There had been instability in the restaurant world at 2 Hickory Hollow Lane in Lansing for years as both Billy Bob Jack’s BBQ and Watercress opened and closed after a short time at that site.
So I was skeptical when a new enterprise, Ciao, opened at the same venue in November 2010 with basically the same footprint. However, this time, the owner had extensive experience in the local restaurant business having successfully owned and operated Joe’s downtown and in Collegetown and The Boatyard Grill .
And this time it worked! Ciao is thriving and is one of the most popular restaurants in the greater Ithaca area.
Recently, I realized that, even though I had dinner there multiple times since the pandemic, I hadn’t written a review about it since January 2022. Consequently, I decided to return, as a Times reviewer, and check out whatever changes might have been made in the ensuing three years.
Here’s what I learned:
The wood fired pizza oven is hotter. Then, it was heated to 600 degrees. Now, it’s set at 650 because they’ve changed the flour to obtain a crispier crust. Incidentally, the black spots on the bottom of their pizzas are the result of unexpected flare ups when the hickory and cherry wood from nearby Newfield is added. Their long-term pizza cook moves the pies around as much as he can but has an aversion to sprinkling the cooking stone with corn meal crumbs to keep the pizzas off the stone as other cooks I’ve talked with do.
Speaking of pizzas: Palermo and Cordon Bleu, were dropped from the menu in March and replaced with two new offerings, Amalfi and Dirty Lorenzo. The former is a white pizza with asiago, red onion, prosciutto, baby arugula, and parmesan curls. Dirty Lorenzo features meatballs, banana peppers, salami, and mozzarella. Of the ten pizzas offered, ($17-$21), Margherita, topped with crushed tomato and mozzarella is still the most popular with Roma, featuring pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms next.
I ordered a new appetizer: Meatball Bake ($13) and was surprised at how much it seemed like a small entrée. Three large meatballs were distributed around a large bowl with melted mozzarella and provolone cheese and a pomodoro sauce. Another appetizer I like is Arancini: fried risotto fritters are stuffed with mozzarella, pesto and pomodoro sauce. Part of its appeal, for me, is the texture. When I cut into a fritter, the gooey sauce combination is released.
Three new pastas were introduced since my last review, all in a cream sauce: Shrimp Savona has jumbo shrimp, bacon, tomatoes, and linguini topped with fried spinach and toasted pine nuts; Salmon Carbonara has penne, bacon, peas, and garlic; and Steak & Gorgonzola features fettuccini, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Pastas range between $17 and $21.
With Ciao’s pastas I’ve noticed that sometimes the cream sauces have been a bit thinner than usual. Personally I believe they could use some more time in the kitchen being reduced before serving.
Another new feature is the addition of half-size portions. With these, you’ll get about half the size of the regular portion for roughly 30% of the price. On a recent visit, when I ordered the Meatball Bake appetizer, I ordered a half-size portion of Chicken Parmesan. ($27/$14). That turned out to be a good choice as the chicken was huge and some went home with me. Incidentally, Chicken Parm is the most popular item at Ciao and outsells everything else by at least two to one.
Another Ciao Originals I like is Tuscan Steak & Shrimp. The sirloin pieces are tender and juicy, and the two and a half jumbo shrimp I recently received were accompanied by soft white beans in their gravy. It too, like five of the seven Ciao Originals is available in half-size portions.
Beverages: Ciao sells about 60% wine, and 20% each of beer and specialty (mixed cocktails) drinks. The wine menu is as good as I can find in our area. There’s a complete selection of both reds and whites ($7-$17 glass: $28-$49 bottle.) I like that they offer two size glasses, 7 oz and 9 oz. With the new half-size entrée portions and choice of wine sizes, we can tailor our portion sizes better than ever. I review many wine menus and Ciao’s mark ups are as fair as I have found
Tid Bits: Ciao serves dinner seven days a week however don’t be surprised if they resume lunch service in the not-to-distant future.
If you phone, after 3 PM the day you want to eat dinner, they’ll put you on their Priority List and your wait time should be shorter.
The music they play wouldn’t normally be my choice and it’s usually a bit loud for me.
2 Hickory Hollow Ln, Ithaca