From the Menu of . . . Amore's Pizzeria & Cafe
4401 Shallowford Road, Suite 168, Roswell
678-822-2222

Q: My new favorite family restaurant is Amore’s Pizzeria & Cafe. It is tucked away in a strip mall ... at the corner of Shallowford and Johnson Ferry roads. I stopped in, by chance, and now I cannot get enough of the great food. The recipe I’m hoping that you can get for me is homemade basil vinaigrette. It is served on Insalata alla Amore (tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, red onion and Gorgonzola). On more than one occasion, I have driven past several other restaurants to go to Amore’s to get this salad for lunch. I think this vinaigrette would also be delicious on tossed or potato salad, or as a marinade. -- Michele Morris, Marietta

A: Owner Tom Dietter makes his basil vinaigrette -- and most of his other salad dressings -- from scratch, using fresh ingredients. The dressing, bright green from fresh basil, is especially good on tomatoes, he said. “But it’s really good on any salad. It really is a good dressing.” Because he makes such large quantities, Dietter uses a refined olive oil, but for home use he suggests using extra- virgin or an extra-virgin blend. “If you want to have a good dressing, buy some good oil,” he said. -- Deborah Geering, for the Journal-Constitution