Mia Roma in Kenmore

[Cindy Fuller]

Our former next door neighbor proposed an "Eating Adventure" to Mia Roma
last night. The last time she'd eaten there was well over 25 years ago,
but she wanted to try it again. The restaurant reminded me of the
Italian restaurants I grew up with in upstate NY: No frills, with wait
staff who do not give you their life histories. I ordered the
Michelangelo combo (meat ravioli, gnocchi, and cheese tortellini) with
meat sauce, while the SO ordered chicken cacciatore. The salad was
iceberg lettuce, tomato, and canned black olives. No arugula in evidence
here! The sauce and pasta were good. We all took home plenty of
leftovers. This is the sort of place I could take my picky,
Asian-food-phobic sister should she deign to visit the West Coast again.

Cindy

[Alan]

"Cindy Fuller" wrote in message news:cindySPAMORAMA-***@news.giganews.com...

Our former next door neighbor proposed an "Eating Adventure" to Mia Roma
last night. The last time she'd eaten there was well over 25 years ago,
but she wanted to try it again. The restaurant reminded me of the
Italian restaurants I grew up with in upstate NY: No frills, with wait
staff who do not give you their life histories. I ordered the
Michelangelo combo (meat ravioli, gnocchi, and cheese tortellini) with
meat sauce, while the SO ordered chicken cacciatore. The salad was
iceberg lettuce, tomato, and canned black olives. No arugula in evidence
here! The sauce and pasta were good. We all took home plenty of
leftovers. This is the sort of place I could take my picky,
Asian-food-phobic sister should she deign to visit the West Coast again.

Cindy
--
Even though the late Teo Roma(name changed after divorce), is a stereotype
of the 50's, the food and décor remain in said time warp. Also, we find the
pizza kind of pricey. Even with painfully limited dining choices in
Kenmore, we still manage to avoid it. As the SBF and I like to put it,
restaurants go to die in Kenmore!

Alan
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

[Julie Bove]

Post by Cindy Fuller
Our former next door neighbor proposed an "Eating Adventure" to Mia Roma
last night. The last time she'd eaten there was well over 25 years ago,
but she wanted to try it again. The restaurant reminded me of the
Italian restaurants I grew up with in upstate NY: No frills, with wait
staff who do not give you their life histories. I ordered the
Michelangelo combo (meat ravioli, gnocchi, and cheese tortellini) with
meat sauce, while the SO ordered chicken cacciatore. The salad was
iceberg lettuce, tomato, and canned black olives. No arugula in evidence
here! The sauce and pasta were good. We all took home plenty of
leftovers. This is the sort of place I could take my picky,
Asian-food-phobic sister should she deign to visit the West Coast again.
Cindy
--
Even though the late Teo Roma(name changed after divorce), is a stereotype
of the 50's, the food and décor remain in said time warp. Also, we find
the pizza kind of pricey. Even with painfully limited dining choices in
Kenmore, we still manage to avoid it. As the SBF and I like to put it,
restaurants go to die in Kenmore!
Alan
C.J. Fuller
Delete the obvious to email me

Have heard that Plaza Garcia is nice. Have not been to that location
though. Only the Woodinville one. Good food, extensive choices but it's
"big" food. We always feel like we are rolling out of there because we are
so stuffed and it's all so good!

[Alan]

Post by Cindy Fuller
Our former next door neighbor proposed an "Eating Adventure" to Mia Roma
last night. The last time she'd eaten there was well over 25 years ago,
but she wanted to try it again. The restaurant reminded me of the
Italian restaurants I grew up with in upstate NY: No frills, with wait
staff who do not give you their life histories. I ordered the
Michelangelo combo (meat ravioli, gnocchi, and cheese tortellini) with
meat sauce, while the SO ordered chicken cacciatore. The salad was
iceberg lettuce, tomato, and canned black olives. No arugula in evidence
here! The sauce and pasta were good. We all took home plenty of
leftovers. This is the sort of place I could take my picky,
Asian-food-phobic sister should she deign to visit the West Coast again.
Cindy
--
Even though the late Teo Roma(name changed after divorce), is a stereotype
of the 50's, the food and décor remain in said time warp. Also, we find
the pizza kind of pricey. Even with painfully limited dining choices in
Kenmore, we still manage to avoid it. As the SBF and I like to put it,
restaurants go to die in Kenmore!
Alan
C.J. Fuller
Delete the obvious to email me

Have heard that Plaza Garcia is nice. Have not been to that location
though. Only the Woodinville one. Good food, extensive choices but it's
"big" food. We always feel like we are rolling out of there because we are
so stuffed and it's all so good!

Perhaps what I am seeking, close to home, is the type of restaurant found in
Madison Valley, downtown Seattle or Main st in Bellevue. And that is just
something not found in Kenmore.

