DINING REVIEW
Romanello’s South: Dinner for two that’s tasty, too
It’s a big restaurant, all right. Romanello’s South, a suburban sibling of the city’s Rhode Island Street Romanello’s of beloved memory, is owned and operated by the same family (which has been in the biz for almost a century now and also owns the Old Orchard Inn in East Aurora). The Romanello menu has stayed pretty much the same through the years.
But this place is much larger in scope and more ambitious than the city spot was. It functions also as a banquet house. The enormous party rooms are to your left as you enter the front door. To your right is the dining room, which presents a homey yet romantic ambience despite its size.
There’s a fire burning in the grate and the tables are set in formal fashion. Dinner for Two, the Romanello family hallmark, is served until 7 p. m. for $44 and offers a glass of wine, minestrone, salad, a good choice of entrees, an after-dinner drink or dessert and coffee or tea. (It’s $49 if you opt for prime rib.)
So what did we eat? A lot of food, yes — that’s a given. And most of it pretty tasty, too. We liked the minestrone and the salad (blue cheese is 95 cents extra!) as well as our entree choices. The Center Cut 8-Ounce Sirloin Steak was of excellent quality, served with a slightly peppery demi-glaze. It was ordered medium rare and served medium rare. It was accompanied by a baked potato.
Veal Parmigiana was even better and an absolutely huge serving. All the usual ingredients were in there — the zesty tomato sauce, the mozzarella, the crunchy bread crumbs and a side of pasta. Nothing exceeds like excess.
Then there was the manicotti. Ah, the manicotti. A favorite of mine since the dear old Rhode Island Street days. Think a big homemade crepe (maybe just a tad more chewy than it ought to have been this time) enclosing a ricotta filling, then topped and baked with mozzarella and tomato sauce. With a meatball for good measure.
Of course.
Other Dinner for Two entrees include Chicken Breast with bread stuffing, accompanied by cream sauce and mashed potato; Bruschetta Baked Tilapia with tomato, red onion and breadcrumbs with champagne cream sauce and mashed potato.
Plus broiled pork chops with apple demi glaze and a dish called Tuscan pasta (penne with garlic and olive oil, mozzarella and tomatoes).
It’s a choice of ice cream or sherbet, creme de menthe or Amaretto if you still have room for dessert.•
ROMANELLO’S SOUTH
Three stars
WHERE: 5793 South Park Ave., Hamburg (649-0450, www.romanellos.com). A huge banquet house/restaurant with a long Western New York history. The specialty is Italian American food. Credit Cards: American Express, MasterCard, Visa.
FAVORITE DISH: Veal Parmigiana
NEEDS WORK: Food is of good quality.
PRICE RANGE:Dinner entrees with soup or salad from $18. Five-course Dinner for Two is $44.
SERVICE: Very good.
HOURS: 3 to 9 p. m. Sunday; 4 to 10 p. m. Tuesday through Thursday; and 4 to 11 p. m. Friday and Saturday. Dinner for Two is served only until 7 p. m.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
PARKING: In the lot
RATINGS:Stars reflect the overall dining experience at the time of The News’ visit — including service, ambience, innovation and cost — with greatest weight given to quality of the food.
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