Dinner at: Tableside Italian Cook Shoppe

If I had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of my life…well I probably couldn’t do that. Too hard.

BUT, I can tell you that out of the 50 or so restaurants I’ve been to in the past two months (seriously, I counted), this one stands out amongst the crowd. I went in with low expectations, as I honestly do with most things in my life (relationships, gym sessions, Uber pricing), and I was blown away. I rarely even use that term because it’s really dramatic, but I feel like it’s necessary here. Each dish was better than the last, and I honestly can’t wait to go back. Do you know how rarely that happens?? I don’t even remember what I did yesterday and I remember a meal I had 7 days ago. This is a big deal guys.

Let’s stop talking about all the different layers of my psychosis and talk about the food. That’s why you’re here, I know. I’ll be fine.

Tableside Italian Cook Shoppe

  1. Grandma’s Lamb Specialty (Meatballs): No joke, these might be the best lamb meatballs I’ve ever had. The crust on the outside was PERFECT, the inside was moist and flavorful, and the sauce was delicious. It was a lemon-white wine sauce and had the consistency of a demiglace, just not as deep in color. Do not miss these. 
  2. Grandma’s Beef Specialty (Meatballs): Another winner – Grandma sure as shit knows what she’s doin with those meatballs. Great flavor and the red sauce was delicious, but my favorite part was the cool and creamy ricotta on top. Texture heaven. 
  3. Drunken Golden Bird: This is another one you cannot miss. Even if you’re a vegetarian, I’d consider breaking that for like, a few bites. So so worth it. That lemon-white wine sauce makes another appearance here and it was cooked to perfection. The chicken cutlet had a great crust that didn’t get soggy (surprisingly), and was paired with garlicky spinach. One of my all time favorite combos ever. 
  4. Octopus and the Potato: Sounds like a nursery rhyme I would read to my future children. But I digress. The octopus was cooked perfectly and had a crust on it that made it taste like bacon. It was insane. And the briny bite from the olives was a nice contrast to the potatoes and octopus. High fives all around. 
  5. Caesar Cardini: If you’re going to have a salad, make it a salad that looks as pretty as this one. And tastes as good too. Evidently Cardini is a Caesar dressing brand, and has somewhat of a cult following. How I didn’t know about this already, I’m not sure, but I would recommend it if you’re a Caesar fan. 
  6. Truffled Moneybags: Purse pasta! Who says food and fashion don’t mix? This “purse-shaped” pasta is filled with ricotta and tossed in a creamy white truffle sauce. The pasta was so fresh, and the sauce was so fragrant…I literally salivated just now as I relived the moment. 
  7. The Tasty Crustacean: Oh. Ohhhhh. Sorry I was reliving this one too…mouthgasms everywhere. The homemade tonnarelli pasta is mixed together in a creamy lobster sauce with a touch of brandy. And there’s a nice piece of lobster on top too. Don’t miss this one if you’re into mixing seafood with your pasta. 

We didn’t have room for dessert, but that gives me a reason to go back immediately. As I suggest you do as well.

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