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| - As you pull up to Johnny's Bar, it takes a bit of courage to get out of your car. The neighborhood clearly has had better days, however faint elements of its previous life as an Italian-American part of town remain. Parking is short in supply, however there is a complimentary valet at the front door who will not only park your car, but keep an eye on it for you.
Once you open the door and venture in, it's like taking a step back in time to a 1950's Italian steakhouse. The space is relatively small, however, there is a large bar area with plenty of seating. The decor is vintage stained wood panelling with a nice decorative ceiling. Seating is tight, but this adds to the ambience; this type of restaurant was built when dining out was a social experience. There is a buzz of activity as the servers navigate the tight aisles with wonderful appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks.
First, we'll discuss the wine list: it has a nice selection of reasonably price glasses and bottles. My wife had a nice cab for $12.50 and I had a solid Pinot Noir for $8.50. Most places would charge $15 or more for these offerings.
The menu had a nice variety of seafood, veal, steak, and pasta options. The appetizer that caught my eye was the banana peppers stuffed with veal, although we didn't get it since we had expected a lot of food with our entrees. The most prominent item was the long bone veal chop, a dish that they are famous for. We saw several of these come out of the kitchen, sizzling and smelling fantastic! They also had a 16 oz New York strip steak covered with grilled onions and a demi-glacé which seemed to be extremely popular.
The dinner came with a nice side of bread, which had a nice cracked pepper crust, and a mixed green salad. The salad dressing options were typical of an Italian restaurant, although I'll say that the balsamic that I had was the best I've ever had.
My wife ordered a unique dish, a beef tenderloin medallion, enclosed in a puff pastry with some lobster baked in for good measure. It was delicately covered with a light cream sauce and as cooked to perfection. It was completed with a side of scalloped potatoes and some freshly picked green beans. My wife can be quite demanding culinarily sometimes, however, in this case she was extremely satisfied.
I ordered a more traditional veal scallopine and shrimp with a marinara sauce and linguine. The veal and shrimp were cooked to perfection, the saucy was fresh and zesty, and the pasta was cooked perfectly.
We wrapped it up with a huge piece of chocolate mousse cake and espresso.
Total bill $112 for two glasses of wine, two entrees, a dessert, and espresso. Not the cheapest meal in town, but considering the unique atmosphere, fresh and delicious food, and impeccable service, it was well worth the price.
I would recommend Johnny's Bar to anyone looking for a nice romantic dinner, celebrating a special occasion, or simply looking for a very good northern Italian meal.
They also have a very nice hidden patio area known as Louisa's Garden, which looked like a great spot to enjoy dinner and a glass of wine under the stars.
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