That's Amore!

I've been coming here for 20+ years for the Spiedini alla Garozzo. It is one of the best chicken spiedini dishes that I have had anywhere I've been.  For those who may not know, spiedini is sort of like an Italian kebab.  In Kansas City, I would rate it number two after the spiedini made by the proprietors of Sorrento's Italian Restaurant in Riverside.  If you don't like garlic, don't order the Spiedini alla Garozzo, try one of the other spiedini dishes instead. They serve six variations, four made with chicken, one with beef and one with veal. My spouse’s favorite is the “Samantha”, it is chicken spiedini served on fettuccine with artichoke hearts and alfredo sauce. 

The Spiedini is the only food item that I think is great here. I like my pasta to be al dente and the pasta here is mushy, so I won't eat it and their red sauce is too sweet for me. I've never been to the suburban eateries, only the original. I come here for the Spiedini and the atmosphere.  It is incredibly dark, (I have to use my iPhone as a flashlight to see the wine list).  There is music from the Rat Pack playing in the back ground, you know, Dean-o and Frank favorites like "Come fly with me", "That's amore", "Ain't that a kick in the head", etc.  The owner, Michael, walks around and interacts with his customers, I love that!  It feels very comfortable here so I like to hang-out here, drinking wine and enjoying the time with my friends and family.

Sorrento's

This place has a very friendly, small-town feel. The owners, Anni and Andy interact with their customers, the customers interact with each other, so, if you want to be in your own little bubble, don't go here. For those of you who like people and good food, you have to give this place a try. It was the most fun I'd had in a restaurant in a long time!

Now, to be honest, my dinner partner did not want to get out of the car after we pulled up, it took 3 minutes of coaxing to make him walk through the front door, he ended up having an even better time than I, so do not be put off by the outward appearance, (a good rule to live by anyway).   The inside is rather small and has an order counter, but Andy took our order at the table anyway.

We started with an antipasta plate and toasted ravioli. We both could have made a meal out of the antipasta plate and warm bread alone. Anni chided me for not eating my tomatoes, it felt like my own Mom scolding me, I loved it!

The salads were good and just slightly drizzled with oil. But the best thing was the Spedini. Wow. The Spedini here is not rolled; it is a tenderized breast, served flat. It may well be my favorite Spedini in town. The pasta was actually served warm AND al dente with a red sauce (I know, you'd think that this would not be a difficult thing to accomplish, but it seems that most places can't pull this off, Sorrento's did).

The owners told me they cook their house made Italian Sausage in the sauce which leaves behind a slight fennel flavor, nice. Next time I have to try the Italian Sausage, they were rolling their own meat balls as we were leaving, so I know those are house made as well, and I can't wait to try those either.

This place serves beer and wine. The other notables are that they close at 7:30 PM nightly (so get here early) and are closed Saturdays and Sundays.