Review: Shrimp Fra Diavolo from Russo’s New York-Style Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen
Bottom Line: The Shrimp Fra Diavolo from Russo’s New York-Style Pizza and Italian Kitchen delivers a generous portion with a rich, tasty sauce that has a nice kick.
You don’t necessarily think of spicy when it comes to Italian food, but the fact is that the cuisine from that country (or at least our Americanized version of it) can deliver a kick from time to time. One of the sauces that often brings some burn is Fra Diavolo, which is tomato sauce heavy on garlic and usually includes chilis, and it is a favorite of mine. I was recently at Russo’s New York-Style Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen, and they had Shrimp Fra Diavolo as a specialty pasta, so I knew I had to try it. It comes with sautéed shrimp atop spaghetti covered with the spicy sauce.
The Fra Diavolo (which translates to “Brother Devil”) has a fair amount of acidity from the tomatoes, and it doesn’t have much sweetness to counterbalance that. But it has a good richness, so the acid does not overwhelm. You don’t get an immediate punch from the garlic, but that bud is definitely present, and I don’t recommend this for date night unless the other person gets something with garlic as well (those bread bites with olive oil that they bring out before the meal pretty much cover that).
There is also a nice peppery kick, and while the chilis are more in the background, you definitely feel a tingle of heat. And there is also a hint of basil, delivering a nice freshness. A couple of the shrimp had a slight iodine taste to them, but for the most part they were well cooked and flavorful and nice and plump. I would like to believe they came fresh from the Gulf of Mexico, seeing as I was at the Russo’s on Galveston Island, but that chain likely has a national supplier for its seafood. And while I personally find that tomato sauce and seafood do not usually mix well, in the case of the bold Fra Diavolo, it works quite nicely.
As for the heat, the Fra Diavolo sauce does not deliver an immediate burn, but you definitely notice it, and it continues to build as you work your way through the meal. I would put this at about Medium on my scale, and it is a heat that lingers for a bit (as does the garlic). It won’t set your mouth on fire, but those who do not care for spicy food (we weep for them) may find the burn a bit much to handle. Chiliheads will certainly enjoy it, though, and may even want to add more crushed red pepper.
Russo’s does not show the nutrition information for its dishes on its website, but I seem to recall the menu pegging it at around 900 calories, so this is a pretty hefty meal. And if you add those garlic bites with the olive oil dipping sauce, you probably should be cutting that portion in half and taking the rest home for the next day. I was on vacation, though (where calories don’t count), so I gobbled down the whole plate and probably could have eaten more!
The dish runs $24.95 in my area, which is a little on the high side, but worth it for this quality of food. And Russo’s has plenty of other pastas to choose from (their lasagna is spectacular) as well as some first-rate New York-style pizzas (though that is coming from a Texas boy, and NYC residents raised on the local stuff may tell me, “Get outta here!”). And despite the New York name, the chain is actually based out of Houston, and it has quite a number of locations across Texas and in other states. You can check to see if there is a restaurant near you on their website, and if so, I recommend giving them a try, whether you are looking for spicy food or not.
