For my first review of the new year, my dining companion and I decided to try Valente’s, an Italian restaurant near the Arsenal in Watervliet. The outside of the building is unassuming, but the inside is very well decorated—it has a little bit of a nautical feel to it.
Valente’s (not to be confused with Valenti’s Pub on Pawling Avenue, which will likely be featured in a later issue) serves up an impressively wide variety of dishes. The menu contains roughly a dozen different entrees in each category, with six or seven different categories. Prices are quite reasonable as well, with a rough range of $7-15 per entree.
The true measure of any Italian restaurant is of course its bread; here Valente’s was sadly lacking—the rolls we were brought weren’t very good and were not even warm. On the other hand, the salads were quite good; they have an excellent Parmesan peppercorn dressing that I enjoyed quite a bit.
The entrees were good, if not great. I ordered shrimp scampi, and it had a good flavor although there were fewer shrimp than I might have hoped. My companion got stuffed shells (after finding out they were out of vegetarian lasagna) and was pleased with them, although she’s had better elsewhere. Portion sizes were typical for a restaurant of this type; in other words, we both had leftovers to bring home.
Our servers definitely added to the experience; they were very friendly and responsive, and our food arrived only a short while after we ordered it. Unfortunately, smoke wafting in from the bar area spoiled the end of our meal, which included a rich chocolate cake dessert that was otherwise quite good.
In summary, while this is not my favorite restaurant in the area, it certainly is worth a visit every now and again. I’d say it rates a solid six on a 10-point scale.
To get to Valente’s, cross the Congress Street Bridge into Watervliet. Make a left at the end of the bridge, and another left at the end of that road. A right at the end of that street puts you on Broadway, which runs parallel to I-787 and past the Arsenal. Bear to the right after the Arsenal, and turn right on the first street you come to (8th Street). Valente’s is on the right.
