Ge-Angelo's Italian Restaurant and Lounge
If you favor the type of Italian recipes that stay in the family and only the family, go to Ge-Angelo's Italian Restaurant and Lounge for fourth-generation culinary creations. Open for dinner only, expect a well-designed and relaxed atmosphere. Most entrees offer a full-size or half-size option so you can load up or size down depending on your activities for the rest of the evening or the next day. De-Angelo's is especially noted for its hand-stretched and tossed pizza, covered with 100 percent mozzarella cheese.
Ge-Angelo's Italian Restaurant and Lounge
823 Wheeler St. No. 9
Ames, IA 50010
(515) 233-0959
geangelos.com
Lucullan's Italian Grill
The Des Moines Register gives Lucullan's Italian Grill four stars and calls it "the best Italian food around." Locals agree. Widely popular for its catering and banquet services, you can taste the fame every evening except for Monday. With such a large selection of authentic Italian food, you might soon forget you're not in Italy. Regain your bearings and get your protein with a generous portion of Iowa sirloin served with linguine or mashed potatoes.
Lucullan's Italian Grill
400 Main St.
Ames, IA 50010
(515) 232-8484
lucullans.com
Valentino's
Valentino's offers quantity and value with a well-stocked Italian buffet that's easy on the budget. You'll find pizza and pasta galore with a variety of individual entrees available. All pasta is served al dente. Stop by for lunch or dinner any day of the week. Be sure to try the garlic rolls topped with garlic butter and aged Romano cheese.
Valentino's
823 Wheeler, Suite No. 1
Ames, IA 50010
(515) 233-2111
valsames.com
Black Market Pizza
Black Market Pizza made CNN Headline News when it was started in 2009 by three laid-off workers. If you're interested in new challenges, try the Maui Waui, a super spicy pizza. If you finish it in an hour, you win a free T-shirt. For a milder experience, try the sauceless pizza that started it all--the secret is in the tomatoes. Other favorites include the reuben and the Iowegian (described as an homage to pork.) Corn meal and sweet potato crust options remind you where you are.
Black Market Pizza
2610 Northridge Pkwy.
Ames, IA 50010
(515) 292-1111
blackmarketpizza.com
Article Written By Zoe Maletta
With a background in library science, Zoe Maletta's bent for research leads to her write on a wide variety of topics. Having the best of both worlds, Maletta is an email marketer by day and, by night, a freelance writer for various clients, including eHow and Trails.com. She has been writing since 2007 and holds both a B.S. and an M.A. degree in counseling.
