Down On The Boulevard Tavern

Boulevard - Chicken Parmigiano

The Boulevard Tavern has been an icon in Youngstown, Ohio for a long time. Famous for their Friday fish dinner, the Boulevard also has some very good Italian selections. One of them is the Chicken Parmigiano with a side of spaghetti.

We were seated right away and we placed our orders. The waitress was very nice and we had our Cokes in just a few minutes. I ordered the chicken Parmigiano with spaghetti.

The portion was very generous, large chicken breast cooked perfectly, topped with cheese with a zesty sauce. It was very tasty, fresh, and the spaghetti completed a great meal.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends The Boulevard Tavern for dinner.

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Scarsellas Restaurant Lasagna Dinner

Scarsella's Italian Restaurant is one of Patty's and mine favorite eating haunts. The service is almost always great, the food is always excellent, and prices are just right.

As usual, Patty and I stopped on the way home from work at Scarsella's. We were seated right away and the waitress took our drink order and our dinner order. (We knew what we wanted) In no time our diet pops were at our table along with fresh Italian bread and our salads. 

The salad was standard fare, fresh, and with the added grated cheese on the table, was very good.

Tonight I ordered the Lasagna and it was a good choice indeed. The portion was generous, the sauce zesty, the meat spicy enough, the noodles cooked well, and the taste was very good. All for around 13 dollars not including tip.

Scasella's Lasagna Dinner

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends Scarsella's for dinner.

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Caffe Capri - Filet Mignon

Caffe Capri, an Italian style restaurant is located in Boardman, Ohio. Patty and I have tried Caffe Capri several times before and found the restaurant and food very good. We were seated right away and our waitress came and took our drink orders.

We ordered appetizers as well. We went with the fried mozzarella cheese with spaghetti sauce. The breading was perfect, just enough crunch to keep the hot melted cheese manageable.

Bread was brought to the table. It was fresh, warm, and tasted fantastic.

The salad was standard fare but with the added grated cheese it was good.

I ordered the filet mignon, and it was very tender, zero fat, and a generous enough portion. The taste was good, it was juicy, and cooked just right. The filet came with a side of pasta. I chooose penne pasta. It was very well cooked, zesty sauce, and complimented the filet. The cost was around $30 dollars for the meal without tip which is adequate here in town.

Caffe Capri - Filet Mignon

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4.25 out of 5 shots and recommends Caffe Capri for dinner.

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Marinos Italian Cafe - Austintown, Ohio

I have heard about a quaint little restaurant called Marino's located in Austintown, Ohio. During Lent, we decided to stop in and try it. On a Friday night we were a little stunned that it was not busy. In fact, there were only about 4 tables being used by customers.

Anyway, we were seated right away and I ordered the fish dinner and a fried cheese appetizer. In about five minutes the cheese was brought to our table. There were five small pieces and a small bowl of dipping sauce. The sauce was OK, standard fare. The cheese sticks the same way. Standard, nothing bad, nothing good, just average.

The rolls were good though. I suspect they were home-made, they were warm, fresh, and tasted good, especially with melted butter.

The salad was standard fare. Excuse me for the late snapshot of the salad. I ate more than half when I realized I forgot to snap the picture.

About 20 minutes went by and our fish dinners arrived. I ordered Mac and Cheese as a side dish. As you can see, the fish was thin, and skinny. The breading was adequate but a little soggy. It had a "Fishy" smell to it which to me means it was not as fresh as it could be. The taste was OK. Certainly not what I had expected as several people told me about the place. The Mac and Cheese was cold.

All this for a Friday special of $12 dollars plus coke and tip.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 2.25 out of 5 shots and does not recommend Marino's Italian Cafe for dinner.

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Antone's - Chicken Parmesan

Antone's Chicken Parm

Antone's Italian Restaurant, just off Western Reserve Road, has been around for many years. Many people know them for their famous "Fried Cheese" but they have much more to offer than that.

For some reason, the restaurant is never crowded when we dine. It is a small place, so perhaps it is better known as a quick take out service restaurant.

