We decided to stop by here and get some dinner after driving by and actually noticing for once that it is open. We should have kept driving and eaten at Harley's instead.
Inside, the place is pretty plain and a little bit cheap looking. I don't really have a problem with this, as Giuseppe's is pretty much the same. I do have a problem though when my waiter hands me a menu that has masking tape covering half the options on there. So, what'll it be tonight, spaghetti or pizza?
After scouring the menu in search of something a little more "original" we both settled on the Tortellini in Cream sauce with Ham and Peas. I got this mostly because I was hoping for a pleasant reminder of my favorite dish at Beppo's that has long since been removed. That pleasant reminder was not there. The pasta was clearly not handmade, and reminded me more of the stuff you buy in the refrigerated aisle at the grocery store. The cream sauce was okay, but again tasted like a grocery store brand that came in a bottle. The peas were certainly canned. They were a rather unfortunate shade of putrid green and the ham tasted like the Costco ham cut up in to small slivers.
Simply put I was less than satisfied with my meal. There are so many things about this dish that could be changed to make it a wonderful dish. Sauce is so easy to make and an uncomplicated cream sauce would do wonders for this dish. Even frozen peas would taste better than canned. A trip to Calabria deli to pick up some good Italian Ham could move this dish from unremarkable to spectacular.
These shortcomings are pretty much unacceptable in my book when there is a far superior Italian restaurant just blocks away. If they can do it, so should you. I probably won't be back.