. 

The best deals are the combinations for lunch and dinner. The combinations include a cup of soup or a starter salad plus a half pasta entree. The lunch price for the combo is $9.99, the dinner price is $12.75. 

I had the Rigatoni Bolognese with the starter spinach salad. The pasta was delicious in a tangy tomato sauce. I found the spinach salad to be very filling with plenty of egg, bacon and toasted almonds. My companion had the Asiago and Garlic Ravioli. She asked if hers could be tossed in the creamy and spicy Cajun sauce and the server was more than happy to oblige.   

At Strizzis you will find a kids menu with five pasta choices, as well as a wood-grilled chicken option. The meals are $6.99 and include a fun drink cup and ice cream. 

If you aren't keen on pasta for lunch, there are other choices. You can get a mushroom burger, Cajun chicken sandwich or wood-grilled chicken sandwich that comes with a cup of soup or starter salad for $10.99. 

The restaurant also has main course salads that run $8.99-$15.99 for lunch and $14.99-$17.99 for dinner. 

One about Strizzis is that it has early dining (check the website for days and times). If you take advantage of early dining, you will save $2-$4 on your entree. 

The restaurant has a pretty good selection of California wines and some from Italy. Try the yummy gelato to finish your dining experience. 

Strizzi's, 2205 First St., Livermore, 925-456-2200. Lunch: Daily 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Dinner: Sunday - Thursday 4-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 4-10 p.m.