This article was written by Kaitlyn Gantz, a contributing author at The Concordian.
I wanted to eat off campus, to wander around for a while, but I didn’t want to eat at the usual places: Pizza Patrol, Erb’s & Gerb’s, etc. One of my friends suggested Altony’s Italian Cafe, at its new location in Moorhead. I had always wanted to try the place when it was previously located in Dilworth but had simply never found myself quite that far east. With its new location in the former Taco Bell on Highway 10 in Moorhead, Altony’s is generating a larger customer base than ever with its more heavily trafficked location.
The restaurant was incredibly cozy, with its small size and the walls painted with the warm colors of soft reds, yellows and browns. Wine racks and old-fashioned photos hung on the walls, making it feel like a home in Italy. The booth at which we were placed provided privacy from the other diners. While the atmosphere was incredibly lively, especially for a Thursday night, it was also loud. The sound of everyone’s conversations bounced off the wooden floors, making difficult to talk in a normal volume. The diners consisted of a few tables of college students like myself, many younger couples and families with children.
My dissatisfaction of the noise level dissipated when I saw the massive plate of spaghetti with meatballs the size of baseballs coming toward our table. The meatballs looked like small stones in comparison to the mountain of spaghetti sitting alluringly underneath. Then a bowl of confetti ravioli, described on the menu as “pillows of roasted vegetables and cheese served with a basil pesto sauce,” arrived. The raviolis certainly seemed as big as a bed pillow.
The ravioli was unbelievably delicious. The bowl of pasta was served with eight or so jumbo raviolis, overstuffed with cheese and veggies, and drenched in olive oil and basil pesto. It proved difficult to eat more than three at a time because the sauce was so rich. The spaghetti and meatballs, served with an herb tomato sauce, was as delicious as it was an especially good deal. I heard the meatballs were fantastic, but I did not try them.
Thursday nights feature every college student’s fantasy: all you can eat spaghetti and meatballs for $7 with a student ID, dubbed “College Carb Overload” by the restaurant. Although, I would be beyond impressed if anyone could finish even one plate on his or her own. They also have half-price appetizers during happy hour from 3-6pm.
In addition, ordering an entrée includes bread, salad (I recommend the house) and soft serve ice cream at the end of the meal. At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, this full meal comes at one low price, with most entrees costing between $8-$12.
I recommend Altony’s to any college student looking for a great Italian meal and as a potential date restaurant with a casual atmosphere! We were seated immediately, despite the small size of the restaurant, and our waitress was friendly and helpful throughout the meal.
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