Review of Sal's by Victor restaurant

1242 Richmond Road,
Williamsburg, VA 23185
(757) 220-2641
Family run restaurant specializing in both Southern and Northern Italian cuisine and serving Williamsburg since 1974.

Mindy's Review...

I don't think you can possibly live in Williamsburg and not know about Sal's by Victor. This is definitely a local's favorite and has been voted best Italian restaurant by the VA Gazette every year since 1996. Because of this, we've already visited Sal's by Victor a number of times. We were more than happy though to visit them once again for the review because it was such a favorite of ours. Since the remodel a couple years back, we hadn't even seen the left side of the restaurant yet and had only sat on the right side of the restaurant. The right side has more of a "cafe" feel and is perfect for eating a pizza or sitting with friends. This time we were able to sit in the middle of the section to the left. It has a very "Italian" feel with arches, lovely Italian paintings filling the walls and Italian music playing in the background. Even the ceilings give it an authentic Italian feel with beautiful chandeliers and hanging lights. No matter what side you sit on though, you will be eating great food.

Since literally everything on the menu looked good to us, the chef choose what he thought were the best dishes for us to try. We started off with Insalata Di Mare. It is a refreshing seafood salad with a lemon sauce. When the plate was first brought out, I expected the calamari to be tough, but it was tender and soft. The various types of fish almost melted in my mouth. I really enjoyed this dish. Next up was the Involtini di Melanzane, which was an eggplant stuffed w/Mozzarella, Ricotta and Grana Padana. This is a step up from the traditional eggplant parmesan I am used to. The manager told us that the Grana Padana had been imported from Italy, along with various other ingredients on their menu to ensure quality and authentic Italian flavors. The main dishes we tasted were the Cavatoni Alla Capri and the Veal Saltimbocca. The pasta in the Cavatoni Alla Capri was delicious and unique. I loved the taste of the tomatoes, garlic and olive oil that was mixed in with the shrimp. The Veal Saltimbocca was also very flavorful. It was veal topped with w/a slice of Prosciutto di Parma and a slice of mozzarella cheese. I love how some of the traditional dishes are given a twist at Sal's by Victor. The sauce that was drizzled over the dish was so flavorful that I told Eddie I could eat a soup of just that sauce! One of the things we noticed was that Victor offers a variety of different sauces for his dishes. He does not take the easy way out by only making one red sauce and one cream sauce. You'll notice sauces like vodka sauce, Victor's meat sauce, lobster cream sauce, and white wine butter sauce, just to name a few. So, you'll get a unique combination of flavors in your sauce, depending on what dish you choose. We ended our meal with two desserts. The first one was their house-made Cannoli. You get little bursts of chocolate in the filling because of the mini chocolate chips mixed in with the creamy center. The crust of the Cannoli was very crunchy and sweet and reminded me of a waffle ice cream cone. We also tasted their Imported Orange Sorbet. This was soft, creamy, and had a nice strong orange flavor served in a frozen orange shell. Our entire visit was enjoyable, from the atmosphere to the food. You can bet we will be here again.

My Favorite Thing: Cavatoni Alla Capri - "Victor's special pasta served with jumbo shrimp, sauteed with extra virgin olive oil, garlic & fresh tomatoes.". The sauce tasted so fresh with the tomatoes and the flavors in it were not your typical red sauce. It had its own flair and that's what I really liked about it. I was savoring each bite.

What I would like to try next time: Lobster Ravioli - "Ravioli stuffed with lobster & crab meat, in a lobster cream sauce". This item caught my eye when we first sat down and looked at the menu. Though there were lots of other dishes that looked appetizing, I think this is one I would want to try the most.

---

Eddie's Review...

Mangia! Mangia!
Every town needs a good Italian restaurant. And we here in Williamsburg have a GREAT one. In 1974, Sal's by Victor opened in Williamsburg under the name "Sal's", named after the original owner "Salvatore". In 1990, Chef Vittorio Minichiello (Victor) purchased the restaurant from Sal and chose to keep the name, but added "by Victor" to the title. The rest, as they say, is history. As Mindy noted above, Sal's by Victor has been voted Virginia Gazette’s “Best in Williamsburg” for the Italian Restaurant category every year since 1996. They've become a staple here in Williamsburg and is widely known as one of the best restaurants in town.

One of the main reasons for their success is Chef Victor's incredible attention to detail and extreme pickiness in making sure they use only top quality ingredients. Most of them directly imported from Italy. This not only includes the ingredients in their food, but also the products that they offer, such as their fine selection of wine and coffee from Italy. The decor also reflects this as the restaurant is filled with beautiful artwork from Italian artists mostly depicting the beautiful countryside of Italy. These were added to the restaurant as it was completely remodeled following a fire in 2009. It was great to see the community rally around Victor, his family and the restaurant during this time and celebrate with them during their opening of the newly remodeled Sal's by Victor. Talk about turning a tragedy into a blessing. It has been remodeled beautifully inside with a classic Italian feel. Large paintings, standing columns, arches and Italian music in the background help set the mood for a wonderful meal.

