We arrived quite early, and even in daylight hours, the
restaurant held a feeling of the special occasion.
A tuxedo-clad pianist provided soft background music while a
plethora of black-and-white-clad servers milled around the front
of the dining room, waiting for the many patrons who would arrive
before our lengthy, relaxing meal was over.
Our server immediately brought us a basket of warm bread and
took our drink orders. The staff seems to take a pride in the
place, and our server was helpful with recommendations and
suggestions. She clearly knew — and enjoys — the food at
Giuseppe's.
Two of us wanted to start with a salad, and she informed us
that one insalata della casa was plenty for two to share. She was
right. We were each brought plates heaping with flavorful baby
greens topped with crumbled gorgonzola cheese and a light balsamic
vinaigrette.
My spaghetti alla Bolognese was a colossal swirl of al dente
spaghetti covered in a generous ladleful of slowly simmered meat
sauce.
Chockfull of large pieces of aromatic meat, the sauce had a
pleasing slightly sweet taste.
My Italophile friend has sampled the best of authentic Italian
cuisine. She was pleased to find her gnocchi di patate prepared
correctly, a rarity, she's found, in most Italian restaurants in
America.
The quality was superb: the homemade potato dumplings cooked to
a firm al dente, rather than a mushy mess, and served with a
simple marinara.
We all sampled bites of one another's dishes, and unanimously
declared the ravioli della nonna our favorite. Round oversized
ravioli were stuffed plump with cheese then covered with a
flavorful sauce that mixed tomato with creamy pesto. It was
splendid.
My husband tried the penne ala messinese, a generous bowl of al
dente penne served with sautéed chicken, mushrooms and a creamy
gorgonzola sauce. The bowl ended up empty, a strong indication of
his feelings for the dish.
Dessert was a delight, and ranged from rich tiramisu, tart
tangerine sorbet served charmingly in a hollowed-out tangerine and
calorie-laden crème caramelle to a chocolate truffle.
Aside from the truffle, which is imported from Italy, most of
the desserts are prepared in Giuseppe's kitchen.
Giuseppe's also offers salmon, veal, steak and lamb entrées at
slightly higher prices than the pasta dishes. We enjoyed an
upscale dining experience at a truly comfortable cost.
Through the month of May, Giuseppe's is offering 20 percent off
lunch items and 20 percent off all dinner entrées and appetizers
from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Trained in Sicily, proprietor Giuseppe Mauro has worked in
cities all over the world, including Frankfurt, Paris, France and
London.
The menu states the kitchen is happy to prepare a special dish
for any patron. I'll be back soon to request those beautiful
gnocchi drenched in that savory tomato and cream pesto sauce.