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

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

In article >, "Kent"
> wrote:

> 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.

You might be right, sort of. But I don't think r.f.c. has ever been "a
NG dedicated to how you cook the PASTA." Good thing I posted it to
mn.general, too, before posting it here. I haven't put it on the
restaurants group yet. That aside, look at it this way, Kent: The OP
is actually about food -- unlike a lot of crap here lately -- if not
cooking. About driving Sheldon nuts? Wouldn't be the first time,
won't be the last. He'll live. "-)

Have a nice day.


* Exported from MasterCook Mac *

Tomato-Garlic Angel Hair

Recipe By : Taste of Home, June/July, 1999; Men Who Run The Range
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Entrees

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound angel hair pasta
3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine
remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Rinse and drain pasta; add to
tomato mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NOTES : Recipe from Salvatore Bertolino, Indiana, PA.

_____
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> 5/8/05.
"Are we going to measure, or are we going to cook?" -Food Critic Mimi Sheraton

"Dog3" > wrote in message
1...
>> Barb Schaller posted this scrumptious recipe>
>>
<scrumptious salad recipe snipped>

This looks really yummy. I just adore strawberry season! Now I will
have to stop at the good Middle Eastern market for some French feta.
Thanks!

Chris