We started off our meal with a couple of appetizers. The first was the Insalata di Mare – "Mixed Seafood Salad with Lemon Sauce". This was incredibly fresh and delicious. A nice cool Seafood Salad with large portions of seafood inside. The lemon sauce is very subtle and not too overpowering. This is a great "light" way to start a meal. Our second appetizer was the Involtini di Melanzane – "Eggplant stuffed with Mozzarella, Ricotta and Grana Padana cheeses". The cheeses were wrapped by thin strips of eggplant as opposed to most eggplant dishes where the eggplant is in the center. If you don't like eggplant, try this one. It's flavor is subtle here as the cheese is the highlighted ingredient. I loved it. On to the entrées. Our first entrée was the Cavatoni Alla Capri – "Victor’s Special Pasta served with Jumbo Shrimp, sauteed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic & Fresh Tomatoes". This was awesome! The jumbo shrimp and surrounding flavors were very tasty. For me though, the highlight of the dish was the pasta. It was thick and chewy. Almost doughy. Not the typical pasta your used to. I just kept wanting to eat it. Then came the Veal Saltimbocca – "Tender Veal topped with a slice of Prosciutto di Parma and a slice of Mozzarella Cheese. Served with a side of the Vegetables of the Day". Amazing. The flavors here are SO good. The veal, prosciutto and mozzarella combined with that delicious sauce are making my mouth water right now. And I have no more Veal Saltimbocca in front of me to quench that desire. Agonizing. For dessert we had their homemade Cannoli and then an Imported Orange Sorbet. The Cannoli was very good. Large and beautifully made. The Imported Orange Sorbet was fantastic. The REAL orange flavor coming from a REAL orange is nice to experience. It was delightfully presented inside of a frozen orange and held in a sleek glass container that seemed to be made specifically for this dessert. And thus ended another great meal. The only disappointment was not adding their pizza to the review. It's one of the best in Williamsburg.

My Favorite Thing: This was another tough one. I really loved the pasta in the Cavatoni Alla Capri, but the amazing flavors in the Veal Saltimbocca gives it the trophy.
 
What I would like to try next time: Smoked Chicken Ravioli – "Fresh Ravioli filled with tender Smoked Chicken. Served with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Asparagus & Basil in a rich Cream Sauce". There's a zillion dishes to choose from off their menu, but this one is the one that sticks out to me the most.

For more Williamsburg restaurant reviews, visit www.EatPlayWilliamsburg.com

Virginia is for [Wine/Food/History/Nature/etc.] Lovers

Being the product of a childhood spent in a military family, I am no stranger to moving from one place to another, often on short notice. I suppose that upbringing has instilled in me a strong wanderlust, and there is nothing I love more than hitting the road to explore some new terrain. I’ve lived all over the eastern seaboard and called Belgium home for many years, but I have never found a place quite like Virginia. At first glance, to those of us who have spent decades or more here, Virginia seems commonplace and just…Virginia. What does it mean to be a Virginia resident, really? There’s a longstanding debate over whether or not we’re in “The South”, with some people saying we are because we’re technically south of ye olde Mason-Dixon Line, but there are others who refer to us as “Mid-Atlantic”. So we’re Southerners? Mid-Atlanticites? (I think I just made up a word!) I guess both are true. I don’t know, and I don’t really care, because neither one changes the fact that Virginia is an awesome place to live. If you take a minute to think about what it really means to live here, I can totally understand why “Virginia is for Lovers” was craftily chosen as the tourism slogan for our Commonwealth.

Virginia has the best of everything. For starters, we have these things called “seasons”, which are pretty well-defined between being snowy and cold (for the most part) in the winter and blazingly hot in the summer, with spring and fall being just short of heavenly, temperature-wise. We have beautiful mountains that are flecked with breath-taking waterfalls, streaked with hiking trails, and brimming with nature. We have beaches that families flock to as soon as Target starts selling bathing suits (i.e., late-February), we’re in close proximity to Washington D.C., and there is history dating back to the birth of our Nation nearly everywhere you look. We also have an impressive collection of dynamite, chef-owned restaurants that are artfully crafting some delicious nom-noms using locally grown ingredients. Now what goes best with artfully-crafted nom-noms? If you said, “HEY! I know! Artfully-crafted wine!” you would be correct.

Did you know that there are 208 wineries in Virginia? Did you also know that we have 6 distinct AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), 9 Virginia Wine Regions, with 24 Wine “Trails” that have been identified by ViriniaWine.org?  With all of this wine greatness in the area, you could be really ambitious and do 2 different trails a month and it would still take a year to see every existing winery in Virginia!

I happen to live on the outskirts of the Monticello AVA, right smack in the middle of the Central Virginia Wine Region, so you can imagine how many times I’ve been to the wineries that make up a large part of the landscape in the Charlottesville area. Some of Virginia’s best wineries are here, including Barboursville, whose wines have seen national and international recognition twice since early 2011. (The Barboursville 2008 Reserve Cabernet Franc beat out 97 entries for “Best in Class” at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, which is the largest wine competition in the nation.) Bleinheim Vineyards, owned by Dave Matthews, is a perennial favorite among wine and music lovers alike and boasts some of the most beautiful wine labels I’ve ever seen.

