#WeekendsInWineCountry took us on a short road trip down the QEW to the shores of Lake Erie, where we didn’t exactly stumble upon Rizzo’s House of Parm… we had a reservation.

But let’s be honest, with food this good, it feels like we stumbled into a secret anyway.  If-you-build-it-they-will-come vibes, all day long in Crystal Beach.

Chef Kevin took us through the menu like someone who had spent years thinking about nothing else (and somehow made you feel like you’d been part of it all along).  Abbey, the hostess with the mostest, made sure everyone (parents, kids, the indecisive) felt entirely at home.

We started with Fried Calamari and Mozzarella Sticks… fresh, fried, fantastic.  The trifecta!

Salads soon followed.  The Burrata seemed to go on for days.  And Matty’s Salad hit like a crunchy celebration before the main event… complete with lettuces, celery, green beans, red onion, olives & fresh herbs.

Then came the pasta parade.  Rigatoni Carbonara with egg yolk, guanciale, parm; Tagliatelle Bolognese with beef, veal, pork; Tagliatelle Sin Carne, with thick handmade ribbons; Spaghetti with pomodoro and meatballs (pictured way up top).

Let the record show that the Eggplant Parm eponymously stole the show…  one bite at a time.

Eyes bigger than our collective stomachs, we had Sausage & peppers close things out.  Sweet, just the right amount of oily, and leaving no question that dessert was off the table.

This was a Labour Day meal so good that we bought the T-shirt.  Hopefully a core memory for the kiddos, this is one we’ll be thinking about for a long time.  If you haven’t been to Rizzo’s House of Parm, go.  Homemade Italian food, from Matty Matheson’s family to yours.  Simple as that!