RESTAURANT REVIEW
Fried Ravioli with House
Made Marinara Sauce
Curb-Banh mi
SEPTEMBER 2017 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM 31
Martin, Elisa, and Oscar
Pasta Pronto offers a great selection of
fresh, non-traditional fast food options
that are prepared to order. The menu
includes appetizer selections, entrees,
salad, and a variety of sandwiches.
Examples of appetizers include Fried
Zucchini, Fried Ravioli, Mozzarella
Sticks, Chicken Wings, and Calamari
Fritter. Among the six salad choices are
a traditional Caesar, Chinese Chicken,
Cranberry Spinach, and Crispy
Chicken BLT. There are several
Panini selections on the sandwich
menu, as well as a French Dip, all of
which are served with a choice of
French Fries or a bag of potato chips.
Popular entrees include Chicken
Parmesan, Chicken Marsala, and of
course, pasta! When we visited, Zio’s
Pasta Pronto offered a Create Your
Own Pasta option, which allowed
customers to choose their own type of
pasta and preferred sauce. However,
Tony informed us that this option
would be replaced by traditional
popular pasta dishes, such as Spaghetti
and Meatballs and Fettucini Alfredo.
After six months in business, the
Lofortes decided to introduce revisions
to the menu to remove some of the
less popular items, and replace them
with some new offerings for customers
to try and enjoy. The revisions to
the menu have now been made, and
readers can view the full selection on
Zio’s Pasta Pronto’s website
www.ziospasta.com.
The interior of Zio’s Pasta Pronto
provides a bright, comfortable, and
welcoming atmosphere. The wood
and tile accents, and the suspended
lighting create a design that Tony
described as “shabby chic.” He
and Sherry did all of the interior
remodeling themselves when the
restaurant switched from Dickey’s
to Zio’s. The restaurant has an open
feel, and there are an ample number
of comfortable wooden tables and
chairs for customers who choose to
dine in. Customers place orders at
the front counter before being seated,
referencing either printed menus or
the chalkboard menus on the back
wall. Displayed prominently on the
wall to the right of the front counter
is a large black and white canvas print
of Tony’s father and other family
members who inspired his love of
the restaurant business. A refrigerated
counter displays available canned and
bottled drinks, as well as individually
portioned desserts. There is also a
beverage dispenser for fountain drinks
that includes a seemingly endless
selection of sodas, teas, and lemonades.
Everything appears very neat, clean,
and well-organized.
My guest and I visited Zio’s
during the lunch hour on a Saturday
afternoon. When we arrived, there
were two tables of guests dining in the
restaurant, and no customers waiting.
We were pleasantly greeted by Elisa
upon entry, who was working behind
the counter. Soon Tony emerged
from the back, and as we talked, he
ordered various menu selections for
us to sample and share. First up was
an order of one of Zio’s most popular
appetizers, Fried Ravioli. These
yummy mini pasta squares are stuffed
with mozzarella cheese, and are served
crisply fried, with a side of house-
Hours: Sunday – Thursday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM | Friday & Saturday 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM