| rev:text
| - 33 months ago we celebrated my birthday with dinner at La Calabria's previous location. Our visit, and the meal were memorable, romantic and beyond delicious! So I thought, why not go back for our 39th wedding anniversary; perhaps a fatal mistake! This new location is rather stark and noisy due to no carpeting, curtains or soft wall hangings, just paper posters, and an open kitchen. There were cloth tablecloths that helped a bit. When I called for a reservation I told the hostess that it was our anniversary. Apparently this was overlooked. For my birthday they sang to us and presented a slice of delicious chocatate cake with lit candle! For our anniversary, it was completely ignored. We ordered the exact same meal expecting the exact same wonderful result. Not this time. The Calamari Friti was pale, had an "off" taste and was chewy and obviously not fried enough. The accompanying maranara sauce needed lemon and salt to give it some flavor. My Chicken Amalfitano (Chicken breast topped with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, red wine, demi glace, fresh mushrooms and fresh herbs with a side of steamed broccoli, and potatoes). The veggies were very good, the sauce as well, but the chicken was overcooked. I guess that averaged out with the calamari. My wife's Salmone Livornese, covered with red onions, capers, and olives with plum tomatoes, and accompanied by the same wonderful veggies, was perfect. It was a very large and thick chunk of ocean fresh, perfectly cooked, moist, nary a bone, fat or piece of skin present salmon.We had a little bowl of pasta with the same tastless marinara sauce. Neither one of us finished it. Her iced tea was excellent. For dessert we split a creme brulee, average at best. The old place was behind a discount tire shop but certainly delivered a fab meal. We were sorry we didn't eat elsewhere!
|