Mangi bene, but not for kids, at Mangia Mangia

John Volo

Last week our brood of four rendezvoused with friends Tod and Cindy

and their two boys for an early dinner of Italian specialties at

Mangia Mangia restaurant. Cindy steered us to Mangia Mangia while Tod

requested the early start time (perhaps he wanted to ensure arriving

home in time for the finale of “Dancing with the Stars”).

Once seated in the nondescript dining room, I fixated on the

wall-mounted plasma television that was showing a tour video of

Italy. In my mind, I was reliving my own Italian voyage -- trekking

the Spanish Steps, tossing a coin in the Trevi fountain, marveling at

Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel, boating along the rugged

Amalfi coast. Only when I heard Tod ordering his customary fried

calamari appetizer did I come crashing back to reality.

The wedding-ring-sized calamari were deep fried in a light batter

that flaked off easily and were accompanied by a crock of marinara

sauce. I couldn’t sell Tod and Cindy on the carpaccio (thinly sliced

raw beef) even though they frequently enjoy raw fish (in the form of

sushi). Another starter that’s enticing is the sauteed Portobello

mushrooms served over grilled polenta.

Ordering at Mangia Mangia seemed similar to buying a new car.

Selecting an entree from the regular menu (accented with pasta,

several veal dishes and a couple risotto offerings) is like buying a

car off the lot -- you’ll get something standard, dependable and

enjoyable. Choosing from the listed daily specials is like custom

ordering from the factory -- with linguine made black from squid

ink and rolled swordfish stuffed with eggplant being the culinary

equivalents of drop down DVD screens and in-dash GPS systems.

The aforementioned black linguine was part of a fabulous special

that also incorporated sauteed scallops and sun-dried tomatoes in a

deliciously creamy tomato sauce. This was the evening’s tastiest

meal. Our swordfish special used thinly sliced grilled swordfish to

encapsulate a slightly grainy mixture of eggplant and herbs. This

entire concoction was drizzled with a mild citrus sauce.

Our two chicken dishes had comparable elements: sauteed tender

chicken breast in wine and topped it with asparagus. They differed by

the use of Marsala wine and Portobello mushrooms in the daily

special, while the chicken Mangia Mangia used white wine and red bell

peppers. Both were splendid.

Entrees come with a choice of soup (minestrone or a brawny spinach

egg-drop) or salad (small) and a side choice of vegetables or pasta.

The delectable house pasta (bow-tie, mushrooms, and peas) is a most

worthy choice.

Mangia Mangia does not offer a children’s menu. They do, however,

gamely attempt to accommodate kids -- in much the same manner a

childless great aunt tries to accommodate young family members during

their annual Sunday afternoon visit.

The kids’ carbonated lemonade drinks were served in to-go soup

bowls with the lids manually pierced to allow for straw insertion.

Each set of brothers shared an adult portion. They indulged my

notoriously finicky boys, while simultaneously preventing a sibling

version of professional wrestling, by precisely and equally dividing

cheese raviolis, serving the sauce on the side, and substituting

plain bread for the table-pleasing garlic bread. Tod’s boys, who are

much more accepting, were pleased with their spaghetti and meatballs.

Full from dinner, we passed on the desserts -- tiramisu, gelato,

cannoli -- which had they been actors, certainly would have been

screaming they’d been typecast.

Mangia Mangia has a decent, but fairly typical bottled wine list,

as well as pinot grigio and Chianti offerings by the glass.

I could easily rant for hours about the no-refills soda policy --

to me it’s akin to smarmy car dealers charging extra for floor mats

when selling a $50,000 vehicle -- but will refrain from doing so

unless in the presence of a licensed psychologist.

Don’t head to Mangia Mangia for crayons and kids activity books,

go there to mangi bene (eat well).

*JOHN VOLO is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have

comments or suggestions, e-mail [email protected].