Giuseppe’s Pastacaffe proves worthy of a second visit

The 318 Forum’s always-hungry reporter periodically visits a local restaurant and tells you about the experience.

I am as honest as the day is long, so I want you to know that my not-too-long-ago visit to Giuseppe’s Pastacaffe (920 Pierremont Road, #110) wasn’t my first visit. A few years ago, a friend and I tried Giuseppe’s for lunch. We still laugh about the fact that the servings were so small that we went somewhere else for lunch after we ate lunch.

I had not returned until a recent Wednesday evening when I thought it was time to give the restaurant a second chance. So, I invited a (different) friend and hoped we would not have to go somewhere else for dinner after eating dinner.

Beforehand, however, I wanted to check out Giuseppe’s menu. So, I searched for their website, only to find that the restaurant didn’t have one. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again—having a Facebook page is not the same as having a website. I found a couple of pictures that were described as Giuseppe’s menu but had no idea if they were current.

So, we arrived not knowing what Giuseppe’s had to offer.

Lasagna Bolognese

Caprese Salad

First-time visitors should know Giuseppe’s differs from your typical sit-down-and-be-waited-on restaurant. You place your order at the front counter, where the menu is on two large rolls of paper hanging from the wall. The writing was a bit difficult to read, so I asked for a hand-held copy. I was told none weren’t left because so many people had taken them.

Giuseppe’s offers four types of food — soup, salads, pasta dishes and panini sandwiches. But goodness, if I’m at a place that bills itself as a “Pastacaffe,” there’s no way I’m not going to have pasta! So, I chose one of the eight offerings — capellini pomodoro. I could either get a small or a large portion. The difference, I was told, was that the small size is two bundles of pasta, and the large size is three bundles. There was only a three-dollar difference, so I went with the large serving ($15).

I also had the choice to add either spinach, shrimp, chicken, or a meatball. I chose shrimp ($6).

My friend really likes lasagna, so it took her only a short time to order lasagna bolognese ($15), which came in one size. We both decided to have salads before our entrees. I chose the small Pastacaffe salad ($7), and my friend ordered a small caprese salad ($7).

After receiving a number and getting our drinks, we found a table in what I would call the “back” dining room. There were a handful of tables up front where you enter the restaurant and place your order and a combination of nine two-tops and four-tops in a room longer than wide. The restaurant was busy, so to our surprise, we didn’t wait long before a server brought our salads.

My friend and I were very pleased with our choices. My Pastacaffe salad passed the eye test. It came in a larger bowl than I expected for a small salad, filled with fresh-looking arugula and Romaine lettuce, shaved Grana Padano, tomato, focaccia, croutons and prosciutto, and drizzled with lemon vinaigrette dressing.

Capellini Pomodoro

My friend loved her caprese salad. She said it tasted very fresh, the cheese was thick, and the balsamic vinaigrette was refreshing. The tomatoes were good and juicy, and she would order the salad again as a meal.

We were still eating our salads when our main dishes arrived. My capellini pomodoro was a hot, healthy serving of angel hair pasta topped with nine shrimp and included fresh diced tomato, sauce, garlic and basil. The sauce was more light than dark, which didn’t overpower the pasta or the shrimp.

My friend’s lasagna was served in an oblong dish and covered with Bolognese meat sauce, bechamel and Grana Padano cheese.

“The lasagna had good consistency,” she said. “It was very thick, and served piping hot.”

One thing she wasn’t crazy about was the sauce.

“It could have been thicker,” she said. “It was little thin. Although it had a good taste, I like mine a little thicker, and I like meat sauce on top of my lasagna. I don’t think this had meat sauce.”

When ordering, we noticed a “Today’s Special” sheet of paper. A dessert item caught my attention—Sicilian lemon cannolis. They were described as “traditional cannolis with orange zest, ricotta and powdered sugar, topped with powdered sugar and chocolate chips.” I knew early on that was what we would have for dessert.

I didn’t know that by the time we finished our meal, the cannolis were all gone, as they were sold out.

Grilled Mozzarella Salad

Tiramisu

Obviously moved by my disappointed look, the young lady at the counter suggested we try the homemade Tiramisu ($9). The word “homemade” made us take her advice, and she did not steer us in the wrong direction. The serving, while not particularly large, was cold and tasty without leaving us feeling bloated.

The cost of our meal, before tax and tip, was $60.03. If you go, know there is a small penalty for not paying cash.

I am happy that my second visit to Guiseppe’s was much more pleasing than my first one. In fact, I give Guiseppe’s Pastacaffe Four Forks. The food was delicious, the prices reasonable for the quality and quantity we received, and the atmosphere was clean and comfortable.

I will return, go out of my way to do so, and not expect needing to eat a second dinner somewhere else.