The local Beckley crowd has been familiar with Roma’s Pizza for a long time. Traditional Pizzas, Calzones, Italian-style sandwiches, exactly what one would expect from a small pizza place. Having eaten there several times over the last few decades, I never had much of interest to report (but keep reading!) The food was decent, a little pricey, very little room to sit.
Until recently, I hadn’t had much motivation to revisit since ‘Little Cesars’ is much cheaper, and faster, if a person wants to grab a quick pizza to take home. Not long ago, I noticed in passing that the restaurant had closed its doors. Then, something interesting happened.
I saw a friend of mine posting on Facebook about the ‘new Indian restaurant’ in the downtown area of Beckley. Having been a fan of Indian food for some time, I made it a point to find the place and try it out. It turned out, this new place was a re-vamp of the old Roma’s Pizza, with a twist “East Meets West”. Interesting. Facebook Page
Yesterday, I decided to peek in and see what they had to offer. Knowing that my son is picky about his food, I realized that he would likely not be interested in any of the Indian fair, but he was excited at the prospect of a ‘calzone’ (something he had never tried before). I checked the prices and decided to give it a try.
It was dinner time and the place was deserted, but the interior had been remodeled and was cozy and inviting. We chose a booth. The gal at the counter was friendly and helpful, checking to see if everything was available on the chalkboard wall menu (it was) and letting her boss (one of the owners) know that we were in a bit of a time crunch.
My son ordered the Pepperoni Calzone with Sausage, and I ordered a few things to try. I requested the Samosas and the Chicken Biryani, as well as a Mango Lassi.
Our beverages and the Samosas arrived first (Samosas, if you are unfamiliar with them, are deep-fried pouches, usually made from a wheat product, filled with a mix of seasoned vegetables – it is similar to a savory fried pie). The samosas were sizzling, crisp and fresh with a slightly tangy curry sauce dip on the side. My son didn’t care for the samosas, but liked the sauce so much that he kept some to dip his calzone in.
The salad was ok, but a bit disappointing since it was just the standard iceberg lettuce one would expect from a more common restaurant, plus a few extra veggies and croutons. At least the salad was fresh, nothing was wilted and the flavor of the Greek dressing I chose was perfectly light with the expected citrus / vinegar / oil flavors.
When our entrees arrived, that was the real game changer. My son squealed with delight at the whopping calzone (I didn’t taste it, but he declared it delicious) and I was impressed with both the generous portion of Chicken Biryani, and the attractive presentation. The flavor didn’t disappoint either. Although there was very little heat (I am a fan of heat), the blend of seasonings was enticing. The dish was served with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro (if you are not a cilantro fan, you can request they leave it off) and sliced red onion with a refreshing riata (a cucumber-yogurt side dish, designed to cool the palate). The rice was perfectly cooked and a lovely golden color, which was a nice visual enhancement of the light curry flavor. The only modest drawbacks were that the chicken was a little dry (but flavorful) and the inclusion of some dried fruits in the dish (possibly apricots? which did still have the pit in them and could cause a problem for people who may not be careful eaters).
As an added treat, during our meal I had the pleasure of speaking with one of the owners, ‘Sam’ (Samdeep) who is the Chef. It turns out that he has a culinary passion and makes nearly everything from scratch. Even the meats they use are the highest quality, which helps to justify the slightly higher prices you would find in a more common restaurant. Even so, the dishes were worth the price. Sam’s eyes lit up as he shared his love of cooking, creating new flavor combinations and spending hours simmering sauces until they were just right. He even makes his own ice creams, pastas and much more (which I hope to see incorporated into ‘Specials’ for the restaurant at some point). Sam was engaging eager to hear my feedback about the food, both the good points and the suggestions and his brother, Shaan was just as pleasant although I didn’t get as much of an opportunity to chat with him.
They wanted to make sure that folks know they offer more than what is listed on the Chalkboard menu for the ‘Eastern’ food, if you don’t see it, just ask. They are happy to customize orders for those with more delicate needs.
Roma – East Meets West also offers a nice lunch special for just under $9, which includes your choice of entree, lentil soup (not sure if this was more of a daal type dish, I didn’t get to try it) and half a naan. Yum!
If you enjoy something a bit more exotic than most of our local fare, go check them out! I sincerely believe you will not be disappointed and hey, bring the kids along. If they are reluctant to try unusual foods, they still have the standard pizza and american food menu available.
We are definitely planning to go back to this establishment and we hope they have a long, successful run in our downtown Beckley area!
Date of Experience: 6/1/2017
