Tony Boffa's, Middletown, NY

Tony Boffa's Restaurant in Middletown is a place we haven't been to in years, and a place we kept saying we needed to go to again for years. Going back made me remember why I used to like it, and made me realize I should go there more often.

They've been around for over 60 years now it still has the same feel it always had. This is an old school Italian joint in Middletown, probably the last of its kind. It isn't fancy inside or out but it is clean and bright, if not a bit shop worn. No, a better term would be lived-in. The restaurant has a comfortable feel and reminds me of my family restaurant. They have a simple, yet ample, menu and the prices are competitive with comparable restaurants.

Teresa ordered the eggplant parmesan special pictured above. It was a huge portion and it was really good. The sauce had a nice balance of sweetness with a bit of the tang of a good tomato. The eggplant was perfectly cooked, the ricotta mixture was perfectly seasoned and the cheese plentiful. 

I ordered the Veal Brasciolettini which is a thin veal that has been breaded and rolled up in mozzarella, provolone, salami and spices. Think of an Italian version of Veal Cordon Blue and you've got it. It came with salad (nothing fancy, iceberg lettuce with shredded carrots and green olives) and a side of pasta. The veal was well executed with a hearty flavor, quite delicious.

The service was good and the food delicious. Total bill for two dinners was about forty bucks. Stop by sometime and eat. I think you'll be happy you did.

Osteria Cicchetti, Wilmington, NC

We were debating where to go for dinner Friday evening, we wanted to try someplace new, and we narrowed it down to two choices. One was the Kitchen, the renaissance of The Grand Union, and the other was Osteria Cicchetti in the same plaza, and both owned by the same people as Circa 1922, the Ash Aziz group.

Bread

We took a look at the menu of the Market and we walked down to Osteria. After looking over their menu we decided that it was the better choice for us that evening. We were more in the mood for Italian. There wasa twenty-five minute wait for a table inside, however we could be seated outside right away. The weather had cooled a bit so we took a table in front. 

Calamari

We were brought menus and Clay stopped by and introduced himself as our waiter while he poured ice water and left a bottle of it. He answered a few questions and gave us time to pontificate on what we wanted. He also brought us the magnificent bread shown above. We decided to start off with the calamari appetizer at $9.00. It was large and not greasy at all, but it was a bit salty in taste. It came with a marinara sauce that was a bit watery and a mayo sauce with a hint of horseradish. Not bad, but the calamari at Circa was better.

Veal Saltimboca

Teresa decided on the eggplant Entree at $14.00 after we saw a waitress deliver one to a table near us. The portion was large and it was served on a bed of spaggetti. I asked Teresa how it was and she replied, "okay." I sampled and I agreed. It was okay, but nothing really special. I thought it could have used some more seasoning. 

Eggplant

I chose the Veal Satimboca at $17.50, one of my favorites. I've had this dish at over twenty restaurants and I have seen twenty different interpretations of it. What most of the variations are is in the sauce used. Here they used a red wine/balsamic vinegar reduction that would be better served with Osco Busco or another hearty meat. In a delicate veal dish (yes, I am aware that Osco usually uses veal shank) it tends to add to much acidity and overpowers the meat. I found it good, and I finished it, but a bit too much acidity and the flavor notes were overpowering. So much so that I wanted to brush my teeth after eating. Saltimboca means 'leaps to your mouth' and the dish should do just that. I have had many interpretations of this dish that I wanted to savor the flavor of that last bite as long as possible, but not so here.

The service was excellent. The food was good, not stellar. The atmosphere was okay outside, but it looked nice when I went in to use the very clean men's room. Prices were moderate. Would we go back? Yes. Would we rush back? No. I think Terrazzo Trattoria is better. 

Franco's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant, Walden NY

The little village of Walden, about 7,000 people, has three Chinese restaurants, one diner, two ice cream places, two bars and five pizza places. The pizza places range from just above mediocre to pretty good. Franco's is one of the pretty good ones and is also more of a restaurant in that they serve more traditional Italian dishes. We've been there a few times to eat, and gotten take out a couple more.

Franco's is located at the Thruway Shopping center in the old laundromat. The conversion came out well and it's a pleasant place inside with tables and booths.

In the latest visit I had the Veal Sorrento, veal cutlet with prosciutto, eggplant and provolone cheese on linguine with a white wine sauce. It came with a good salad and garlic bread and the price was $13.95. Teresa had the manicotti, also with a salad, for $8.95. Reasonable prices and decent sized servings. Mine was good. Not great, but good. I thought it was a bit flat tasting and had to add salt and parmesan cheese. The manicotti was good too, but the sauce was bland, like it came from the can and didn't get enough seasoning.

In the past I've had the veal parm hero, it was okay, and the stromboli, not very good. The pizza is good though, probably one of the best in the village, and they have a $9.00 special on Mondays. Anyone out there remember the old five dollar pizza nights? They offer a few specialty pizzas, and the calzones are good.

Overall, Franco's is good. Not great, but good. Pay them a visit sometime.