Dining Pick of the Week: Russo’s Pizza Kitchen

Russo’s Pizza Kitchen

4950 S. Rainbow Blvd. at West Tropicana Avenue; 702-489-4444

When it comes to preparing Southern Italian food, it helps to have been born in Palermo, Sicily. Say hello to executive chef Rosario Russo, who has turned his charming neighborhood restaurant into a home away from home for Southern Italian cooking. Popular pasta dinners are linguine and meatballs, cheese ravioli, chicken parmigiana, linguine with clams, lasagna Bolognese with Sicilian-style sausage, fettuccine Alfredo and rigatoni ala Russo with sauteed onions, mushrooms, ham, and peas in tomato cream sauce. Pizzas are a specialty and include traditional (round) or Sicilian (square) pies such as vegetarian, white (mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan, sauteed spinach, garlic), Russo’s (pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, bell peppers, onions) and Fra Diablo with pepperoni, sausage, onions, jalapenos and bell peppers. There are calzones, strombolis, pepperoni rolls (pepperoni and mozzarella baked in homemade dough), hot subs (Italian cheese steak, meatball or eggplant parmigiana) and cold subs such as turkey and cheese and Russo’s Deli with Genoa salami, ham capicola, Provolone, red onions, lettuce, tomatoes and Italian dressing. There are also soups, salads (chopped, Caesar, antipasto) and appetizers, including fried calamari, bucket of steamed clams and garlic bread. Three desserts are cannoli, zeppoli and New York cheesecake. Pizzas start at $10.95. Russo’s is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.