I can't say enough about Michaels and how good it is, this is the rare occasion when a 6th star would be helpful!
If you are looking to get a little spendy and enjoy some top of the line Italian cuisine you have to make it to the border of Marine Park and Midwood and give Michael's a shot.
You can't miss it when crossing Nostrand and Avenue R, it's an old looking place with a blue awning and from the outside you would think you are heading into an outdated place, but it's farther from the truth.
The dimly lit restaurant has stone walls and a bar when you first walk in, along with a stack of sauce jars that you can purchase, and when you try it you will want to bring a jar or two home!
It's one big room with tables everywhere, but they are not cramped together, On weekends there may be a wait because it's VERY busy, and they do not accept reservations for parties less than 4. If you have a group larger than 4 you will need a reservation for sure.
Now let's get to the fantastic food!
Before you even order, you will be greeted with a big basket of bread, focaccia and crackers, along with a dish of mixed olives, artichoke hearts, cheese and sun dried tomatoes, it's all amazing and you could fill up on this pretty fast but you'll want to save some bread for later (see below).
There's so much to choose from! I suggest taking a few minutes to look things over because there's a diverse list of items that might catch your eye. They have a list of specials on the menu too, although it doesn't seem to change much.
My favorite all time appetizer is their shrimp, crab and avocado salad, it comes lumped together with the avocado and shrimp sitting in the delicious lump crab with a light glaze of oil, Believe me when I say this is my favorite appetizer of any Italian restaurant, it is that good (and not too big, it takes up only half the dish but packs so much flavor that it's worth it).
Other appetizers to try are the hot or cold antipasto, the walnut goat cheese salad and the grilled octopus, which is also on the small side but worth a try. Also coming close to my favorite app is the eggplant rollatini, it's a big dish for an app and the ricotta inside is so creamy and dreamy I can taste it as i'm typing! I often times make my wife order it so I can get a taste of two of my favorites!
I've had so many main courses at Michael's and loved them all, everything from the swordfish to the salmon to a simple fettuccine alfredo dish, but my favorite is the fisherman's platter.
Get ready for this, it's a massive plate that you will never finish in one sitting, and comes with lobster, giant shrimp, mussels, clams and un-breaded calamari over linguine with Michael's signature spicy sauce. They take a little while to make this dish to make sure the flavors from the lobster and clams blend in with the sauce, and it all comes out to a masterpiece!
You'll want to save some of the bread or focaccia (or ask for more) because you will be so addicted to the sauce and all you will want to do is dip!
You won't finish that dish, so be smart and save some for home and ask for an extra serving of focaccia bread to go with it.
For dessert my favorite is the lemon sorbet with fruit, but you can also go with the warm apple crumb with ice cream which is a big dessert dish and would be good for sharing or go for the reliable tartufo.
I can't say enough about Michael's to justify how good it is, give it a try one day and you will thank me later! read more