September 2025 Central Virginia Moto Guzzi Lunch Report

[Michael S. Jones]

Greetings, Moto Guzzi friends. The forecast was for rain all day, but God was generous, and Saturday turned out to be a good day for riding. Ten people on five Guzzis, one Honda, and one Volkswagen set out from Willville Bike Camp to ride the 50-something miles to Hema’s Italian Restaurant in Rocky Mount. We took routes 58, 8, and 40 through hamlets such as Woolwine, Charity, and Ferrum, riding winding roads through field and forest, over bridge and brook. We pulled into Hema’s nearly empty parking lot and lined the bikes up in a row. No sooner had we dismounted than another Guzzi pulled in from the other direction. Six Guzzis isn’t a record, but just that morning I was wondering if I’d be eating alone!

Here's who came to Hema’s: Frank Hartman on a 2017 V7iii Anniversario (#98 of a limited run), John Sartorius on a 2020 v85tt, Kevin Buchli on a beautiful white 2010 California Vintage, Al Chappell on his V7iii Stone, Bill and Jenelle Parker on a white 2002 California EV 80th Anniversary Edition, Andy and Juanita Cook on a Honda Goldwing Tour, and me on my rusty but very trusty old Convert. Charlie Mullendore, to my surprise, came in a car (but a TDI Jetta Wagon, which is a very nice little car), and David Bodner came with Charlie, although he had a V100 Mandello S back in Meadows of Dan.

If you ever go to Hema’s, please don’t be put off by the drab exterior. The interior is nice and so is the food. Everyone I spoke to said their food was good, though I must admit, I didn’t hear anyone raving about it as occasionally happens. Several commented on the size of the calzones, which were quite large. Frank and I had the eggplant parmigiana sub. I was really looking forward to it, given how good they’ve been in the past. I was disappointed. It wasn’t a bad sub – not at all! – but it wasn’t exceptional, either. It came on a nicely toasted roll, it had nice, stringy cheese, and it was assembled exactly as I like it. However, the eggplant was a bit sparse (two thin slices) and so was the marinera sauce. The main problem was the lack of flavor: the sandwich was bland. Whether that’s due to the paucity of the sauce or whether the sauce itself was lacking flavor I don’t know.

However, on the bright side, the prices were incredibly low. If that place was closer, I’d go back and try some of the other things on their menu. I haven’t seen Italian food for those prices since before the pandemic. Furthermore, the waiter and waitress were very attentive. Overall it was a good experience.

There was plenty of discussion around the table, mostly about motorcycles and steam trains. Afterward some people went back to Willville for a second night of camping. Others headed home. I’ll send another email about the Guzzi campout at Willville soon. There were more Guzzista in Willville than the eight of us that went to lunch.

Stay tuned,

Mike


M. Jones, executive editor, Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies (www.jsri.ro)
"The heart has its reasons which reason does not know." -Blaise Pascal
"With man, instinct and reason avoid each other with adversity, yet, by repudiating each other they lure each other to reach mutual correction." -Lucian Blaga
"Human reason has this peculiar fate that in one species of its knowledge it is burdened by questions which, as prescribed by the very nature of reason itself, it is not able to ignore, but which, as transcending all its powers, it is also not able to answer." -Immanuel Kant