PHOTO: B.A. Nilsson

The Food Speaks Italian

Inferno Restaurant & Pizzeria

496 Albany Shaker Road, Loudonville, 459-2121. Serving Mon-Thu 11-10, Fri-Sun 11-11. AE, MC, V.

Cuisine: pizza and Italian fare

Entrée price range: $8 (traditional pizza) to $15 (veal parmigiana)

Ambiance: like new!

By B.A. Nilsson

What pushes you into that last-minute decision to dine out? And how do you choose a restaurant when it’s a matter of impulse?

My family and I had one of those moments in an Albany parking lot not long ago. We realized we wouldn’t be able to get home until after 8 PM, which meant dinner wouldn’t have been ready until nearly 9. (I’m not one of those 30-minute so-called gourmet cooks.) How nice if we could find a neighborhood joint, something with reliably good food that would be served quickly and wouldn’t cost a lot.

Good thing I had my Metroland Dining Guide tucked into the maps bin in my car. Pizza resonated most strongly with the assemblage, and the new Inferno headquarters seemed the most highway-convenient for us, located as it is not too far from Northway exit 4. Besides, it was new and we’d yet to try it.

The building rises like a beacon in the dark of an autumn night, replacing the flagship restaurant in what’s now a four-unit empire with plans to add still more. The original building went up in 1968 when Louis and Angelina Riggione started the operation, which remains in the Riggione family, now distributed among several offspring.

The takeout business obviously dominates—when I called for a reservation, the phone was answered, “Inferno: pickup or delivery?”—but upon arriving we found a pleasant window seat.

An Italianate look distinguishes the new building, which boasts high ceilings, blonde walls, attractively simple tables and a comfortable sense of space. The menu is short and to-the-point, with pizzas listed on the back page and a best-of assortment of appetizers and entrées on the menu’s inside.

Although I can foresee the wrath I’m about to provoke, I want to tackle the issue of pasta e fagioli. As its heritage attests, it’s an excellent soup, practically stewlike if that’s your preference. The name means pasta and beans, and from there on in you’re on your own. As a non-Italian, I pronounce it . . . I hesitate to say correctly; better, perhaps, to term it, in “received standard Italian,” or, as my wife puts it, “radio-announcer Italian,” hearkening back to my classical-radio days. So I unashamedly say “pasta eh fa-jolay.”

That’s because I’m too self-conscious to utter “pasta fazool” or some variant thereof. I’d sound like a tourist. This doesn’t stop other non-Italians, however, such as our youthful server, who enthusiastically repronounced it for me. (I have the same issue with “gyro,” but I’ll save that for the appropriate review.)

Although ostensibly born in northern Italy, pasta e fagioli has migrated everywhere, picking up tomato sauce as it traveled through that country’s southern portion. And it’s the tomato-enhanced version served here, a big bowl of it for $7. With the warm, crusty bread that’s served alongside, you’ve got the makings of a complete meal here. It’s a good brew, nothing outstanding in its flavors, but certainly what you expect.

Inferno’s reputation is based to a large extent on its pizzas, but this was a first for me. Given the Tuscan-inspired decor, I selected a Florentine chicken pizza ($13), an eight-cut white pie topped with big chunks of chicken along with sautéed spinach and fresh tomato chunks. With chunks of garlic as well as pesto to spice it up, it had a satisfyingly mouth-filling flavor.

I’m eager to try the Rustica (sausage and peppers), clam (white or red), Philly cheese and, of course, the works, priced between $11 and $13. You also can create your own, with a generous array of ingredients to choose from.

Greens and beans ($7) is also listed as a soup, but it’s a pretty thick assemblage that also sports an abundance of garlic, which has a natural affinity with the spinach therein. This is one of my favorite dishes, so I’m happy to know that a good version of it is available here.

Among the entrées, which are priced from $14 to $16 and include a side of pasta, you’ll find chicken or veal parmigiana, ditto marsala, chicken and broccoli Alfredo and more. Chicken Française ($14) is another favorite, although it should feature pounded breast cutlets and not the thick, tough slices we encountered. And there’s really no reason to use canned mushrooms for anything, especially when you can flavor your own as you sauté them.

Stuffed shells ($12), listed among the Italian favorites like lasagna ($13) and shrimp scampi ($15), are yet another of the many manifestations of macaroni and cheese I used over the years to wean my daughter away from the Kraft product (with its vile orange color). Five big pasta shells are stuffed with seasoned ricotta, served in a tomato sauce that’s light and not too sweet.

When I return, it will be for the stuffed hot cherry peppers ($8), fettucine Alfredo ($11), or veal-and-pepper plate ($15). But that’s when I return to dine in. Writing this has given me a craving for yet another pizza, so I hope you’ll excuse me while I phone in an order.

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