SEVEN WORDS: Good, Mid-Level Italian / Gulf Shores Atmosphere / Bocce!
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Yes, I said "Gulf-Shores Atmosphere. This Mid-Size Family Restaurant and Pizza Pub offers an atmosphere that I*mmediately reminds me of Pensacola Beach near the Pier, St. Augstine Beachside, and some Carolina Family Resorts - although it's located in a staid, suburban location.
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It did help that the weather was like being beachside on a Mach afternoon - just above 60 degrees with a light 3-5 mph wind. The Sun was out, the Cafe lights at the Bar just came on, and the Monday Night Bocce League was chucking wooden balls from one end of the arean to the other, all the while, gentle, non-sensical conversations were filling the air. 1970s Classic Rock softly filled the background noise.
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But, we only came for Food - and always love a new place to eat. Since it was our first time, we ordered a Calamari Appetizer and two Standard Italian Entrees: I grabbed the Baked Ziti while my wife ordered the Fried Fish.
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She's a little spoiled, being a Filipino: She is not a fan of Fish Sticks of Any kind - even if they were upscale and tasted fresh, as these did. So, we switched plates.
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I really enjoyed the Fish Fillets. The White Fish ?Cod? was fresh and not pasty, the breading was not cumbersome in any way, the oil was fresh - probably Vegetable - and I devoured it. It was quite a bit above average for Fried Fish, without being top-tier, like you'd find at a Lakeside Popup Stand at Buckeye Lake. The Fries were good, mild salt and still had slivers of skin on the fries. I still think they were pre-packaged, but they were done better than you'd ever manage at home, without going to extra measures.
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My Wife's Ziti was very Good, too. It was more than she could eat - she was partially full before we sat down and the Soda + Calamari nearly filled her tummy. That was fine, we doggie bagged it and shared my fries and watched Bocce for about an hour. That was quite a bit of Fun - Especially on a Monday Night - without being loud and obnoxious - just pleasant, like enjoying GenXers and Boomers throw Wooden Balls back and forth and cheering casually and sharing company.
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Our total Bill: Two Sodas, Calamari, Baked Ziti, Fish Fillet, came to a Total of $56. Somewhat Reasonable and we had leftovers (The Baked Ziti), which I devoured two days later. It was so much better after resting in the Fridge: like Fine Italian Cuisine more than Run-of-the_Mill Homemade Ziti.
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It's not the best, but it's a place WE WILL RETURN to just to try out their pizza and sit inside and soak up the ambiance. A really fine place for 4-Star Italian - WITHOUT breaking the Bank. read more