Finding Tuscany: Italian Food in Gallipolis

tuscany italian restaurant sign

Ohio is filled with fun things to do and great places to eat. And sometimes, delightful new experiences surprise us in small towns and out of the way places. It was just such an out-of-the-way travel that brought us to Tuscany, an Italian restaurant in Gallipolis.

Gallipolis on the Banks of the Ohio

Gallipolis is a small town on the banks of the Ohio River. It was originally settled in 1790 by the French who were fleeing the violence of the French Revolution.

Just across the Ohio lies Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Prior to 1967, the two villages were connected by the Silver Bridge. Then, that December, the bridge collapsed killing 46 people.

The inside of the Tuscany restaurant, serving Italian food in Gallipolis, Ohio. The scene is multiple tables and chairs.
Though I thought the building sort of resembled an old Pizza Hut location, it was comfortable and family friendly.

You may recognize the story from the Richard Gere movie The Mothman Prophecies. In fact, the village of Point Pleasant is famous for the Mothman mystique and has built a small tourist industry around the legend.

Today, the two villages are connected by the Silver Memorial Bridge which was completed in 1969. The population hovers just north of 3600.

Finding Italian Food in Gallipolis

It was neither the French nor the Mothman that brought us to Gallipolis. Instead we had attended a volleyball game at the nearby University of Rio Grande. We’d eaten several times at the original Bob Evans homestead, located in Rio Grande and wanted to venture out and try something different.

Mushroom caps on a white plate stuffed with cream cheese, parmesan cheese and parsley.
I didn’t even like mushrooms as a kid. But from the first time I tried stuffed mushrooms I fell in love. I haven’t eaten a bad one yet!

Though we were a bit skeptical, we took the advice of some locals and decided to try Tuscany. It’s a small location on Eastern Avenue, very near the River. At first glance, it looks to be a remodeled Pizza Hut location from the mid-80s. But we were starved and Italian food sounded wonderful.

We started off with the stuffed mushrooms. In all fairness, I almost always order the stuffed mushrooms when they’re on the menu. (The same can be said for both fish and chips and pulled pork bbq.) Were these my favorite stuffed mushrooms? No, I’m actually partial to the ones I make at home. But nonetheless they were delicious and I begrudgingly shared them with David and Amanda.

I ordered the meat lasagna and a side of the lobster bisque, mostly because I was curious. The lasagna was delicious, and featured a large, hearty portion. As a matter of fact, the only thing I would not recommend was the bisque. My favorite Ohio bisque is served in a bread bowl at the Boardwalk in Put-in-Bay. This, sadly wasn’t even close for me.

A white plate with a fork showing a serving of shrimp alfredo.
I stole a bit of Amanda’s shrimp alfredo – delicious!

But as I said, everything else was delicious. Amanda had the shrimp alfredo, which is one of her favorites and David had the chicken fettucine alfredo. Both were wonderful and the portions were large. The restaurant was clean and comfortable and the service was impeccable. Our waitress made recommendations and checked back frequently. Our glasses were never empty.

FindingOhio in Big Cities and Little Towns

The moral of the story is to keep your mind open. Don’t be afraid to try new things, even in unexpected places. You may find a new favorite and at very least, you’ll meet some new people.

Thanks for FindingOhio with us today. We love discovering new places in the Buckeye State.

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