I’ve always had a fondness for restaurants that are family owned. There’s a certain intangible essence of a meal that is made in such a manner. Mind you, this doesn’t mean that everything you eat in such a place is absolutely mind-blowing, but there is an expectation that the food will be served with pride, love, and effort. At least I believe that’s how family-run restaurants should be operated.
So on a quiet Saturday night, Beautiful Young Lady and I found ourselves strolling outside Minissale’s Wine Cellar Cafe. Even before entering the cafe, we were struck by the wonderful aroma of homemade tomato sauce, garlic, and other delicious scents wafting from the kitchen. It was heavenly….
The first thing I noticed when entering the doors of Minissale’s was the old-fashioned (and well-used) wine press sitting comfortably in a corner. Another notch for this place! The interior decoration was also very well done. Simple and elegant furnishings could be found scattered all around the walls, and truly added to a nice atmosphere.
After taking our seats and looking at a menu, BYL noticed that the lighting was a bit low, especially when trying to order, but in an effort to savor that romantic evening, she merely pulled the candle closer to her menu. Not quite sure on what appetizer (or antipasti, in Italian) to order at first, I had the fortune to have an extremely helpful waitress who recommended Mozzarella Caprese. After seeing my blank stare, she described the dish as slices of fresh mozzarella served on top of sliced ripe tomatoes with fine olive oil drizzled on top, with basil and an balsamic vinegar dressing on the side. If there was any doubt in my mind, that eloquent description most definitely had my attention.
After ordering our antipasti, BYL decided on Pasta Romano, a blend of pasta, garlic, olive oil, and grated Romano cheese, while I—being a little adventurous­­—decided on Eggplant Parmigiana. It is always good to experiment once in a while even though there was a Veal Scalloppine Marsala calling my name. A salad and crusty bread with an olive oil dipping sauce, as well as butter, came with our orders which seemed to be a very nice touch.
Although the appetizer and bread were notable, the eggplant parmesan was no big deal. The serving was quite large with a hefty amount of eggplant as well as pasta with homemade tomato sauce. Unfortunately, there was an lack of flavor, which compromised the dish. BYL enjoyed her pasta, saying it wasn’t the best she’s ever had, but was good. After the meal, she commented on the large amount of oil left on her plate.
What made up for the mediocre meal was dessert. Apparently, one of the owners of the restaurant made a carrot cake, and since a decent carrot cake is impossible for me to make, we just had to have a piece. What I expected was a slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. What I got was a behemoth of concentrated goodness that was more than enough for two people to share. Moist, rich, and delicious; I would have gone to Minissale’s just for that piece of cake.
