Gamberetti's

Gamberetti's is an Italian restaurant located in Salem, Oregon. They moved to the Pringle Plaza downtown on September 7.

I went to get lunch with a friend at Gamberetti's the day after they moved to downtown Salem. Our server brought us some wonderful bread, which we enjoyed with some olive oil. After much deliberation on the lunch specials and the rest of the menu, I went with the grilled chicken sandwich ($7.25): grilled chicken, spinach, tomato, sundried tomato spread, pesto, and melted provolone cheese on a toasted Italian bread. The sandwich came with a choice ofsoup or salad, and I got the Caesar salad, dressing on the side.

My friend got the Pasta Nicola lunch special ($6.95): penne pasta topped with pancetta, tomatoes, and arugula in a spicy vermouth butter.

Lunch special menu

Free breadsticks

Grilled chicken sandwich with Caesar salad (dressing on the side)

The wonderful cross-section

The toasted bread was just perfect: crunchy on the outside (but not too crunchy), and soft/pillowy on the inside. The explosion of pesto and sundried tomato spread was the key to this sandwich, elevating an otherwise-average chicken sandwich into the stratosphere. The melted provolone brought everything together. The salad was very enjoyable, the dressing spot on in terms of flavor. I thought the chicken may have been the slightest bit dry in certain parts, but not an egregious violation there. The sandwich was still a huge success in my book.

My friend enjoyed her Pasta Nicola. Didn't take a photo of it, but her food looked good, I'll say that.

The interior of Gamberetti's has that upscale bistro-like quality to it. It's very spacious and even hosts a full bar. Pasta may not be high on my carbohydrates list (I'm more of a sandwich/wrap or brown rice person there), but Gamberetti's is a place I'd definitely return to. 8.5/10