Has there ever been a place where you constantly drive by without a second thought. You think the sign is cute, you tell yourself you will go at some point, and you never do. Suddenly, people mention the place in conversation, twice, three times in the same week, you ask around and everyone loves it. You finally remember to look on-line, decide to go and look to make a reservation but do not see a “reservations” tab on their website. You finally do what was popular 20 years ago, you pick up the phone, call and ask if they accept reservations and are surprised when they say, “of course.” And then you go and enjoy a great meal.

So was my experience at John’s Café in Waterbury.

John’s Café is located on Route 67 just east of where it meets Route 64. With its non-descript sign over the door, John’s Café looks like it would serve coffee, pastries and breakfast, but enter and the aromas of homestyle Italian cuisine will tell you otherwise. Overseeing the kitchen for close to 25 years is Chef / Owner Dennis DeBelllis.

The interior is New England meets Italy, maintaining that Yankee image, but with white linen tablecloths topped with white paper. The water glasses were already filled when we sat, and the menu described numerous options, ranging from house-made pastas to chops, fish, steaks and salads. Our server approached and recited the daily specials (a la Italian Shrimp and Grits) and ended with, “everything is made to order so it you want to add to or take something away from one of the dishes, just let me know.” The “we are here to please” attitude was refreshing.

It was a Monday evening and as I looked at the other tables, it felt that the guests were the Monday regulars, they all seemed to be in their assigned table, enjoying their normal Monday fare. The atmosphere was home-style, friendly, family, small town.

As we looked over the menu and heard that the pastas were made on-premises we decided to focus on that part of the menu. We ordered a couple of Caesar salads to begin, plus the “Sunday Gravy,” Potato gnocchi alla Vodka and the Chicken Parmesan that is served with rigatoni alla Vodka. Any restaurant that serves alla Vodka as the side to the Parm is OK in my book.

As we waited for our salads, the server brought a plate of bread and ciabatta and she told us, “I asked for the humus a couple of times and I think we are out, so I brought some red sauce.” Ten minutes later the humus joined the table. The bread and ciabatta were good, and I liked the red sauce for dipping.

Two of us split a “Caesar Romaine, Grilled Garlic Croutons, Creamy Parmesan Dressing, White Anchovies” ($12) and it was very good. The Romaine was topped with a Parmesan crisp, and since I asked for the anchovy on the side, I sliced and diced these two additions into the salad. The romaine was crispy, fresh and the dressing was sparingly applied and offered a nice flavor. It was a very good way to start the meal. I give the Caesar salad a 7.

The table decided to share the ““Sunday Gravy” Rigatoni Pasta, with a Meatball and Italian Sausage Ragú” ($26). The bowl of house-made pasta was perfectly prepared to al dente and was covered in a delicious red sauce, a half a dozen golf ball sized meatballs (the menu stated singular, but they actual dish included many more) and loads of sausage slices. The pasta delivered just the right amount of give, not too soft, not too hard, the meatballs were firm, moist and offered great beefiness and the sausage slices added just a touch of spice and fennel. Everyone at the table really enjoyed this dish and I give it a solid 8.5.

The other “pasta” we ordered was the “Potato Gnocchi Alla Vodka With Whipped Ricotta and Basil” ($25). I usually gravitate to ricotta gnocchi, so I started with a little bias, but this dish changed my outlook, it was delicious. Another large bowl of perfectly prepared 2-inch cylindrical gnocchi were soft and subtle, and when combined with the Vodka sauce delivered deep, rich flavors. With the addition of the ricotta to any forkful and you enjoy a totally different profile, with the light, cooling cheese component. I really liked this presentation and another 8.5.

Lastly, I decided to give the “Chicken Parmesan With Rigatoni Alla Vodka” ($26) a taste. With the two pastas setting a very high bar, I was a little nervous, but the chef delivered another great dish. The cutlet was quite large, filled the entire plate with pieces of rigatoni peaking around the edges from under the cutlet. The crispy chicken was first topped with John’s red sauce and then melted cheese. Served piping hot, I carefully cut a piece from the edge, let cool just a bit and carefully tasted. The crunch was great, the flavor great, the sauce delicious and the cheese stringy to the plate. It was delicious. The red sauce and cheese were in perfect balance. I give the chicken parm a solid 8.5.

On a subsequent visit, I ordered the Grilled Pork Chop with scalloped potatoes, bacon-onion jam, green beans, carrots, and a few dollops of maple-bourbon whole-grain mustard. Let’s just say that you need to have a hearty appetite to finish this two bone chop. It was perfectly cooke to medium rare, a perfect way to serve pork. The best way to enjoy was to combine the bacon-onion jam with a little of the mustard and place atop a good slice of the meat. The flavors played great together. Not to be overshadowed by the chop, the potatoes were also great.

Service was professional with that small town feel. The kitchen prepared three, great, house-made Italian classics. The pasta was excellent, and gnocchi were delicious, and then the sauces were great. The staff worked as a team during our dinner, when one was busy, another seamlessly filled in to ensure the guests enjoyed the evening. Some may feel the pace was slow, we were having such great conversation, we enjoyed the timing, and most importantly every dish was served piping hot, all came directly to the table from the pan.

Overall, John’s Café was great. From that small town, welcoming feel to the great food. As we were leaving, our serving told us to make sure we returned to try the pork chop, she held her thumb and forefinger two inches apart and told me “It’s this thick.” I will definitely return to John’s Café to try the pork chop and maybe have a few other Italian specialties.

693 Main St S.

Woodbury, CT 06798

(203) 263-0188

johnscafe.com