Li'l Rizzo's Italian Restaurant

The nostalgia of a big plate of pasta smothered in a delicious sauce brings back so many great memories. Pasta is comfort food - at least it here around here! At Li’l Rizzo’s , we have an incredible menu filled with pasta dishes that will make your mouth water, so it only makes sense that you would take some time to celebrate World Pasta Day! October 25th is a day dedicated to the many different types of delicious pasta that we get to enjoy. Here are a few fun facts about pasta, as well as a peek at our delicious pasta menu at the best Italian restaurant at the Lake of the Ozarks ! Did you know … The three most popular kinds of pasta’ are Penne, Spaghetti, and Macaroni. Pasta can be served in multiple ways. It can be mixed with a sauce, it can be stirred into soups or stews, and it can also be baked. Dried pasta doubles in size when cooked and is often served with thick, hearty sauces. The traditional Italian way of cooking pasta is known as ‘al dente’. Most pasta falls unde...

October is Pizza Month! Combine that with football season and you have the makings of a wonderful few weeks of the year. Here at Li’l Rizzo’s, we serve up the best pizza at the Lake of the Ozarks and have plenty of TVs around our restaurant that you can watch the game at the Lake of the Ozarks without interruption. With so many incredible pizzas on our menu, we thought it would be fun to introduce you to the flavors so many of our customers love - as well as some of the most popular pizza toppings! Popular Pizza Pie Toppings In an article by Huffington Post, Foodler conducted a study where they analyzed pizza orders from thousands of restaurants in the United States and Canada. The top 10 pizza toppings are: 1.Pepperoni 2. Mushrooms 3. Onions 4. Sausage 5. Bacon 6. Extra Cheese (um … yes!!) 7. Black olives 8. Green peppers 9. Pineapple 10. Spinach Are you surprised by the results? Another thing that may surprise you, is that when people order “half and half” pizz...

When we walked out the door this morning, we were greeted with amazingly cool temperatures and the scent of fall in the air. This means only one thing, we’re craving all of the fall favorites! From warm dishes that make us feel warm and cozy on the insides, to rich choices and spicy drinks. Here are just a few of the things we’re craving this month as the temperatures stay cool and the flavors stay warm. Toasted Ravioli There something perfectly comforting about toasted ravioli. It’s warm, savory, and flavorful. Not to mention, there’s something cozy about dipping it in our delicious meat marinara sauce. This delicious appetizer is made from beef ravioli, and deep fried to a perfect golden brown. We top them with parsley flakes and parmesan cheese to complete this delicious starter. Make them even better by dipping them in your minestrone soup! Minestrone Soup & Italian Sausage Sandwich Our Minestrone soup is warm and delicious. It’s tomato based and made from scratch...

Some of the best comfort food can be found in the form of an ice cold pint of beer paired with a steaming hot pizza straight from the oven. At Li’l Rizzo’s we know how important comfort food is - which is why we provide it for you on a regular basis! Tuesday, October 9th is Beer & Pizza Day. If you can’t join us next week to celebrate, why not come this weekend? We’ve got amazingly delicious pizzas on the menu, and the perfect pint to pair with them. Here are a few Lake of the Ozarks pizza and beer pairings to get your weekend started right! Rizzo’s Margherita & Pale Ale This pizza boasts of brushed olive oil crust, fresh mozzarella, dollops of ricotta, fresh tomato and basil sprinkled with grated parmesan. Pale ale’s go great with the pizza’s toasty crust and also can balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. This light beer will no down out the subtle flavor of the mozzarella either. Instead, it pushes it to the forefront! If you're hungry for this combination - st...

There are a few central features to all good Italian. Tomatoes … basil … and PASTA! Okay, so maybe it’s just about the carbs because pizza is also pretty key - but pasta is essential. There are over 350 different types of pasta represented around the world. Here at Li’l Rizzo’s , we LOVE pasta! We may not have 350 different types, but we have our fair share, and every single one is filled with flavor. Here are a few things you need to know about pasta varieties, their shapes, and what kinds we have on our menu! PLUS, we have a little quiz at the end to test your pasta knowledge. Why So Many Shapes?? The reason for so many different shapes is generally because of the different sauces that the pasta is served with. Many cooks insist that a thin sauce needs thin pasta - while thick sauce needs thick pasta! White sauces supposedly stick better to flat pasta, while red sauce sticks better to round noodles. Then there is stuffed pasta - which requires an entirely different shape all ...

At Li’l Rizzo’s, we LOVE families! So it only makes sense that we would celebrate Family Day on September 24th. We’ve always been a family establishment, from offering foods that kids will love, to providing plenty of places for families of all ages to gather together around amazing food at the Lake of the Ozarks . We even have two locations so your family can go wherever is closest. Here are a few reasons you should come out to Li’l Rizzo’s this weekend in honor of family day - or join us on Monday to celebrate the actual day! Plenty of Space for a Crowd Between two locations, we have plenty of room! Our restaurant in Osage Beach, MO is larger with plenty of space for your crew, while our restaurant in Lake Ozark, MO is a smaller, more intimate setting. If you have a large group coming, we look forward to serving your entire party, but even with a small group, you'll find the same endearing service. Both of our locations also have plenty of TVs, so if your crew loves to ...

We love mushrooms at Lil’ Rizzo’s and we hope you do too! There are many different types of mushrooms, from small capped mushrooms to morel mushrooms, and even some crazy kinds like the bearded tooth mushroom (trust us, they're weird!). Their flavor is the perfect addition to our famous Italian foods at the Lake of the Ozarks . Here are a few fun facts about mushrooms, as well as a few of our favorite menu items that feature this fun flavor. Fun Facts About Mushrooms Mushrooms are comprised of 85-95 % water. Mushrooms have their own immune system. Like human skin, mushrooms can produce vitamin D by being exposed to sunlight. In fact, exposing a freshly cut shiitake mushroom, gills up, to the sun for eight hours can increase its vitamin D content by as much as 4,600 times! The antibiotic penicillin was derived from the species Penicillium. Featuring Mushrooms on the Menu! We have a great menu filled with Italian dishes, several of which feature mushrooms! Come on out...