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| - Saying Calabria's is up there with Franco's and Mia Madre is a stretch. However, Calabria's is vey good for what it is- casual italian foods. I would say it's closer to Armstrong's or Little Oasis. I stopped here for dinner with a friend at 8pm on a Saturday night. We asked to sit outside but were informed that the patio was "rented" out for the night for a party. When I walked into the dining room, I was immediately frightened and seriously considered going elsewhere. It looked like they clean with pepto bismal. Everything is a very ugly pink color. Tables, booths, chairs, decorations- pepto bismal pink. We were also the youngest patrons by about 20 years. Stomaches growling, we decided to stay and were very glad we did.
I ordered the grilled chicken with a side of pasta with vodka sauce. The entrees also came with a salad or soup. I chose the salad with cheesy garlic dressing. Yes, the dressing is called cheesy garlic. It was a creamy, cheesy italian dressing. Delicious. I can definitely see using this dressing as a sauce for subs and chicken. The salads were also served with italian bread with a oil, balsamic and spices dip. Perfect compliment to my meal. Our entrees arrived quickly. I was very pleased with my choice. The chicken was juicy and tender with good flavors. The penne with vodka sauce was delicious. A wonderful combination of tomatoes and cream. When I asked for parmesan cheese, I was directed to the bottle of shaker cheese on the table. Not quite what I was looking for. Our waitress quickly brought me a small cup of grated cheese. Throughout the night the service was exceptional. Now, that might have to do with the fact that there were only 2 other tables at that time but regardless, it was great. I decided to save a piece of chicken for lunch the next day and get dessert. We were looking for chocolate cake but the closest thing we found was a chocolate brownie ala mode. Other than the decor, dessert was the reason Calabria's got 4 stars instead of 5. The brownie was on the hard and thin side. Overall, I would definitely head back to Calabria's for dinner but will pass on dessert.
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