Spring Mountain Road, Massimo Biuso and his loyal team is on fire like never before and his faithful customers are experiencing delight with the evolution of their favorite casual Italian eatery. Extending their bona fide personal touch of friendliness that they are famous for, the atmosphere is comfortably friendlier than ever. Whether sitting at a table for lunch or dinner, stopping by to pick u
p some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, fresh baked bread, homemade sausage or host of other Italian specialties from the deli and bakery counters, one cannot help having the feeling of being home, away from home. Born in Foggia, Italy, Biuso with his Patrician good looks left his homeland close to the Adriatic Sea and set sail for America, where he began waiting tables on cruise ships in 1987 for three years. He then moved up to Sarasota, Florida, and remained waiting tables for the following five years. Continuing on to Atlanta, Georgia, for the next three years Biuso was the manager of the La Strada restaurant. Always open to new opportunities, in 1999 he packed up his bags, journeyed to Las Vegas and started working at the Zepphirino Restaurant, in the Venetian hotel on the strip. Embracing the dry desert climate and the easy non-freezing winters of Las Vegas, Biuso knew instinctively that he would make Las Vegas his home. By 2002, he started waiting tables at the Roma Deli on Spring Mountain Road and in May of 2012, owners Dennis and his father Fausto Prescutti asked him to become a partner. An agreement was respectfully made within six months Biuso asked to buy them out. His preparations awarded him readiness to take the plunge, and on the first of December 2012, Biuso became the new and sole owner of Roma Deli. One big family: Biuso credits the dedication of his staff as being great team players who more than co-workers, are his friends – his extended family. Leo Villas, the chef who consistently produces flavorful Italian dishes has been cooking at the restaurant for ten years, and Patrizia Castillo is the sweet Mexican young lady who waits tables with efficiency and always with a smile on her face. Monica Stan Enache of Romania is a “feather in Biuso’s cap” as she runs the floor and check out area with precision. On a short leave of absence, we wish Monica a huge congratulation on the birth of her first born, a beautiful daughter. Then there is Pina Ventimiglia, la bella signora Pina, who has been with Roma Deli since the doors originally opened thirteen years ago. She is from the province of Palermo in Sicily, and this woman, without contest, has Mani d’oro (hands of gold). When speaking to her, she exudes passionate expression from her gorgeous Mediterranean eyes and Sicilian spirit freely flows from la bella singora, Pina! Roma Deli shelves continue in the tradition of an Italian Trattoria, Biuso is going back to his roots, he insists on only fresh and quality foods. He shelves on the opposite side of the deli are now fully stocked with a fine variety of dried, canned and jarred foods. You can shop for olive oil, pastas by Pastene, Lucio Garofalo, Oro Riscossa and the famous De Cecco pasta, which has been in business since 1886. Canned San Marzano Italian tomatoes by NINA and Pastene are available, as well as cans of quality San Marrzano style tomatoes from California by Di Napoli and Isabella. A fine selection of wafers, ladyfingers and a variety of cookies by Balocco Italy, sit next to a packaged pizelle, which is a customer favorite, and you can even find Nutella by Ferrero. Try Lavazzo, it is widely popular in Italy, and you can choose from coffee beans, ground decaffeinated, espresso and ground gold quality. For an alternative, ILLY is also an excellent choice. Jarred tuna filet are rarely found in Las Vegas, but Biuso has smartly stocked in a high quality of these Mediterranean gems, packed in olive oil, by AS DO MAR. Another hard to find item that is found on his shelves are both small and large bottles of “Brioschi” (pronounced bree-os-kee). This effervescent antacid is a God-send for anyone suffering from upset stomach. Italian lunch meats, fresh mozzarella, domestic and imported provolone, domestic and imported Parmesan, Locatelli, Ricotta and Mascarpone are an abundance for your choosing at the Deli Counter. Bowls filled with marinated olives, dried tomatoes and artichokes hearts, to name but a few, whet ones appetite by their inviting appearances and even dried baccala can be found, seasonally.during lunch you can find Pina making special sandwiches combinations and salads. She also makes the sausage that is used for one of their famous dishes, fettuccini sausage with mushrooms in tomato cream sauce. Another one of their popular dishes, beef brasciole over rigatomi, you can be sure that it is Signora Pina’s hand that preps the meat filling the brasciole. Roma Deli’s bakery has struck gold with his desserts. The varied selections are beautiful to look at and ever so delicious to eat. The torta della Nonna ricotta cheesecake and chocolate cake are also available whole, for your special party, baptism, birthday, anniversary, or any special celebratory event. Whenever signora Pina makes her in demand teralli, which is an anisette flavored cookie, they always sell-out by the day’s end. Daily, leaves of homemade bread and rolls are brought in from a local baker and more times than not, one can find themselves waiting in line to pick out their favorite bread; a wait that is well worth it. My favorite is ciabetta. I even use the leftover bread to make breadcrumbs, once it is hardened. Here again, Signora Pina shows her multi-talent with the thin and thick pizzas she makes. Better than any pizza parlors in town, hers is the absolute best – hands down! Biuso’s motto is “Why change what works.” With the thousands of a customer who have visited or is frequent this neighborhood style restaurant and deli. Biuso knows more than fifty percent of everyone’s first name. He states that it is the consistency and the quality of their foods that keep people coming back; in addition, I say that is their unmatched friendliness that stands out above all other places. For me, it is my absolute favorite place to go, not only because it has the Italian food that I need to purchase for certain dishes that I make at home, but because it has a warm neighborhood feel which gives me a feeling of being home, away from home.
