I need to preface this review, by telling you that Visconti’s Ristorante was the first restaurant I visited when I first moved to Folsom five years ago. I’ve pretty much tasted all the cuisines available in Folsom now, and I still have a huge place in my heart and stomach for Visconti’s Ristorante. Being the first restaurant I patronized in Folsom, Visconti’s Ristorante gave me a great insight as to the friendly atmosphere that many of the “professional” restaurateurs in the area want to create. Visconti’s is in the strip mall across the street from the DMV at 322 East Bidwell. The outside of the center is pretty dated, but once inside the atmosphere is purely Italian.
Visconti’s has a huge menu of pastas, chicken, veal, seafood and vegetarian dishes. I could go on and one about the Parmigiana, but based on my last Italian restaurant review, I don’t want you to think that is all I ever eat, but both the veal and the eggplant are both excellent. My favorite dish at Visconti’s Ristorante is the Veal Visconti, which is veal folded with ham, mushrooms, white sauce, marinara sauce then baked with lots of mozzarella cheese on top. My most common order though is the steamed mussels in white wine sauce. This is an item listed in the appetizer section but judging from my many visits, an often order item for dinner. I usually get one of their terrific dinner salads and have the mussels with lots of the great bread to dip into the white wine sauce.
All the meals are served with soup or salad and come with wonderful fresh hot bread. Visconti’s Ristorante has pretty much any type of pasta that you would want, with a great variety of sauces including marinara, meat, Alfredo and white wine. Visconti’s also make wonderful pizza as well. But be prepared when you pick it up, that is one heavy pizza, not one of those wimpy chain pizzas. The homemade dough and very generous toppings make my list of one of the two best pizzas in Folsom.
The Visconti Family atmosphere is not just in the magnificent smells and Italian pictures on the walls. It includes the Visconti family’s table towards the back of the room, where you will often find Mama Visconti giving directions or visiting with staff. The atmosphere is also in the nightly walks of Mr. Visconti as he strolls from table to table visiting with his guests and shaking everyone’s hands. Even on busy weekends, he takes the time to visit with the guests and often his wife will leave her seat at the family table and supervise its’ reset for a large unexpected crowd. Now that is atmosphere. I love dining in Folsom.
Visconti
322 E Bidwell St
Style of food: Italian
2-person dinner incl. wine: $ 38
Overall rating (out of 5): 4.5
