By Mark Ambrogi
“We have traditional and authentic Italian cuisine,” said Lucio Romani, executive owner and owner. “It’s not Americanized. We are not doing spaghetti and meatballs or fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. No side pastas. It’s more what you can find in Italy. It’s for people who want to have a culinary experience and nice glass of wine.”
That makes sense because Romani, 47, was 27 when he moved to the U.S. from Italy in early 1995. Romani, who is from Rome, has spent the past 20 years in the restaurant business in Italy. His chef is Giuseppe Leone, who has moved from Rome to join the business.
Ristorante Roma, 620 S. Range Line Rd. in the Monon Square Shopping Center, celebrated its one-year anniversary on Dec. 18. Romani, a Carmel resident, said he has changed the menu four times in the first year.
“Our forte is the pasta,” Romani said. “People love the fact that what they eat here is homemade pasta. We are pretty strict with our menu. If somebody wants something different we can make it but we make it according to what we know. Our kitchen is small. Everything is made from scratch.”
The upscale restaurant, which has a dining capacity of approximately 60, has wine and beer available. The restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Price ranges from $16.95 to $31.95.
“I’m very family-oriented and I think people need to spend time with their families and not just work,” said Romani, who has a 13-year-old daughter.
Starting in January, opera soprano singer Ingrid Rodriguez and her pianist will be scheduled to perform on Wednesdays.
Romani had worked for three Italian restaurants in the Indianapolis area, including seven years at Ciao by Villaggio (then Il Villaggio) in Zionsville before working for three years for Seasons 52 in Indianapolis.
Romani said it has always been his dream to have his own restaurant.
“The more I worked in restaurants here, the more I wanted to open up my own restaurant,” Romani said.
