So Many Dishes

Our family spent a week at Amicalola State Park in northern Georgia for our 1997 summer vacation. On our way home, we spent a night in Valdosta, Georgia.

Before smartphones, Google, Yelp, or TripAdvisor, we found restaurants based on recommendations in AAA travel guides, or the guides published by Mobil. Other times, we simply looked in the phone book in our hotel room.

The Valdosta Yellow Pages listed a Greek/Italian restaurant named Giulio’s. The local information pages of the phone book included a city map, and we figured that this would be a more welcome alternative to the fast food places near the hotel. So off we ventured.

We found the restaurant in an old house across the street from the Valdosta State University campus. The quaint, antique-filled interior, with its old fashioned push-button light switches, reminded me of my grandparents’ home. But the food was definitely the star here. As I recall, all four of us were members of the clean plate club that evening. I remember that we ordered an appetizer portion of spanakopita for Alice, who was nine at the time, and were shocked to see what looked like enough for an adult entree. She ate the whole thing!

Whenever our travels take us through Valdosta, we try to stop and go to Giulio’s, and that’s what we did Wednesday on our way home.

The menu is a mix of Greek and Italian dishes; think moussaka, souvlaki, lasagna and veal parmesan. We’ve never eaten anything here that wasn’t delicious. The last few times, Ken and I have both ordered from the daily specials, and we weren’t disappointed when we did that again on Wednesday.

Ken ordered the lobster ravioli special. The ravioli were generously topped with shrimp and a rich cream sauce. Ken thought he detected clams in the sauce, as well. The taste of ravioli that I snagged was superb. Ken emptied the bread basket to sop up as much of the delicious sauce as he could.

I wavered between the branzino and red fish specials that were listed, but ultimately opted for the redfish. Sautéed in olive oil and lemon, the sweet, delicate fish was a standout. It was also a very generous fillet, but I was determined not to leave any of it. So good!

The menu said that the fish came with potatoes and vegetable. The potato slices were fine; they weren’t the star of the show, and I hadn’t planned to do more than take a taste. The vegetable side, however, was completely unexpected: cabbage in a cheese sauce. I’ve never tasted anything quite like it. The closest I can describe it would be lightly cooked cabbage noodles in a homemade Alfredo sauce—maybe. Whatever, it was delicious, and I couldn’t leave any of it. I asked the waiter about the dish, but he had no idea, and laughed at the idea that the chef would give up his secret. I guess I’m going to need to experiment.

Stopping at Giulio’s has become a tradition. I think we need to plan another road trip north.