I had heard Salerno's is a good option for Italian food in the east valley, so I decided to give it a try. I went about an hour before closing and was seated very promptly by a very friendly employee. \n\nI decided I would try the pasta and went with the manicotti. I thought it was a bit expensive compared to several other options (Casanova Brothers and Buono's) in the east valley, but went forward with it anyway. The manicotti came with a salad and bread, and I selected the Italian dressing. \n\nI received the salad and bread promptly. The salad contained fresh, crisp lettuce, but the dressing was very oily and lacked taste. The bread was decent, but nothing spectacular. Not too long after the salad came, the manicotti arrived. I was surprised to see it on a plate that was dripping sauce off the sides. I cannot recall ever going to an Italian restaurant and receiving a plate that so poorly contained the dish. The red sauce was fairly tasty, but the manicotti was bland in taste and was not hot enough. I wondered if it had been heated up rather than baked. The portion was large at least, so there was food to take home.\n\nOverall, I was not that impressed with my experience at Salerno's. Everything about the place including the service and decor was OK, but not particularly good or memorable except for the sweet employee who greeted me. I think I will stick with my other favorites for Italian food rather than returning here.