Anyway, we were seated quickly at a booth and our waitress asked for our drink orders. Diet pops all around. In a few minutes she returned with the drinks and asked if we were ready to order. We were. As you can see from above, I ordered the Chicken Parmesan and I added a meatball for luck. (Actually, the meatballs are very good and I had to have one) No famous fried cheese this time around for I usually do not finish the meals in front of me.

Our waitress returned with our meals in about 10 minutes and I was surprised at how much pasta and chicken was on the plate. Two pieces of breaded chicken, layered with cheese and sauce and a very generous portion of rigatoni with sauce. And of course topped off with the meatball.

The chicken was moist, tender, hot, and tasty. It was not greasy and the cheese was just enough, not overpowering, but a compliment to the chicken. The rigatoni was well cooked, and with the sauce atop they were very good. Of course the meatball was good.

The cost was about $11 dollars without tip or drink. A very fair deal for the amount of food on the plate. And no, I did not finish all the pasta.


The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.5 out of 5 shots and recommends Antone's Italian Restaurant for dinner.

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Francesco’s Italian Restaurant – Las Vegas

Francesco's

Francesco's restaurant, nestled inside the Treasure Island casino was hard to find. It blended right into the casino atmosphere. Luckily, we found it and wandered in for dinner.

Appetizers

There were a few of dining that evening so table table appetizers were ordered. Above is a fine selection  of seafood dishes from the menu.

Chicken Parm

I ordered the chicken parmigiana. Before I did, I saw an order delivered to a table next to us and it looked fabulous. It would not disappoint.

The chicken was very lightly breaded, well cooked, juicy, smothered in cheese, with a tangy tomato sauce covering a tender chicken breast. The taste was very good. The sauce was tangy, the cheese good, and the chicken well cooked and good tasting. The meal was cooked to perfection and the service very efficient. And the cost, surprisingly low at around $25.00 without tip.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 3.75 shots out of 5 to Francesco's Italian Restaurant and recommends them for dinner.

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Caffe Palermo - Little Italy

Caffe Palermo On Mulberry Street

Caffe Palermo
148 Mulberry Street
Little Italy, NY 10013

No dinner is complete in Little Italy until you have dessert at Caffe Palermo, an authentic Italian style Caffe nestled in the center of Mulberry Street. You name the dessert, Caffe Palermo not only has it, but it will be the best tasting dessert you ever had. Trust me, I have had dessert there many, many times, and each time is better than before.

A word of advice. Try the cannoli. Caffe Palermo got you covered.

The waitresses are pretty, friendly, knowledgeable, and very efficient. The prices are very reasonable. And the proprietor, Baby John, (Hello Baby John, It's Patrick) is usually behind the counter hard at work making sure everything is fun and pleasurable for all.

And that is a story that no one can beat
And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street.

The Grassy Knoll Institute ranks Caffe Palermo 5 shots out of 5 and recommends the Orange Italian Ice Dessert and Caffe Palermo.

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Toarmina Restaurant Of Little Italy

When in New York City, no visit is complete without a trip to Little Italy. There are many amazing restaurants to choose from. Taormina Restaurant, located on famous Mulberry Street, is one of the best ones. The atmosphere was perfect, old Italian style, waiters and servers hustling about all framed in with a wood motiff. We were seated almost immediately even though they were very busy and our waiter brought us our drinks and our menu's.

I started out with penna in tomato Sauce as an appetizer. It was a very generous portion, was prepared perfectly, and was excellent tasting. I couldn't wait for the main course. Some hot fresh bread helped wile the time until it arrived.

The main course was Chicken Parmigiana. The chicken was moist and hot, the batter breading was golden brown, the cheese was hot and smothered the generous portion, and the sauce was hot and just the right kind of spicy.The service was very quick, courteous, and friendly.

The cost, for New York, was very affordable at $25.00 plus tip.

The Grassy Knoll Institute awards 5 out of 5 shots to Taormina Restaurant and recommends it for dinner.

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