365 Things To Do In Southern NM: Day 20 - Lorenzo's Italian Restaurant

I've written a bit about the amazing mexican food that awaits you in the Mesilla Valley but, believe it or not, there is some incredible Italian food around here as well. Those that know me may say that I'm a bit biased but, to me, that's a good thing!

Lorenzo's Italian RestaurantS - there are three of them here - is the first choice of many for Italian. Most will say they are there for the bread which is mouth-watering. The recipe is closely guarded by owner Vince Vaccaro and his sister Mary. NO amount of cash has been able to secure the recipe and, trust me, I've tried a few times.

The menu consists of delicious standards such as chicken parmesan, raviolis, pastas, delicious salads and pizza. The pizza crust is the bread I talked about above. I did an informal poll a while back at a tailgate and the number one pizza among my friends is the Mesilla Valley Special - featuring, of course, green chile. My favorite is the Dio Mio which features Lorenzo's famous meatballs. These are a bit different from what you're used to but oh so good.

There are three locations: a sweet cafe in the downtown area that serves lunch daily, the newest location - Avanti which features amazing murals from a local artist - and then the original Las Cruces location just across the street from the Pan American Center and the NMSU campus.

One of the newest promotions is Wine Wednesday from 5 to 7pm where guests sample different wines each week and rate them. Wine experts are invited to join in, too. Find them on Facebook for more specials and information.

Vince and his staff are major supporters of Las Cruces as well. You'll find him helping out where he's needed, donating his time and energy to local organizations and charities and supporting NMSU athletics as well.

I am a HUGE HUGE supporter of our local businesses. I will choose to dine at a local place over a national chain nine times out of ten. When I visit other towns, that's where I want to go for meals. I want to experience the local flavor. Here's hoping that when you visit Las Cruces that you'll put Lorenzo's on your list of places to sit down and have an amazing meal!