Italian for lunch

Shopping around New Market Square can make you super hungry, but you don’t want to spend even more on food. A great place to get delicious food for under $15 and friendly customer service that makes sure you are satisfied is none other than Avivo Brick Oven Pizza.

All of Avivos menu items are ranged under $15; drinks are all $2, appetizers are $8, salads are $5 (not counting additional items), pastas and paninis are up to $9, piadini (pizza rolls) go up to $8, all pizzas stop at $11. These prices seem reasonable and are budget-friendly for a high school student with a minimum wage job.

I ordered the Pollo Alfredo Pizza for $11, which featured roasted chicken, roasted red peppers, red onion and alfredo sauce. If you are into a chicken alfredo style pizza, this is an ideal meal for you. It was cooked very well and my favorite part was the oven-grilled chicken and red peppers

The set-up in the restaurant carries a very Italian feel and inviting atmosphere. Their kitchen, where they create and cook the pizza, is located in the back of the restaurant but still visible to restaurant-goers. Their brick oven is large and can fit several pizzas at one time. They also have a bar for adults and TV’s playing live ESPN and other sporting games.

Overall, I give Avivo Brick Oven Pizza 5 stars. It had a very warm, friendly atmosphere with amazing food and a great set up, not only is it great quality food, it is affordable to eat there.

Mediterranean for dinner

The Bella Luna experience starts with walking through a revolving door and being seated. The restaurant has a calm and even romantic ambiance with dim lights and muffled jazz music. 

Their unique menu invites everyone to dine inside such as vegetarians people on diets, and anyone looking for something new. Bella Luna was also given the “Best Intermediate” for its feature of at least five Mediterranean dishes. All the dishes in the restaurant  are inspired by the owner, Matteo Taha’s, Lebanese roots and love for food. 

A waitress immediately visited the table to get our orders. For an Appetizer, I order the Spinach Artichoke dip and Shrimp Curry for my main dish. 

The vegetarian appetizer had steam rising when we received it. The dip itself was creamy with spinach and chunks of fresh artichoke. It came with two dipping options: soft pita and crunchy seasoned chips. Although it was messy, the dish was perfect for those who come into the restaurant already starving. 

There is a fine line between too spicy and mild, their shrimp curry had me needing water, but not dying. The sauce was a golden orange and neon yellow and was delicious. The shrimp was gigantic and fully cooked to perfection. 

There was a mix of different fresh-not canned- vegetables such as squash and green beans. This all laid on a bed of rice that soaked up the sauce and was still light on the stomach. 

Chefs inside the kitchen were generous with the portions. Between me and three other people, there was still extra dip and curry. 

Depending on what is ordered and how many people there are, the bill can quickly get expensive. For three people it was roughly $75 dollars. 

Although expensive, this restaurant is a fantastic choice for a special birthday dinner, date night, or a calm dinner outside of home.