NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 13:58:05 CDT Xref: pale-rider.INS.CWRU.Edu austin.food:1934 Italian-ish fare... We tried Cafe Spiazza about a year and a half ago because of a couple of discount coupons we had. We long ago ran out of coupons, but we're still going back. Spiazza's become one of our favorite Italian eateries in a town where we've found few Italian places we liked enough to go back to. Last night, we ordered a dish we've gotten many times at Spiazza... their wonderful, crispy version of eggplant parmesan. Breaded and sautéed eggplant slices are arranged in a rosette, then topped with cheese and put under the broiler long enough for the cheese to melt. Marinara sauce is then ladled in the center. This is to our taste the best eggplant parmesan we've eaten anywhere (the second best, for us, is AV Ristorante in DC :)) We also had the signature veal Spiazza again, done in a marsala cream sauce with artichoke bottoms and mushrooms.. truly excellent. The tiramisu is very good, not the best we've had, but light on the coffee the way we like it. And don't forget to order a little home-marinated goat cheese as an a la carte appetizer. The food has been reasonably consistent... we've not once had to send a dish back. Service has invariably been polite and professional. Prices are reasonable, with several pasta dishes well under $10 including salad... avg price in the $10-11 range. And I love the open kitchen facing the dining room, seeing the bruschettas and pizzas coming out of the brick oven, watching the chef flaming a dish. And when you send compliments to the kitchen, you get a nod and a smile in return.:) On the down side? Not many really. They should hit your table with bread and oil as soon as you sit down, not wait till you order. Just a personal thing with me about Italian ristorantes :) Just off 2222 about two blocks west of Mopac, right behind Chez Zee. Janice
Austin, TX
Cafe Spiazza
C. S. wrote: > > Italian-ish fare... > > We tried Cafe Spiazza about a year and a half ago because of a > couple of discount coupons we had. We long ago ran out of coupons, > but we're still going back. Spiazza's become one of our favorite > Italian eateries in a town where we've found few Italian places we > liked enough to go back to. I concur with this recommendation. I just wanted to point out (in the interest of accuracy) that it's actually called "Cafe Spiazzo." Not that there's anything like them in the phone book, but I didn't want anyone to get confused. I was there with three other people a couple weeks ago. Two folks had the Veal Spiazzo and were quite pleased with it. One ordered the smoked chicken lasagna and was equally pleased. I had the pasta with smoked salmon in a marsala cream sauce and was delighted. The steamed mussels (big NZ greenlip mussels served in a wonderful broth) and fried calamari (always tender, served with aioli and marinara sauce) make good appetizers. The creme brulee was a nice finish. I was a little less impressed with them on Valentine's Day, but I attribute this to their serving a fixed menu (I was looking forward to some things off their regular menu) and the fact that it was incredibly busy. I'm grateful I found a place at all, just a week in advance. tony tonyp at evsx dot com
NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 17:15:43 CDT Xref: austin.food:2556 Went there once again last night, and the food was excellent. Our only complaint is there were too many scrumptious sounding specials to choose from.:) My domestic partner ordered the grilled salmon with chipotle aoli, with sauteed snow peas and squash, roasted rosemary new potatoes. I asked the chef to order for me, and he prepared what he'd made for himself that night... two stuffed poblano peppers filled with beef, cheese, garlic (lots!), red onion, herbs, served on fettucini with a spicy sundried tomato marsala cream sauce. The portion was huge! The chef came out and chatted with us for some time, spoke of seafood and sauces, his best dishes and even the ones he hasn't quite gotten the hang of yet. Real nice guy. We'd love to try some new Italian (influenced) restaurants, but after several less than satisfactory Italian experiences around town, we never seem to make it past tried-and-true Spiazzo.