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The jukeboxes at Cala's play a variety of tunes while you dine on scrumptious Italian dishes.
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When we go out of town, my husband and I like to stay away from the chain restaurants and check out the local cafes and “hole-in-the-wall” establishments that often have some of the best food on the planet.
Just a few weeks ago, we checked out Cala’s Pizzeria and Restaurant. If you like dining in off-the-beaten-track and out-of-the-way restaurants, you definitely want to check this out.
Cala’s has been in Willowick for 30 years tucked in a corner at 31800 Vine St. in Willowick, in the little shopping plaza with Rudy’s Meats, T & J Market and WorkSmart Clothing.
Cala’s is easily missed if it’s not on your radar for a lunch or dinner out. In fact, I lived in Willowick for two years and while I knew it was there, I hadn’t considered it for much more than upscale pizza. At our house, we do pizza as inexpensively as possible.
Don’t let the outside or inside of Cala’s deter you. It’s not much to look at right now. But Cala’s will give you an experience in some great Italian food with over-the-top portions of home-cooked, straight-from-the-oven dishes.
Owner Joe Luzius purchased the business 12 years ago from the Cala family and was handed the Cala family recipes. He worked at the restaurant with the previous owners and has been with it for nearly all of its 30 years.
According to owner Luzius, Cala’s will be getting a makeover sometime this summer. The restaurant will take over the empty space next door, doubling the size of the dining room to seat 100 and building a new kitchen. Although the restaurant currently has catering services, they will be expanding with a full-line catering menu and expanding their dining room menu as well.
Inside, the familiar red and green of Italia will greet you. The dining room is small but each table has its own jukebox of tunes. You can take your pick of Elvis, Rod Stewart, country music or more recent hits – whatever your quarters want to buy. While the restaurant will get a revision, the ambience will stay the same, Luzius said.
Currently the menu is extensive with everything from the unusual – mashed potato pizza – to calzones, pasta dishes, ribs, wraps, subs and sandwiches, and more. My dining partner and I started with the garlic butter and parmesan wings, 10 for $6, and a generous salad. We paid 75 cents extra for the provolone cheese on top and got more than our money’s worth.
With the wings, salad and fresh bread, I didn’t need the main course. I ordered the homemade lasagna, $9, and my dining buddy got the linguine with clam sauce, $10. Both were generous portions and steaming hot, not to mention delicious, with plenty to take home for the next day’s lunch.
While we were both too full for dessert, we took home “fried dough.” Just $4 gets you a small, pizza-size portion of fried dough topped with cinnamon or powdered sugar and icing.
Check out Cala’s Web site at www.calaspizza.com for coupons and a menu. Most of the dishes on the menu were $10 and under.
Buon apetite!
Terri Nighswonger is graphic designer for the Lake County Business Journal.
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