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It is a meal unlike any other. Scintillating Italian cuisine in a perfect setting. A small venue, Via Via IV creates the true Italian Experience right here on Brown Campus. Every morsel of the mouthwatering cuisine is worth far more than the millions Brown tried to pay for this Italian masterpiece.
The owner of Via Via, known simply as "The Don," has done an awe-inspiring job of bringing a small piece of Italy to Providence. With soothing music that brings me to the shores of Venice, mind-blowing food, and the hard exterior of the management, Via Via IV is the real deal.
Head Chef Lou Gianini and his team create a meal you will never forget. Each bite simmers within your mouth as each taste blends together perfectly to cause an orgiastic experience. From the fresh mozzarella to the tastefully browned pizza, every bite you take will make you more content. The use of a brick oven creates a phenomenal main course, anything from salivating calzones to throat-throttling garlic knots.
There was also an almost uncanny human element to the food, as if the sweat and blood of whoever was in the kitchen was being poured right into my dish. Each bite resonated with Italian flavor! I simply could not explain it. The food gets two resounding thumbs up from me! If you want fine Italian dining, this is the place to go.
What makes Via Via IV such a unique experience, though, is the overall environment. The management and waiters were all real Italians, and while charm and kindness were not in excess, the feel of Italy was alive within them. While quite strange, some people seemed to be so happy about the food that they were screaming about it. There was one table with three fine Italian men who were vehemently arguing throughout the meal, maybe about whose dish was best. By the end of my meal their debate had become a heated argument. As I was ready to go, the youngest man got up to go to the bathroom.
There also seemed to be a large takeout sector to Via Via IV. Some people wanted so much food that they just came in with big briefcases to pay for their orders. After they gave the briefcases to the waiters, they went straight into the kitchen to get their food, and then left out the back. Talk about great
service!
Furthermore, there seemed to be fresh supplies coming in every minute, and in such large quantities. Huge black bags, at least big enough to fit me inside, were brought in trunk load after trunk load. There was so much fresh produce within that it often took two people to carry each in. This only reaffirmed my beliefs in how much Chef Gianini and his staff cared about the quality and freshness of the food.
I must applaud Via Via IV as an eye-opening and appetite-quenching experience. I recommend it strongly as a full Italian experience that you will never forget.
