A Taste of Italy arrives in Venus

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

The Food: Chicago-style Italian pasta, sandwiches and pizza

The Story: The Biundos opened their Italian restaurant on the square in Venus in October, and have been drawing fans since. The place is family-owned and operated, so you will see various members of the family throughout, waiting tables, working in the kitchen, checking on diners and heading out with deliveries.

We were hungry so we ordered a pair of appetizers to start – fried mushrooms ($6.95) and a side of onion rings ($4.95). The dozen mushroom caps arrived quickly with a side of ranch. These were freshly made, not from a bag, and we could taste the difference. They were lightly breaded and moist.

Likewise, the dozen onion rings were made in-house, with a light coating, piping hot and delicious. Both appetizers were delicious.

For our entrees, we were all over the menu.

My better half had his heart set on the Italian Beef Sandwich ($10.50), a toasted hoagie roll loaded with moist, delicious Italian beef, sweet peppers, sautéed onions and gooey melted mozzarella. Between mouthfuls, he pronounced it fresh and sweet. He got a side of freshly cut fries that were seasoned to perfection.

My order of Chicken Alfredo ($13.95) was some of the best that I’ve ever had. The alfredo sauce was creamy and just the right consistency, not gloppy and not runny. The linguini and sauce was topped with grilled chicken that was placed after the dish was done instead of being stirred into the sauce, which made it firm and gave it an extra zip. The order came with two slices of toasted garlic bread, but the chicken alfredo was so good that I almost ignored the bread.

My friend got the Biundo Special Pizza ($15.95 for a 10-inch), a nice-sized pie topped with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, green peppers and black olives. The thin crust was crispy, the toppings fresh and tasty and the marinara sauce was chunky and delicious, but not overpowering.

My buddy was excited to see Eggplant Parmesan ($11.95) on the menu, breaded eggplant on spaghetti with homemade sauce and cheese with a side of garlic bread. She was disappointed in the thinly sliced eggplant, which seemed a little soggy, so she pushed it aside and declared the spaghetti and sauce with chunks of tomato perfect.

For dessert, we shared a cannoli ($5.50) a yummy crispy, flaky shell filled with a rich creamy custard and an order of zeppoli ($8.50), 18 thick strips of fried dough liberally doused in cinnamon and sugar that tasted a lot like churros.

The Service: We were greeted at the door even on a busy Friday night, and seated immediately. Our server knew the menu and gave us tips, then checked on us regularly and kept our drinks filled.

The Setting: Biundo’s is set in a cool old storefront on Venus’ town square. The old brick walls are left unfinished, and the oak floors have decades worth of scars and use. The10 Mexican-tile top tables are spread far enough apart to give diners privacy, but still be friendly with other groups.

The Details: 104 Second St, Venus; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday; 3-9 p.m. Saturday; 3-8 p.m. Sunday; 972-200-4700

‍