This is not a review. I always let a place settle in a couple of months before I do a full-fledged review. This is more of a “How ya doing?” column.

Although truth be told, I stopped in Salvos the first week, and with one exception, it was running better than many places that have been open for months. One of the reasons, I suspect, is that Salvo himself is there every day.

One of the reasons I’m not ready to do a full review is that I fell in love with a dish on my first visit, and I’ve been hesitant to try something else. Frankly, the dish is so perfect, I don’t know if anything else could measure up. I’ve dined at Salvo three times and had it as my entrée each time — but that’s a story worth savoring, so I’ll circle back to it later.

I have tried different appetizers, and they’ve been uniformly exquisite. So, I don’t know why the trepidation, but it’s still there.

Appetizers range from $8 for soup or salad to $22 for tuna tartar or grilled octopus. Just a note: the menu indicates the octopus is a vegetarian dish. Obviously, it is not. There are similar mistakes throughout the menu, and those with strict diets need to pay attention. The larger appetizers, such as calamari (served with fried strips of veggies) or burrata, are easily enough for two to four to share.

For entrées, pasta dishes will run around $26 (about $8 more for seafood), a couple of bucks more for risotto. Secondi are $28 for veal saltimbocca, chicken Parmigiana, or grilled salmon, and up to $59 for the rib-eye, all provide more than enough for two to share, especially if you’ve split an appetizer or pasta.

Happy hour offers a nice assortment of appetizers for $10, and Tuesday is Pasta Night, when it’s $25 for a glass of wine and your choice of unlimited plates of four types of pasta; marinara, Bolognese, carbonara, or the dish that has me so perplexed, cacio y pepe. It’s simple, just cheese, a little olive oil, and black pepper, but it is a delight at Salvo’s, and it keeps me coming back. They take the warm pasta and toss it in a giant wheel of Romano cheese tableside, drizzle it with a little olive oil, and sprinkle it generously with freshly ground black pepper. The olive oil and a little moisture from the pasta melt the cheese in the giant block, and it makes the creamiest sauce. The black pepper adds just the right amount of heat. I might need to join a cacio y pepe 12-step program. 

Osteria Romana means Roman Hostel, and Salvo’s is the kind of welcoming spot that keeps me wanting to come back. They might need to set up a cot for me in the back. 

Salvo Osteria Romana
2389 Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors
754-200-4145