Once upon a time, within dwelling reminiscence for many of us, Italian dining supposed hearty, purple-sauced pasta, garlic bread, maybe a little lasagna, and fake ivy at the ceiling. Then, similar to that, again in the ‘70s, Italian went upscale. Before we knew it, we have been all gaga approximately what we knew as Northern Italian cuisine, with nary a drop of marinara insight.
But in our hearts, we understand we nonetheless crave the comforting, antique-college, family-style Italian-American fare, don’t we? If you’re all of a sudden yearning for some ravioli or chicken parm and pizza of direction, then here’s my advice: Head for Milantoni Italian Restaurant and Mangia, Mangia, Mangia!
It’s not tough to get into Milan, but you have to keep your eyes open. Head south on Hurstbourne Parkway. You can’t get across the median barrier from the northbound facet. Cross beneath Interstate 64, past the first ramp, and quickly, before you reach the second one off-ramp, hook properly via a service station to Milantoni’s side door.
The constructing, as soon as a quick-meals eatery, extra lately housed Erika’s German eating place. But when you step interior and notice a wooded area of plastic ivy draped over white latticework and tables clad in cheerful pink-and-white checkered tablecloths, you’ll recognize you’ve found Italian the way Italian used to be.
The great menu covers many traditional family-Italian dishes. 16 pasta dinners range from $7.99 (for cheese ravioli) to $13.99 (for numerous dishes, inclusive of ravioli Grande-E-Ole, stuffed with four kinds of cheese and topped with 3 sauces). 11 pizzas are available using the slice or in 14- and 16-inch pies and are from $4.59 (for a cheese slice) to $16.99 (for a big meat-lovers pie). A dozen soccer-length calzones are broadly speaking $7.99, with some area of expertise objects at $8.99 or $9.99.
Looking for the fancier fare? A dozen seafood plates and Milanese specialties range from $11.95 (for a hen with vegetables) to $17.95 (for a Mediterraneo plate with 5 kinds of shellfish). Traditional veal dishes, also to be had with chicken, are $12.99 for parmigiana to $15.99 for piccata or cacciatore.
Appetizers, sandwiches, and salads range from $5.95 (for mozzarella sticks) to $10.49 (for a bird BLT salad). There’s also a quick list of vegetarian specialties (even though many dishes on the regular menu also are meatless) and a quick menu for those 12 and younger.
A lunch specials menu, provided until 2 p.m., capabilities a dozen Italian standards, all $7.99 store for a $9.99 salmon salad. Short beer and wine lists are also available on Pepsi products, espresso, and tea. Milantoni makes its pizza dough, and the same dough is used for the complimentary serving of skinny, toasty garlic bread crowned with herbs and grated cheese that begins your meal. An accompanying crock of marinara sauce became a touch too thick, candy and fragrant with dried herbs for my flavor for the duration of a dinner; the batch served while we again for lunch any other day became more balanced and appetizing.
Ravioli ($7.99, upload $2 if you want it on top of spaghetti) took me proper returned to Little Italy. Heavy blankets of deeply flavored, highly spiced tomato sauce below molten mozzarella completely hid multiple cheese-filled ravioli. It looked like an excessive amount to finish; it became so true that we completed it anyway.
An order of meatballs ($2) changed into offered precisely the same way as the ravioli, hidden below a flood of tomato sauce and melted mozzarella. Once excavated, they have been three companies, finely ground golf ball-sized spheres.
Fettuccine Alfredo ($9.99) changed into awesome. The pasta becomes a company and toothy al dente and yet silken; its sauce becomes tacky and smooth. Then, there’s the signature pasta Milantoni ($13.99), which begins with that excellent Alfredo and kicks it up with chopped chicken breast meat, first-rate sliced mushrooms, and peas.
Back for lunch any other day, we tried a 14-inch pizza Margherita ($12.99) and a slice of 3-cheese white pizza ($5.99). Both have been built on a reasonably thick (1/2-inch), bread-like crust and pulled from the oven at the same time as the rims have been nonetheless faded and lacking tasty darkish spots.
The Margherita pie became painted with a discreet splash of tomato sauce, then a thick, heavy mozzarella coat crowned with chunks of out-of-season tomato and some small, clean basil leaves. The white slice turned into a giant, huge as a whole small pie, and bore a melted blend of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan on a garlic-scented base.
