by Janet Wilson
posted January 11, 2008
If you were a fan of Bellagio (and who wasn’t), then you will like this place. Wayne and I had a very enjoyable dining experience at Cafe Roma located at 220 North Ocoee St. in Cleveland.
As soon as we looked at the menus, it reminded us of Bellagio, right down to the notation regarding cell phone use and boiling water! We also had no problem deciding on an appetizer as soon as we spotted our favorite Bellagio appetizer on the menu – Fritto Misto (tempura battered calamari, fish and shrimp with lemon aioli and cocktail dipping sauces), priced at $9. We found out that the Chef/Owner of Cafe Roma was the first general manager at Bellagio!
While we were waiting on our appetizer, our server, Meredith (quite knowledgeable regarding the menu and her timing was perfect) brought us each two pieces of Focaccia Bread with a small dish of olive oil for dipping. The bread was very fresh and a bit warm – delicious.
The Fritto Misto appetizer is so lightly battered you can actually taste the seafood. It is crisp, but not greasy. Both dips were good, but my favorite was the aioli A few of the other appetizers you might like to try are the Caprese (fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic syrup - $6.50), Seafood Curry Bisque (cream seafood bisque with a hint of curry and chunks of fresh seafood - $6), and Fritto Funghi (mushrooms filled with gorgonzola cheese and fried in tempura batter with a honey mustard horseradish sauce - $6). The Fritto Funghi could very well be our choice for the next visit.
We shared a Spinaci Insalata (spinach leaves with gorgonzola, mushrooms, candied pecans and lemon-basil vinaigrette - $6). If you prefer, there is also the Roma Insalata ($6), Caesar ($6) or House Romaine ($4) Insalatas. The spinaci was fresh, crisp and the vinaigrette was not overpowering.
It was a real battle for me to narrow down my decision to only one entree. Everything was so tempting. Each day there is a different variety of Lasagna ($10). At first I was going to order the Tortellini alla Roma (cheese filled pasta with artichokes, peas and mushrooms in a pink cream garlic sauce - $14), then I thought maybe I should go with the Salmon alla Shannon (fresh salmon poached in a light white wine lemon sauce served with pine nut and scallion couscous and grilled vegetables - $17).
I also heard the Vitello Picatta (veal medallions sautéed in a lemon-butter caper sauce with a side of pasta and pan roasted vegetables - $18) and Ravioli Saltimbocca (veal and sage ravioli sautéed with shitake mushrooms, prosciutto and asparagus - $15) calling my name. But – in the end, the Pollo Parmiggiano (lightly breaded chicken breast topped with provolone cheese and served with cappellini aglio e olio and sautéed broccoli - $16) won out.
The chicken was extremely moist and fork tender. You could taste the hint of garlic in the aglio e olio on the pasta. The broccoli was not overcooked, leaving it crisp and bright green.
Wayne knew what he wanted as soon as we walked in. The special of the day was Sea Bass served on a bed of rice with a sauce I did not write down (but it had a fruit flavor)! The Sea Bass did not disappoint.
We really hadn’t planned on dessert, but they had so many tempting ones, including our favorite, Crème Brulee. However, we both ended up with something different. Wayne tried the Pumpkin Cheese Cake and I went with the special Chef-made ice cream of the day – Bailey’s Irish Cream in a Pecan Tuille, both priced at $5.
Cafe Roma also offers a children’s menu consisting of Cheese Pita Pizza ($5.50), Penne Pasta with Marinara Sauce ($5), Penne Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce ($6), Meatballs with Cheese Ravioli and Zucchini ($6) and Chicken Strips with Sweet Potato Fries or Fresh Fruit ($6).
Hours for Cafe Roma are Monday through Friday for lunch from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM and for dinner from 5:00 PM until 10:00 PM. They do not open for lunch on Saturday, but open at 5:00 PM for dinner; and, they are open only for lunch on Sunday from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM.
READER PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK:
“What is my pet peeve? Going to Krystal and ordering a cheese Krystal without mustard and add ketchup...4 out of 5 times they get it wrong.”
cdojanet@chattanoogadineout.com
| Dining Out | Business | Movies | Focus | About Us |
| Church | Living Well | Memories | Outdoors | Real Estate | Student Scene | Travel |