Our Foodies tour brought us to Front Royal, Virginia, where we were invited out to a handful of restaurants in the area to sample some incredible Italian, Mexican, and even Peruvian cuisine. Our first stop was at Castiglia’s Italian Restaurant. With my Italian heritage, I grew up with my mom and my great-grandmother constantly cooking homemade Italian cuisine, so I know my way around an Italian dish. There are so many Italian restaurants, both chain and small business, and I can safely say that Castiglia’s has the most authentic Italian food I have ever tried. This was a real treat for me!
Price 💲💲out of 5
Even though Castiglia’s is only pumping out fresh, authentic Italian dishes with quality ingredients, the prices are more than reasonable. This is a very extensive menu, so there are options for any and all appetites. No matter what you order, you are not going to break the bank here. There is no better marriage than affordable prices with quality appetizers, entrees, and desserts.
Ambience 🧑🍳🧑🍳🧑🍳🧑🍳🧑🍳 out of 5
When I walked into Castiglia’s, I felt like I was walking into an Italian villa. While I unfortunately have yet to have a chance to visit Italy, Moy has, and he said this reminded him so much of my homeland. The architecture and decor of the building is phenomenal, bringing Italian vista vibes to northern Virginia. It’s giving old world Renaissance, with the exposed brick interior, hand-painted grape vines, and plenty of Catholic decor. This might be the best themed restaurant that I have ever walked into.
Food 🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩 out of 5
Let’s get down to the dishes! Here is everything we got to sample:
Stromboli, Calzone, and Pepperoni Roll – I’m grouping this together, as they were all very similar. All three were stuffed with Italian meats and melty mozzarella cheese. Served with a side of marinari for dipping, these were all delicious.
Spaghetti Posillipo – this is up there as one of the best dishes I have ever eaten. If you are a seafood lover, make sure you order this. A heaping plate of spaghetti is smothered in scallops, mussels, calamari, and shrimp, along with their marinari sauce. I was in heaven eating this.
Margherita Pizza – we got to try a handful of their fresh made pies, and this was my least favorite. I’m not a huge fan of tomato chunks on pizza, because I think it makes the pizza too liquidy, and that is exactly what happened here.
Supreme Pizza – now this one was more up my alley, even though I do not like olives. The fresh veggies cut into the savory cheese and pizza to create the perfect combo.
Pepperoni Pizza – this was my favorite pizza all day. Sometimes, a simple cheese and pepperoni is all you need. Perfect crust, melty cheese, and greasy pepperoni. Can’t go wrong with that!
Insalata Caprese Salad – I loved the presentation of this dish, as it was served with two cheese sticks and a crostini. The mozzarella, tomato, and basil marry so well together. Interestingly enough, they didn’t add a Balsamic glaze, which I’m totally fine with.
Fettuccine Carbonara – if not for the seafood pasta, this would have been my favorite dish. So decadently rich and creamy, this Carbonara is a show stopper.
Chicken Parmigiana Sub – two beautiful fried chicken cutlets, smothered in melty mozzarella and marinara. What’s not to love? Served with crispy onion rings on the side.
Steak and Cheese Sub – you know we had to try the steak and cheese, and this sandwich melted in your mouth. They did a great job of seasoning the meat, and the cheese was so gooey.
Chicken Parmigiana – we tried it on a sub, and we also tried it as a stand-alone dish. Wow, this plate was massive. If the two massive chicken cutlets weren’t enough, it is served over a bed of spaghetti.
Castiglia’s Antipasto – this dish is absolutely preposterous. A mountain of veggies, Italian meats, and cheeses. This could easily feed a table of four.
Tiramisu – you can tell an Italian restaurant is authentic by how good their tiramisu is. This was one of the best that I have ever tried.
Creme Brulee – going to be honest, creme brulee is never my go to, but I could tell that this dish was decadent and sugary.
Experience ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5
Castiglia’s pulled out all the stops for us, making sure we got to sample plenty of appetizers, pastas, pizzas, entrees, and desserts. Not much more to say other than Castiglia’s is a must stop if you are ever in the Front Royal area.