Lately, I’ve begun to explore wineries outside of my local area and have come across some very pleasant surprises. To supplement my exploration of Virginia’s wine industry, I checked out this amazing documentary that focuses on the industry’s growth in the Commonwealth. Here are some of my favorites with notes on each winery by region and wine trail, in alphabetical order:

Central Virginia Region, Monticello Wine Trail

-          Barboursville Vineyards Barboursville, Virginia

o   The Octagon takes the prize for me here. We always keep a bottle of it on hand to serve with robust dishes, such as braised beef perfumed with rosemary and thyme. Think “slow-cooked comfort foods” with this one, like Osso Bucco or Boeuf Bourguignon.

o   Fun fact: The atmosphere here is wonderful, with the grounds including a Virginia historic landmark. The tasting room is large with a distinctly European feel. Barboursville is also one of the few wineries I’ve been to with a full-service restaurant, so you can truly make a nice afternoon or evening out of your visit.

-           Jefferson Vineyards Charlottesville, Virginia

o   There are really no wines here that I dislike, but the standouts are the Cabernet Franc and the Viognier. The Cabernet Franc has that dark fruit intensity that I love in a red wine, reminiscent of cherries, along with spicy notes that make it a favorite of mine for sipping alone or with a nice steak.

o   Fun fact: The grounds here are the site of Jefferson’s original vine plantings, so it’s almost like you’re getting a sip of history. Nice tasting room, to boot, and the last time I was there, the tasting glasses (that you get to keep) were Riedel. Not bad for $10.

-          King Family Vineyards Crozet, Virginia

o   Wonderful wines and atmosphere, and the Meritage is my favorite of their offerings. The wonderful woodsy, dark fruit, and mocha notes make this one a favorite to sip and enjoy with a meal of grilled game or red meat.

o   Fun fact: On Sundays, visitors can pack a picnic, grab any of King Family’s stellar wines, and enjoy a live polo match on the grounds. Wine + ponies? Isn’t that every girl’s dream?

Northern Virginia Region, Loudoun Wine Trail

-          Breaux Vineyards Purcellville, Virginia

o   Breaux is a stunning estate with over 100 acres of vines. Their Nebbiolo, made from the namesake grape that is a hallmark of the Piedmont Region of Italy, is a delicious catch that is not seen at many Virginia wineries.

o   Fun fact: Breaux often has “Gumbo Saturdays” where visitors can enjoy a steaming, fresh bowl of the traditional Cajun fare along with their wine. Would you expect anything less from a winery whose owner has deep family roots in Louisiana?

-         Dry Mill Vineyards and Winery Leesburg, Virginia

o   You will notice that this is the only entry where the winery name appears rather bloated. That’s no accident – this is by far my favorite winery in Virginia. Tucked away on a nondescript road just outside of the town of Leesburg, Dry Mill is easy to miss, but so worth the stop. Two words come to mind when I think of Dry Mill: Cabernet Franc. I am a huge Cab Franc fan to begin with (it is the star red grape of Virginia, after all), but this one has captured my heart, so much so that this is the only winery where I have joined their wine club, and it’s over two hours away from where I live! The Cab Franc is luscious and is absolutely delicious on its own or paired with a steak (are you noticing a pattern here in my eating/drinking habits?). It is so good that my husband called and emailed the winery trying to get his hands on a case of the 2008 vintage, but they are sadly sold out. Lucky for us the 2009 is a good one, too!

o   Fun fact: Dry Mill does live music almost every weekend during the summer and invites their Wine Club members to participate in the annual crush and harvest. Once you’ve gone to crush, you can say you’re a winemaker! Sort of…

-          Notaviva Vineyards Purcellville, Virginia

o   Notaviva’s wines are all wonderful, and the winery takes the cake for most unique pairing options. That’s because they pair their wine with music! At first, I thought, “Wow, that’s interesting…and a little ridiculous”, but after having the Ottantotto (Viognier) and encouraged to imagine sipping this wine while listening to a beautiful piano solo, it totally made sense. Maybe it’s because you are forced to use your imagination with these wines, but I definitely could picture myself listening to Chopin with a glass in hand. Anyhow, regardless of whether you think the Ottantotto goes better with Chopin or Metallica, mixed greens or chicken, Notaviva is worth checking out. Your palate (and ears) will thank you.

o   Fun fact: The tasting room is literally in the kitchen of the winery/homeowners. But this is no ordinary house: it was featured on HGTV’s “Dream House” and it’s easy to see why!

While I have been to many more than 6 of the wineries in Virginia, I really felt the need to include these in my first post about Virginia wine. Barboursville has the distinction of being the first winery I’ve ever been to with the sole intent of tasting wine, so it will always have a special place in my heart. Dry Mill was the first to completely blow me away with a totally unexpected, totally delicious Cab Franc, so it too will always be a special place for me that I will visit again and again. But each time I visit a winery, whether I enjoy the wines or not, it renews that sense of adventure in my soul to seek out another winery or two, to take a spur-of-the-moment detour in my travel plans, in the hopes that I will find another hidden gem out there in the countryside. Just having that as an option is one of the many reasons I am so glad to call Virginia my home.