Around Town: Love is in the air — for great food

All of last week I saw commercials and advertising for Valentine’s Day.

While it’s a sweet holiday and good for local businesses since people buy their loves ones little trinkets and flowers, I don’t give it much attention usually.

I did wear red last Wednesday and started some e-mails with a Happy Valentine’s Day salute (in red font, of course), but that’s about it.

I thought about how there are many kinds of love – romantic love, friend love, family love, restaurant love, pet love, and even Wyoming Valley love and more.

That’s right: I thought about my love for the Wyoming Valley and the peaceful lives we’re able to lead here.

We have many, many amenities and a reasonable cost of living compared to other areas I visit. And when it comes to “restaurant love” I mentioned above, there are many restaurants in the Wyoming Valley from which to choose. You know eating out is one of my favorite hobbies.

While I decided to take it easy on Wednesday, by Thursday I was ready for a little night out, so opted to go to Buona Sera Ristorante on North Washington Street in Wilkes-Barre for a quaint dinner.

I hadn’t been there since last May, so I was overdue. I remembered the artisan sausage appetizer with roasted red peppers, onions and tomatoes in red sauce. It’s served with garlic bread, and I was craving it.

I also follow the restaurant on Facebook (search Buona Sera Ristorante) and love looking at all their food pictures. Who wouldn’t? The dishes look divine.

The restaurant was decorated for Valentine’s Day still with red and pink tablecloths and hearts, and I appreciate seasonal décor.

I’ve tried many items on the menu, but this night I went with the top chicken dish: Chicken Buona Sera which is a chicken breast with breaded eggplant, roasted peppers and mozzarella cheese in a demi glaze sauce. It’s truly delicious.

Oscar opted for simple penne with vodka sauce, which he finished in full (OK, I finished my entrée completely, too).

I was proud of myself and stayed strong, though, when it came to later. I declined dessert, although there are many dessert options that look super inviting.

While it wasn’t overly crowded, they had a nice amount of people enjoying post-holiday meals, and I’m always happy to see that (but those who were there on Valentine’s Day were lucky to have a live piano player playing soothing sounds, I’m told).

I especially love the staff there as they’re always friendly, smiling and happy to see us.

If you’re looking to stop somewhere in the coming weeks, consider Buona Sera. There’s a large menu with appetizers, soups and salads, seafood, Italian dishes, pasta and dessert.

Next time, I’m having the dessert.

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Mike McGinley is a Times Leader columnist who is often called a man about town. Email him thoughts at mikejmcginley@gmail.com.

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