Inside Bianchi's Hilltop Restaurant, a family-owned eatery on the east side, you'll find a restaurant with an obvious sense of family pride.
The service: We stopped in on a Monday night shortly after 8 p.m., and the dining area was nearly empty. A woman came to get our drink order immediately after we seated ourselves at a booth near the u-shaped bar. Our waitress arrived soon after. Our food order was timed perfectly and they checked back with us enough to make us feel noticed without being overly attentive. I have a feeling they might even memorize your order if you came often enough.
The atmosphere: Simple and clean with a small-town feel. Wood wainscoting covers the bottom half of burgundy walls. Artwork is minimal. The dining area is large, with several rooms and areas for birthday parties and special events. One family was having a party in the back room that night.
The menu: Everything at Hilltop is homemade. The restaurant is known for its onion rings and pizza, but there's plenty of other options on the menu, ranging from burgers and sandwiches to steaks, pasta and fried chicken. Prices are reasonable.
The food: There were a lot of dishes we wanted to try, but in the end we decided to start with onion rings. The heaping serving - more string than ring - was enough for two, and delicious.
For the main event, I ordered a small pizza with pepperoni and cappicola. The crust was thin and crunchy, and the combo of meats added a touch of spice.
My dining partner ordered the half fried chicken (wing, breast, leg and thigh) with a side of spaghetti. The spaghetti was a little bland, but the chicken was delicious. It had a crunchy brown crust that was slightly salty. The chicken inside was juicy and tasted like it had been fried in fresh oil.
The cherry cheesecake was a square - instead of the traditional slice - and I tasted a hint of citrus. For $2, you can't beat it.
The wrapup: Hilltop feels like restaurant you'd meet your family at once a week to catch up or celebrate a birthday. The food isn't fancy, but it is tasty and reasonable, and has a way of reminding you of home.
