| rev:text
| - I found this place via the Yelp app as I was drawing my search for dining options closer and closer to my hotel (my resolve to travel was waning). The reviews looked good, so I headed that way.
Moving in, it's definitely a casual, local joint that probably isn't a destination for travelers, but that's OK. The tap beer selection is mostly typical corporate America fare, but I did snag a Blue Moon, which was served with the proper orange slice (and a pretty generous one at that). Looking through the reviews, it seemed that either the Pasta Giovanni or the Pollo Marconi was the way to go; my server suggested the former, saying it was their most popular dish. Done.
Upon arriving a the table, the dish was accompanied by a slice of lightly buttered garlic toast, which was crunchy and tasted pretty good, though it could have used more butter. The pasta was a generous portion, featuring "smooth" al-dente penne, sausage sliced on the bias, chicken, and mushrooms in a tomato cream demi-glaze sauce. The sauce was a little thin, but had a nice flavor, balancing savory with a tiny bit of sweet. A few of the chicken pieces seemed rubbery, and the rest were somewhat unremarkable. It was a decent dish, but didn't really stand out. I applied some grated parm and red pepper flake to pick up the pace a little, and that was a nice addition.
I also thought the dish was a little expensive compared to the ingredients and overall look and feel of the restaurant. But there are a number of options on the rather lengthy menu, so maybe a different dish would have suited me better.
|