Our friends decided to treat us to a birthday dinner; as our one companion was very much craving a veal parm on a bun, we decided on Italian for the night.
Our first stop, what had once been voted a best new restaurant in Guelph, had closed down (oops, missed it!); I can honestly say I wish I had recommended Romero's in the first place. Our friends had never been, but we had been several times before. We arrived just past 6 on a Saturday evening, and were lucky to get one of the last non-reserved tables of the night (make a reservation; this restaurant is well worth it!).
Our friends each ordered a Caesar salad, and we ordered the special soups of the night: a cream of tomato soup, and a Boston clam chowder. Our friends raved about the Caesar, and I enjoyed my chowder. Both soups were served piping hot; I never got the impression these were left to simmer in the kitchen for any length of time.
For our entrées, our friends ordered a veal parmesan and a pasta platter special, and we ordered a veal parm and the chicken special, which was a grilled chicken breast with scallops, shrimp, and asparagus in a cream sauce topped with cheese. This is not something I would typically order in a restaurant (I have had the veal parm at least twice now and it is spectacular), but I'm so glad I was adventurous enough to try it. Again, our companions informed the proprietor how impressed they were that all our dishes were piping hot (the proprietor, upon hearing our friends' surprise, asked, "How else would you serve it?").
I suppose the staff overheard that we were celebrating three of our birthdays this month and brought over a slice of Bailey's cheesecake with "Happy Birthday" written in sauce on the plate. You can tell the folks here are very passionate about good food; the proprietor is always on the restaurant floor with a big smile on his face, making it his business to make sure your smile is as big as his. The waitstaff were very attentive; despite there being only two servers on hand that night, and seeing the poor young ladies run off their feet, they did a great job making sure everyone had everything they needed.
I won't comment on décor, as unless there's something dead in a corner (happened to me in a pub in Burlington) or something dripping on my plate from above, I really couldn't care less. Prices are appropriate to the quality and care put into the dishes from the kitchen staff. I had only begun visiting Romero's myself in the past two years, and our friends had never been, despite this wonderful gem being in our city for the past nineteen years in two locations. If you are looking for excellent Italian food with an amiable host, Romero's should be at the top of your list. read more