Alan

[Julie Bove]

Post by Julie Bove

Post by Cindy Fuller
Our former next door neighbor proposed an "Eating Adventure" to Mia Roma
last night. The last time she'd eaten there was well over 25 years ago,
but she wanted to try it again. The restaurant reminded me of the
Italian restaurants I grew up with in upstate NY: No frills, with wait
staff who do not give you their life histories. I ordered the
Michelangelo combo (meat ravioli, gnocchi, and cheese tortellini) with
meat sauce, while the SO ordered chicken cacciatore. The salad was
iceberg lettuce, tomato, and canned black olives. No arugula in evidence
here! The sauce and pasta were good. We all took home plenty of
leftovers. This is the sort of place I could take my picky,
Asian-food-phobic sister should she deign to visit the West Coast again.
Cindy
--
Even though the late Teo Roma(name changed after divorce), is a
stereotype of the 50's, the food and décor remain in said time warp.
Also, we find the pizza kind of pricey. Even with painfully limited
dining choices in Kenmore, we still manage to avoid it. As the SBF and I
like to put it, restaurants go to die in Kenmore!
Alan
C.J. Fuller
Delete the obvious to email me

Have heard that Plaza Garcia is nice. Have not been to that location
though. Only the Woodinville one. Good food, extensive choices but it's
"big" food. We always feel like we are rolling out of there because we are
so stuffed and it's all so good!
Perhaps what I am seeking, close to home, is the type of restaurant found
in Madison Valley, downtown Seattle or Main st in Bellevue. And that is
just something not found in Kenmore.

Sorry, not really sure what those types of places would be. Never heard of
Madison Valley and the few places I ate at in downtown Seattle were IMO not
very good. Exception being one trattoria some years ago and the places in
hotels. Did eat at Saratoga's Trunk in Bellevue many years ago. That was
good! Also some Mexican place that was no different than anything else
around here. And some cruddy chain place. Can't remember which one. Just
really have no need to go to Bellevue most of the time.

[Cindy Fuller]

Post by Alan
Perhaps what I am seeking, close to home, is the type of restaurant found in
Madison Valley, downtown Seattle or Main st in Bellevue. And that is just
something not found in Kenmore.
Alan

If Tamarind Tree or Facing East decided to open a branch in Bothell or
Kenmore, we'd be there in a flash. I don't want dinner plates arranged
with tweezers or molecular gastronomy. Rather, I want good ingredients
prepared well and served in a dining room that doesn't echo like a
basketball court. Royal India in Kirkland is good, but I could barely
carry on a conversation with the SO because of the noise and a guitarist.

Cindy

[Alan]

Post by Alan
Perhaps what I am seeking, close to home, is the type of restaurant found in
Madison Valley, downtown Seattle or Main st in Bellevue. And that is just
something not found in Kenmore.
Alan

If Tamarind Tree or Facing East decided to open a branch in Bothell or
Kenmore, we'd be there in a flash. I don't want dinner plates arranged
with tweezers or molecular gastronomy. Rather, I want good ingredients
prepared well and served in a dining room that doesn't echo like a
basketball court. Royal India in Kirkland is good, but I could barely
carry on a conversation with the SO because of the noise and a guitarist.

Cindy
--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

What I like, and go to often are: Serafina, Le Pichet, Il Corvo. Somehow, I
doubt Mia Roma comes close..

Am not certain, but there is something in the demographics of Kenmore that
repels good restaurants.

Alan

[Julian Vrieslander]

Post by Alan
What I like, and go to often are: Serafina, Le Pichet, Il Corvo. Somehow, I
doubt Mia Roma comes close..

I think Serafina is the only one of those which we've tried. Mia Roma
would not qualify as a first rank restaurant in my book, but on our
recent visit, we found the ambience was generic Italian family joint,
service good, food was acceptable, and portions very generous. Cindy
and I had enough in our take-home boxes for another meal at home.

Maybe the following observation is not unique to Italian restaurants,
but in my experience these tend to have little correlation between
atmosphere/elegance and cuisine quality. Some of the best cooking
happens in quite unremarkable premises. We saw this again on our recent
trip to visit relatives in Monroe, NJ. My uncle took us to his favorite
local eatery: an upscale place with doting waitstaff, plush interiors,
and an ambitious menu. A nice experience, but (with the exception of
the Tiramisu) we could do a better prep of most of the items on their
menu. In a strip mall in the same town is a tiny, crowded Italian
restaurant. This is the sort of place where the pizza ovens are behind
a counter near the big glass front windows. People are constantly
streaming in and out to get takeout pizzas, and the waiters are
struggling to squeeze between tightly placed tables in the crowded
dining room. My 95-year-old uncle hates to go there, because of all the
noise and commotion. But, damn, they have fabulous food. Best pasta
and seafood fra diavolo that I've ever had. For years, I've been trying
to duplicate their sauce, without success.