Prime Italian with Casual Atmosphere
Nestled between beautiful, ancient oak trees, the plantation-style house sets a tone of Southern American and Southern Italian luxury. Whether dining on the expansive enclosed porch or the quaint deck overlooking a lush floral courtyard, visiting Chianti South is a treat.
Originally from Italy’s Tuscan region, Angelo Bertolozzi began the original Chianti restaurant in Newburgh, New York, in 1980 with his wife, Marie. They opened Chianti South in 1997 after falling in love with the casual elegance of the Little River area.
Their dinner menu exhibits a staggering array of entrees, featuring fresh local seafood and homemade pastas. In addition to standard Italian cuisine like the superb Homemade Lasagna in robust homemade meat sauce, the restaurant presents its own brilliant variations on traditional classics.
Most notably of the House Specialties is the Zuppa de Pesce con Linguine, a massive collection of mussels, clams, calamari, shrimp, scallops, and lobster piled on linguine noodles and doused in a light tomato sauce. (Bib and to-go box are highly recommended.)
Lighter fare is presented with the same attention to detail as larger courses, and the restaurant has reason to be proud of its impressive salads and other antipasti. A highlight of the salad menu is a creamy Bleu Cheese dressing that is so coveted the restaurant charged an extra dollar for it until 2008.
Chianti South is home to one of the largest wine cellars on the Grand Strand and stocks more than 250 of the finest wines available from around the world, specializing in brands from Italy and California. This January the restaurant will close to construct an additional wine cellar in the top floor of the building to better accommodate their ever-growing collection. Co-owner Frank Letino says the restaurant aspires to stock more than 400 wines by the summer of 2009.
Leaving room for dessert is imperative, as Marie's award-winning Tiramisu Casalingo is vital to a perfect evening at Chianti South. If, somehow, soft ladyfingers soaked with rich espresso, layered with sweet mascarpone cheese, fresh whipped cream and delicate chocolate shavings aren’t your style, the restaurant presents a full list of dolci.
Desserts range from intricate pastries to basic gelatos and are intriguing without seeming too avant garde for the everyday diner of any age. Fortunately, for those of us who simply can’t pronounce Profiterolle Al Cioccolato, each menu item comes with a full description in English.
Chianti South is at 2109 Highway 17 North in Little River, just south of the border with North Carolina. They are open Tuesdays through Sundays at 5 p.m. For reservations or information, call (843) 249-7888.
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