Doesn't this message belong on a local NG, rather than a NG dedicated to how
you cook the PASTA??
You're speaking to the wrong group.
PenMart, or Sheldon would go nuts over this. He hasn't been around for
awhile.

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> Our intrepid food guide and party planner, Steve Dropkin, offered up
> Carmelo's Restaurant in St. Paul. Since June Oshiro and husband Matt
> now live so close we invited them to join us. We let Junie Bug pick the
> cuisine and Steve suggested Carmelo's. It's a neighborhood place not
> terribly far from Macalester College.
>
> It was a good experience all around -- good food, great company. Our
> plan was to meet and eat at 6:30 and when we arrived, our party planner
> informed us that he had put us on the "call ahead and tell us you're
> coming and we'll put your name on the list" list so we shouldn't be too
> far away from dinner. There were probably 15 people standing in front
> of us but we were assured that a large group was about to leave and
> tables would be available shortly.
>
> I think we waited for maybe another 20-30 minutes or so and along the
> way, the restaurant hostess discovered that we were a party of five, not
> the four she had written down, and that might present a problem. (We
> considered slapping around our party planner but decided that since he's
> so gracious about hauling Rob and me around for food we'd otherwise not
> find, we didn't want to get on his bad side.) Fortunately, it was a
> very minor delay. I noticed about halfway through our meal that there
> were at least three small tables available.
>
> We shared the bruschetta appetizer - 8 smallish pieces of toasted bread
> with chopped tomato and seasonings, a bit of parm atop. Tasty. My
> husband was searching the menu in pursuit of something with Italian
> sausage in it. None to be seen, then our server announced the
> evening's special: sausage, peppers, onions, sauce with mostaccioli.
> He liked it. I had the house special, I think -- Chicken Carmelo - a
> very large breaded and fried chicken breast topped with crabmeat,
> mozzarrella (I think), and a lemon cream sauce. It lay on angel hair
> pasta and had some strips (cut like french fries) of veggies in there,
> too. The veggies were tasty and not overcooked. The crabmeat sounded
> like a good idea but by the time I got to it, it had become part of the
> cheese and I couldn't discern its taste. The lemon cream sauce was
> light and tasty.
>
> Steve had the Tortiglioni al Salmone - smoked salmon atop fetuccine;
> June the spinach ravioli; and Matt the Parmesan Chicken. All were
> pronounced delicious. We were all impressed by the fact that the food
> arrived piping hot at the table. Meals came with salad or soup, a side
> of pasta. I liked my caesar salad, though the dressing was creamier
> than I remember a caesar being. Tasty nonetheless.
>
> Another thing I thought was cool is that their wine list named the menu
> dish that would be a good accompaniment for a particular wine. I still
> had the white zinfandel. :-)
>
> There were a number of menu items I would have liked to try and will
> have another meal there for sure. Service was friendly and attentive
> enough without being overbearing. A good time was had by all.
>
> You should go. :-)
> --
> -Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> 5/8/05.
> "Are we going to measure, or are we going to cook?" -Food Critic Mimi
> Sheraton
> --
> -Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> 5/8/05.
> "Are we going to measure, or are we going to cook?" -Food Critic Mimi
> Sheraton